The times., 1899-01-09
ANTIAMERICAN ARGUMENT.
Corporate Prejudice ia Expansion
Illustrated by Mr.. Edmunds-

the acquisition of the Philippine Islands
by the United States. MIR. Edmunds has
long been recognized as the public brain
OF the corporate interests which, largely
through his ability and influence. were
able for long time to prevent Amer
lean Intervention in Cuba, and even to
impose upon the United States a practical
alliance with Spain for the purpose of
crushing the Cuban resolution for indie
pendence. Failing III the attempt to sup
press American sympathy with Il war for
liberty, and, again, to obstruct or pre-
vent the expulsion of Spain from the
Western Hemisphere, the elements of
monopoly with which Mr.. Edmunds is
identified in a professional way, have since
the close of the Spanish war transferred
their activities to a desperate attempt TO
prevent the annexation by this country
Of any territory capable, under conditions
of American enterprise, of producing su-
gar in quantities sufficient to threaten the
monopoly Of the American sugar trust or
the welfare of the Anglo American sugar
estates syndicate holding a vast deal of
sugar land in Cuba.
The Times takes pleasure in reproducing
the salient features of Mr.. Edmundss
statement, recognizing the fact that what
thing in the way of argument that the
anti-American combination he represents
has to offer against the obvious policy of
the people and the manifest destiny of the
| Republic:
There certain truths about the archipelago
that neither the zeal of religion nor philosophy,
nor sentiment, nor paicy can escape. some Of
these
Firs;-These Lao islands more or less. are in
the heart OF the tropics and occupy region of
seas nearly 1000 miles long north and south and
about 300 miles wide. They about 1,GD miles
distant from our Pacific coast and about t.
900 miles distant from Atlantic coast via the
Sucz Canal, controlled by foreign power. only
few Of the islands large enough to play any
important part in the problem. These are IiHnn.
Cauarines. Miudoro, Sauar, Lcytc. Panay, Min
danaO, and Paawan. The latest encyclopedias
estimate the at about 1900 square miles
and the population at 1000 0Dl.
Scco~i-Thcy have all the climatic evils and
diseases of tropical countries and frequently
afflicted by violent hurricanes and earthquakes.
\ They are, as all human experience has proved.
absolutely incapable of being colonzcd and built
! mp into communities of Americans OF any of
! the people of cool climates.
| Three-They already inhabited, as already
! stated, 10y about ',GO0OH of peupc-being more
than sixty to the square mile of the whole Of
| all the Islands. The population, therefore is al
! ready denser than that of the State of Michigan
! The population is composed oi Spanards other
! Europeans, English and Americans. haif-castes
| Chinese, N1lays. Jepanese and aboriginal natives
{
/ Europeans and Americans compose less than per
! cent after more than two hundred years OF En-
/ rope:n occupation, and very few Of these were
/ born there. Even IN Manila. the capital, % per
/ cent OF the inhabitants Malays. 20 per cent
! are Chinese and half-breeds, Spanards; Spanish
/ haif-breeds and crcoes ; per cent, only, and OF
other white men only trace and II white women
| substantially none.
! Fourth The five or six islands Of the group Of
! any considerable size are already fully populated
/ 10y the races and mixtures above mentioned.
ltfF ala HhsaN l.lN. al
never can he in need Of the consumers Of
American productions to any appreciabie extent
J SiXtlrThe islands very fertile and produce
! principally the fibre known Manila hemp,
coarse tobacco. coffee, sugar. and tropical fruits
and they have extensive forests of tropical woods
analogous to those Of the forests OF Central
and South America.
Seventh-The-e resources comprise the only
! value Of the islands except that Of furnishing 4
location for fortrosses and naval stations Tor
/ tion ambitious become the political and mill
| tary mistress Of the world. \ Alexander or
| Napoleon, if he possessed ihcShaistiblc resources
| of men and money, might wish ior them foT this
| purpose.
| Eighth-The sincerely professcd and sole purpcse
| Of the TO make Cnba free and inde
| pendent state. Admiral Dewey did not 20 to
Manila for purposes Of conquest at all. He went
! there with his gallant little fleet To capture or
| destroy ii lie could. the Spanish feet. lie lid it
| in way that astonishcd the naval powers of the
! world. But he only acquired military control Of
| the bay and city of Manila and its environments.
| ganizc,l rebellion against Spain.
/ NintI-At that time, and long before. an active
! and powerful rebellion was in progress in the
I Islands. and far a. present information goes
/ il holds sway large part of Lusuu and
| quite nearly the whole of PInay and of other
| large districts Of these principal islands 1t ap
pears 10 be true tlat-thG- rebels C0Opcratcd with
| our forces in the overthrow OF the Spanish rule
| at Manila under the impression that opera
| tiorls at Manila not To help Spain tu put
! down the rebellion and then take possession for
! tp Grim tl, lie IA
| power an incident OF III bringing Spain to
rcnuunCc its control Of Cuba, which Congress had
said in It's declaration in respect to Cuba "as its
! sole purpose.
| Tentli-That ,he people OF the islands who were
carrying the rebellion n order to be frc'. and
! independent do not desire TO be annexed aud 10
| become territorial dependency of the nited
states OF any kind, and that they intend TO resist
annexation appears to be ndisputahle
What have said so far will not, take ii, be
| disputed 10y any intelligent person. What then
| in the present state OF affairs is to- be duncy
Are 10 make upon the people OF the
Philippines spain doing, in order TO subject
| them to dominion!
This apparently VIC must do 10 make them 81
people twhether citizens, subject, slaves o the
| United States.
To Justify this "A decent respect To hc apinions
| uf mankind should compel Government 10
| state definitely the grounds upon winch make
the attempt. We have assured the nations Of the
gloh~ in the most solemn manner possible that
we do war not Tor conquest or extended tpnin-
un. but solely l." set the people ot Cuba frcc-of
whom Congress declared that "thcy were and OF
right ought to he free and independent.
All the people OF these islands who the
| subjects oI Spain will become citizens ut the
jnitrd States lay the mere act Of ce-Sion unless
the treaty "i ,cNsion should provide tl.at tho>r
| wlo wished could remain subjects OF Spain and
! aliens to the United States. This has been
! necessary rule ui international law for hundreds
OF years and the rule is founded upon the obvious
fact that the people OF every country OF any
part uf II, must owe allegiance 20 and he sub
irct 10 the government of some sovereign power,
h. il 4 tribe, emperor, king. rcpuhc.
and must, unless They slaves serts, have
the rights Ui such
Hut 4 republic have no subjects. Its l,roplc
must be either citizens. slaves aliens.
Ii aliens they the subjects citizCHS of
some other power which Is bound To- protect them.
The transfer therefore, OF the sovereignty al
spain the Philippines To the initcd states
makes all her subjects at once citizens OF tie
United States.
II citizens ui the United States. they have AL
the rights that hclong other citizens in the
Territories whether the mainland ON isl
an,lS nj the sea Neither geography nor disLn,e
has anything tu du with ii.