Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1899-11-02

II
the travel, the civilization OF the
world for the preservation OF order
and the protection OF life and prop.
epty In Cuba, In Porto Rico Ia Guam
and In the Philippine islands includ'
ing the recent haunt OF piracy, the
SuluA Shall we acquit ourselves like
men In tho discharge OF this duty,
or shall we fall 20 quarrellng
lllte children over the question
az TO whether or not this duty
was a good thing to- DO forced
upon ua? IL has been we'll said by an
eloquent orator that there may have
been time for dispute about tho wis
dom OF resisting the stamp tax, but
Of Bunker illll there may have been
II time for hot Debate about some OF
tho mistakes In tho antl.slayery con-
test, but oil time for debate had
passed after the battles OF Fort stump
ter and Bull Run. You can never
grind with the water that has passed
the mill Nothing In human power
can ever restore the United States to
tho position II occupied the day before
Congress plunged us into the war with
Spain, nor enable US TO escape what
tho war Ontailed Whether We wish
II or not, tho old continental isolation
ID gone forever Whithcrsoever we
turn, wo must do II with the burden
Of our late acts to carry and tho 70.
sponsibillty OF our new position TO MS
sumo. II isidle TO talk OF turning
over the Philippines We could NOT
do 30 II we wished. There Is no gem
cral representative form Of govern
over tho fruits Of our Victory
and the results OF our treaty.
We could only abandon these islands
to the greed Ut foreign nationsi or
what would be worse, turn them bnct,
to the tyranny aud oppression OF
:, Spain. Tho treaty OF peace which
gave us tho Philippines and Porto
Rico and Guam met with some oppo'
slbon In tho senate, but was finally
ratified by that body by moro than
two,thrds vote, while In tho house
tho appropriation of 500 900, 900 was
made with llttlo or no opposition. Az,
In the caso Of tho Louisiana purchase
and the buy.ss Of Alaslsa, tho oppo-
nenls of tho treaty were In tho mi'
nority.
Tho future of these islnndsis,now In
tho keeping OF Congress, and, Congress-
H. the servant Of tho people That
b those islnnds will DO retained under
tho benign sovereignty OF tho United
States there IL little reason to- doubt.
) II Is, however, n question which tina
people Themselves will be given an OPP.
portunity to decide. II is believed
I that Congress will provide for the
Philippines goNernmont which will
bring them blessings, which will pro.
mote their material intorcsts and do
valopo their wonderful mineral and
agricultural posi- bilities, and advance
their people in the pathway Of intol'
ligcnce aud civilization. II Is strungo
that any people In the United StateR
should talk OF Our flag In the Philip.
piues MS boing u symbol OF oppression.
II means for tho people OF those is'
lands what II has meant for tho poo
plo of every land over which II haa
waved since tho beginning, 1t means
for thom what II meant for tho poo.
pic of Louisiana and Texas and CALI
rurnia and Oregon. Tho American
ilOg does not mean one thing In the
United States and another Ia tho
Philippines. II means civilization
aud human liberty wherever II COOS.
.rhesc now possessions aro about
one.siXth the slze OF tho original
thirteen states The archipelago
embraces approximately l4J, 900
square miles. 1t Is larger than the
combined area OF New Jersey, DUla'
ware, Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina ard tho Dis.
trict OF Columbia, IL exceeds IN area
all of the New England states II Ia
almost as large rs Washington and
Oregon combined, aud greater than
Ohio, Indiana aud Illinois united II
Is three times larger than New York.,
and three and half times greater
than tho state Of Ohio, II Is richer
In mineral resources than Pcnnsyl'
vania. 1t grows better tobacco than
Virginia or Mississippi IL Is n hotter
) sugar country than Louisiana or
! Alabama Its forests are moro val
) uablo than those Of tho far north or
! tho far south. There are valuable de-
! posits Of coal, petroleum, iron, lead,
: sulphur, copper and gold In tho
, various islands and litto or moth
Ing has been done to develop thom.
: II Is said that its agricultural possi'
bilitles are capable OF supporting a
I population equal to that OF Japan
j. 1000 900 people. Its valleys arc fer
G tile for the growth Of sugar, tobacco,
rice, hemp, fruit and all tho valuable
a products Of an Oriental climate. For
, 500 years it has been SpAin's most val.
Q ulbIc possession, 1t has bror-N'
/ wealth untold to the o NY
, g. e. s s.,y Coup cc..aps oalelals Bg hcF sys.
d tom OF government, spain erouhd tho
c inhabitants OF this rich realm to the
J last degree Of endurance. Sho charged
them S35a head for poll tax. She
robbed them In evsty season. Surely,
, no one with drop OF patriotism In
his blood will say that the govern.
, ment which the flag OF tn! free brings
to these people is not blessing TO
} them after tho 900 years OF tyranny
and robbery they have suffered at tho
! hands Of Spain.
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