The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1899-01-31

we have annexed the islands, we
can provide such form of govern
ment as is best suited for the
natives. We can send our teach
ers and missionaries to educate
their children. We can introduce
our machinery, and aid them TO
develop their country, and with
that spirit of altruism which the
American people have always
shown, when the welfare of an
oppressed race was considered, we
can aid them in many ways to
become a prosperous and happy
people. As the love for the en-
shaved negro of the South caused
the people of the North to rise
in 1861 and forever destroy the
institution of slavery, and as in
the name of humanity we flew to
the aid of the oppressed Cubans in
1898, so should we also extend a
helping hand TO the Filipinos and
protect them from further mis-
rule and oppression.
But this is not all. The
Asiatic countries have, within the
last few decades, opened up their
ports to the products of foreign
countries, and all of the European
nations have been at work to get
control of one or more of these
| ports, in order to protect their
trade. The result is that Eng
land holds hongkong, France.
Saigon, Russia, Port Arthur and
Germany, Kiaochow. Through
these ports foreign products are
sent into the interior of China,
Japan, and other countries, and
sold to the natives, who are very
numerous, and are constantly de-
handing larger quantities OF
foreign goods. During these
years the United States has made
no attempt to secure it's trade by
gaining port for itself, although
we produce nearly everything
that those Eastern countries de-
mand. We are several thousand
miles nearer to them than any
European power, and their III
habitants want our products.
We can find a market there for
the wheat of the West, and the
manufactures of the East and
South. The Philippines are the
key to all the Asiatic countries,
and we have an opportunity to
annex them. Why should we not
take possession of those islands
and open a market for larger
quantities of our productse 1t is
our duty to provide our producers
with market whenever we can,
and the annexation of the Philip
pines will give us the grandest.
opportunity to control foreign
markets that is known in all the
history of trade. With those
islands in our possession, we can
supply the inhabitants OF China
and Japan with all the necessary
articles, which they desire to
develop the interior OF their
country; American capitalists
will have an opportunity to build
factories in the Philippines, to
manufacture the large quantities
of raw material, which those
islands can produce, and the pro-
visions and bread stuffs OF our
country will find ready market
among the millions of Asiatle
people.
The Spanish-American war has
demonstrated very clearly the
fact. that the United States must
provide itself with coaling stations
in different parts of the globe, In
order to carry on naval battles In
distant waters, successfully. AS
: long as there is peace, no such
stations are required, because our
warships can procure coal at the
port of any nation, but as soon as
war is declared the neutral nations
can no longer give such aid to our
navy, and unless we possess coal,
ing stations ourselves, we Will
|, find difficulty in carrying on ..
foreign war. For example, when
Commodore Dewey destroyed the
Spanish feet at Manila, there was
no port in all the Aslatic waters
at Which he could supply him.
self with coal and other necessary
supplies, but he had to wait until
these necessities were sent him
from the United States navy
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