Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-01-07
Daily kennebec 3ournal.
CROKER AN ExPANSioNlST.
Believes in Holding Everything Gained
by Purchase, Annexation or War.

New York. Jan. G--The Journal ana
iAuvesNlser VIII, tomorrow. pr.nt the fol-
Ipo,MMls p, settlement given out, tonight by
iieir.aliairu croker; Il believe in expatlsion;
~ neMieNe M IN nothing whatever possessions
we nave gained by annexation. purchase
~. war This policy is not only patriotlc
ant lt is the only safe one to pursue. Any
49, n.rt po!icy would show weakness on tune
PIT OF the United States and invite for
e.7H complications. This must be avoid
eu. nence our policy must be vigorous.
-, Jeiierson was an expansionist; other
wise he would not have favored the ac-
qGsillon of Louisiana, with ITS foreign
population. which in Jefferson's time was
quite ais remote as the Philippines. In
thls age of steam and electricity, distance
IS no argument against expansion.
we spend millions annually for mis-
Sioilsiry work in foreign countries. Now
we nave chance to spnde this money in
our own Possessions, and make the people
OF our new lands good, law-abiding cri-
zons, who in time will be loyal to our
constitution and our flag. Take England
Tor example. the people of this lAttle Isle
come pretty near owning the universe.
Are not our people as intelligent, as pow
erIul and as patriotic as the English? The
United States is the only, country on
Illustrate to the world that we are fully
able to cope with greater problems than
we nave mad occasion TO in the past, and
We have a population of $4,000, 600 of
people. The country teens with young
men full of life, hope and ambition. Why
not give these young men a chnce to de-
velop our newly acquired possessions, and
onld up a country rivaiing in grandeur
a.id patriotism our own Unitel States?
Il say 10y al means hold on to all that
country west of the Rocky mountains
WAS filled with wild Indians at the pres
ent moment. how long would it take us
otaf laws and our educatinno The same
thing applies to the Philippines and any
other country that may fail ilto our
hands by ths province OF peace or war.
1T. is an insult 10 the American people
and TO our flag even to suggest that We
abandon the Peoples we have released
from bondage. or what would be more
disgraceful, tnat We should offer to sell
them to the highest bidder. Such prop
osition places the American people in the
same category with the Chinese VINO
have neitaer patriotism nor foreign
policy and are in consequence utilized as
IA door mat by the powers of the world.
This is too great a question TO be cca-
sidered as mere matter. of dollars and
tected; they Will not figure on the cost
Bring it down 10 local government in
the case of street cleaning. The cry IS
the COST. % They they demand demand them 'a.esl as 9helr Gr
right. Just SO with our possessions, the
people want the properties acquired by
war protected. They will pay for stand
ing army, d powerful navy and the pro-
lection of our flag the world over regard
less of any monetary consideration. Tney
have proved their Willingness to sacrifice
their blood for the honor of their country
and their flag. And when the question is
brought to AN issue they will arise one
man and demand expansion as "a citizen $
sacred right.
Il think the Is to question as outlined
in the Chicago platform decidedly dead
issue This was fully demonstrated i'll
she last election. We did not embody the
Is to l question in our platform, and the
result is that we elected every one of our
congressman