Washington sentinel., 1899-01-14
The Speech of Hon. Claude "A.
Swanson,


The Speech of Hon. Claude A.
Swanson,
OF Virginia, in the House last week,
against expansion, is one OF the
best so tar delivered on this sub
ject. We copy a few paragraphs
from it. Every Virginia paper
should publish ii, as it contains
very valuable information. II
necessary to do so, they might
drop Talmage's sermons, which
should not be copied by Demo
cratic Virginia paper, inasmuch as
Talmage was a bitter enemy to the
South during the war.
Among other things Mr.. Swan
son said:
They tell us that our destination is
there. Already we are urged to adopt
the British open door policy in the
Orient. When the conflict comes it will
be said that our possessions, our trade,
and our commerce in the East demand
our participation, and as our policy is
similar to that of England we shoul'l
make common cause with her, The
present Imperialists will be found then
as the firm advocates oi that alliance, II
they then prevail IN the councils OF the
nation we will then be engaged in great
war, costing us millions OF dollars and
the loss OF many men, and all for inter-
ests trifling in comparison with the sac.
rifices we must make l am opposed to
this. / am opposed to acquiring these
islands, which will be used to lnveigle
us into wars which will cost us more in
one year than we can make out Of them
by centuries Of possession,
Mr.. Chairman, while discussing this
matter it IS pertinent TO determine what
will be The cost OF these new dangers
and difficulties. Military authorities
have estimated that it will take from
fifty to one hundred thousand men to
subdue the inha bitants OF these islands
Spain, after over thtee centuries Of blood
and strife, has extended her authority
over less than one third of the whole
Soup. In Luzon. which is the largest
and in which is situated Manila, the
capital, one-third OF the people have
never acknowledged the Spanish Gov
eminent or submitted to it, All efforts
to conquer them have proved fruitless.
In many OF the other islands Spanish
rule is entirely confined to one or two
fortified seaport towns.
Our difficulties in the Philippine
Islands will be greater than were those
of Spain. Amongst the nine millions OF
people the United States has not
friend, not a supporter. The Spaniards
and their sympathizers, whom we CON
quered, will hold us in eternal hatred.
The insurgents already DEFY us and bear
us great enmity for not permitting them
to establish a free and an independent
government. The fierce men OF the
interior, constituting a majority, who
have never been subdued, will contest
to the bitter end all efforts to extend our
government over them In the Philip.
pine Islands we will be strictly in the
enemv's country. We can get only what
we conquer and hold only what our
military power will enable US to hold.
Hence that it will take $4,000 men to
subdue the islands and establish our
authority there is a very conservative
estimate. fear it will take far more.
To the cost of these must be added
the increased expense Of the navy,
harbor Improvements, Notifications,
means of communication, and transpOr
tation for the troops The cost OF these
and of the maintenance of the soldiers
and of the sailors will be greatly
enhanced by the distance from home.
1t is safe to saN that the cost Of all these
will exceed SIS, 900, 900 per year. This
will be the expenditure for the Philippine
Islands until they have been subdued.
The military authorities estimate that
1t will take an army OF 10000 men to
hold them in subjection and keep peace
and good order. It will require also
the presence of a large navy. Each
year will witness large expenditures
out OF the Treasury for their improve
ment and development. Each soldier
in the regular army at present costs us
about s., 900. This cost Will be greatly
increased in the Philippine Islands.
The mortality among the soldiers
there will be very great, and hence there
will be large increase Of pensions from
the military and naval establishments
there 1t is safe to say that the annexa-
ton OF the Philippines will impose an
annual additional charge upon the
Treasury OF the United States of about
$4,000 600, In the last twenty years,
from 1873 to 1897, it has cost each year
on an average for each citizen S4.97 to
administer the Federal Government.
During this time we had small Navy
and Regular Army OF only $4,000 men.
When we reflect that the Philippine
Islands are to be governed by military
government which is far more expensive
than a civil one; that the standing army
there will be six times larger in proper
ton to the population than we have
had here in these same twenty years,
that it is an undeveloped country, need
ing vast expenditures; that large navy
must be kept Ithere continually. and
that the people are wild and unsubdued;
il is evident that il il has cost US S4,97
for each citizen in this country annually,
il will cost at least SO to govern each
citizen in the Philippine Islands, which
would make about Ss5,oOo, 900 annually