Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-13

that the committee having considered
the various questions involved ana the
evidence in regard to this country under
consideration are forced to the conclu-
sio., that the possession Of the country
is of no value to the government or the
United States. That it was a source OF
weakness instead of a power, ana a con-
slant annual expense for when there
will be no adequate return. ina IT
has no capacity as an agricultural coun-
try. That it is known Nat 1t has no
value as a mineral country. That its
fur trade is of insignificant value to us
as a nation and will speedily come to an
end. That the fisheries are of doubtwul
value, and that whatever the value OF its
fisheries, it's fur trade, its timber and it's
minerals, they We're all open to the cltl7
zens of the United States under existing
treaties. That the right to govern the
nation or nations Of avage in a climate
unfit for the habitation of civilized men
was not worthy of purchase They
therefore reported the following resolu~
tion: Resolved. That it is inexpedient to
appropriate money for the purchase OF
Russian America
In the debate in the house a distin-
guished representative from Massachu-
sets said: If we are to pay for Russias
friendship this amount l desire, to give
her the 81, 200, 900 and let her keep Alaska.
1 have no doubt that at any time within
the last twenty years we could have had
Alaska for the asking. providing we
would have taken it as a gift, but no man,
except one insane enough to buy the
earthquakes of ST. Thomas and the ice
fields of Greenland. could be found to
agree to any other terms for it's acquisi-
ton to this country
To this treaty the opponents We're in
the minority and that great rich terri
tory from which we nave drawn many
and many times over it's purchase price
49, "a 49, ,-~I-
veloped. is ours in spite of their OppoSi-
ten. In the last year we have added to
the territory Of the United States the ter
ritory of the Hawaiian islands, one of
the gems Of the Pacific ocean, contain
ing 6.124 square miles; Porto Rico, con-
tanning $500 square miles; Guam, con-
tanning so square miles, and the Phil
ippine archipelago, embracing approxi-
mately LA 900 square miles. This latest
acquisition is about One-siXth the size of
the original Is states. This is larger
than the combined area of New Jersey
DelawartA Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina and the District
OF Columbia. 1t exceeds IN area all Of
the New England states. 1t is almost
as large as Washington and Oregon COM
btned and greater than C.iio, Indiana
and Illinois united. Three times larger
than New York and three and one-half
times larger than the state of Ohio.
THE treaty of peace with Spain, which
gave us the Philippines, Porto Rico and
Guam. met with some opposition in the
senate. but was ratified by that body by
more than a two-thirds vote. while in
the house the appropriation of $40, 600, 900
was made with little or no opposition.
As in the case of the Louisiana purchase
and Alaska, the opponents of the treaty
We're in the minority and the star of nope
to an oppressed people was not extin-
SHished. The future of these new pos
sessions is in the keeping of congress
and congress is the servant of the peo-
RE. That they will be retained under
the beneficent sovereignty of the United
States | do not permit myself to doubt.
mat they Will prove a rich and invalu-
able hostage | feel assured. That con-
Sress will provide for them a government
which will bring them blessings which
VIII promote their material interests as
Wei as advance their people in the path
OF civilization n intelligence 1 conf
IDENTITY believe. They will not be gov.
erened as vassals Or serfs or slaves
they will be given a government of lib
erty, regulated by law. honestly admin.
islereu, without expressing or eXaction
taAatlon without tyranny, justice with.
out distinction of social conditions, free.
dofn OF religious worship and protection
IN life, liberty and the pursuit VI .lappi
ness