The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-07
Liberal
For Both This Country and
the Colonies.

At the Adams Square Congregational
Church, last evening, Senator Roe
spoke on the subject of Expansion.
The address was given under the aus
picegs of the Mems Union connected
with the church. It was the second
gathering that has been held within the
new edifice. and the senator was greet
ed by large audience.
doubt" said he at'the beginning.
az to whether there are many who
are satisfied as to what the outcome of
expansion will be or as to what it ought
to be. The announcement of this gov
einment as to the purpose of the com
mlssioners' work. at Paris was to Sc
cure a treaty of peace. That may not
necessarily mean expansion. l do not
object to the word expansion Growth
and development is something that the
american people ought always to ia
vor.
There are those in congress who OBJ
5ect to any change. Some of them, had
they been alive, would have objected
IN l775 to our protest against English
e Nyranny. But fortunately that class
s We're then, as now, in the minority. 1t
is that very element, those critics of
the administration, those DIRECTORS, who
are, IN d measure, responsible for the
y bioodshed of Sunday at Manila Their
Efforts TO defeat the treaty of peace
was an indirect cause of the death of
those brave soldier boys
we are told that the declaration of
Independence prevents us from taking
over the Philippines or Porto Rico that
our government derives its just pow
sIs from the consent of the governed
IA other words, the inference is de-
rived that wherever we have extended
our government, we have gone among
the people and secured a vote from
them first on the question.
we sent no one to Louisiana to get
me votes of the people when we ac-
CURED the French possessions in 1909
1T was purchased through Thomas Tef'
Ierson, who at that time clearly fore
saw the acquisition of Cuba. Josiah
quincy, then in congress, like unto some
OF the critics Of today, predicted that
III would ruin us. Under the same in
depreciation of the constitution. we
hao no right to coerce the southern
southern states in 1851; but we did and
the people went ahead.
one OF the questions asked most
frequently is What are we going 10
40 with these possessions once we OBJ
tam control of them? Well, it is an
act or colonization, and it was her COL
onfzfng power that made England,s
greatness. Colonizing is one thing: to
become part of the United States is
quite another The argument of dis
lance Is presented for our consideration
England, on whose dominions the sun
never sets, and whose morning drum
peat is heard around the word is the
pest answer 20 that argument.
We are told that we should keep our
country INTACT within itself; there have
been those in the national congress
g VINO nave ever argued along these
nnes. But the opposite has been the
& policy always. The Louisiana mr.
chase of 1903 was followed by the pur-
chase Of Florida from Spain in 1921.
In 1s45 Texas was admitted; in 1916
e oregon came in; California followed in
+ 849, and in 1853 came the purchase of
s the French and Spanish possessions on
the northern Pacific coast. Alaska was
bought in 1867
Starting as federal republic at
& the beginning with $4,000 square miles
Of territory, we have since added $780,
600 more. and it all came to us either
by direct purchase or the volition of a
people. In no case was it brought
about by the popular vote of those
within the territory secured
Let us wait until we hear from the
Philippine commissioners before we
criticise more. And let us remember,
too, that we can never be a progress
sive people unless we can adapt our
selves to the conditions that confront
us. Let us have faith in the admnis-
tration, and when we hear this talk
about the consent Of the governed re-
member that there were eleven states
that we brought back into this Union
In those dark days Of 1861 and 1865
without submitting the question to
popular vote. They didn't consent to
be governed; they we're forced into
1t.
Does might make right? you ask
No; but l do say that they wouldn't
go back today If they had a chance
4 any more than Porto Rico or the other
possessions in question would if they
q once got into the Union. So far as
Manila is concerned ] do not believe
that after what our navy has done in
that harbor, we can afford to get out.
# I'VE are close to The anniversary of
that sad day when the Maine was sunk
beneath the waters of Havana harbor.
and God has been with us since that
time. l believe 1t to be our Christian
duty to hold those possessions we have
acquired until the people of those coun-
tries are able to govern Themselves"
Senator Roe closed by reading Rud-
yard Kiplings latest poem, Tile
White Mans Burden"