Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-09
language rNApEauATE.

Hon. Nathan Matthews. Jr.. ex-Mayor
| OF Boston town, made speech on the
| Fourth OF July which has caused MIN
to be by one section OF the New England
press tire most extensively advertised
man down East. That section is the
anti-lmperIalistlc section. The other sec
ton. which is largely in the minority. IL
very much I'm the position OF the "cdssin
man. who sat mutely watching a drove
of hogs devour his load OF potatoes
which had been spilled out into the ROAD
by the upsetting of his wagon. Nhen
asked by friend why he was not induig-
ing i'm the vigorous phraseology for when
he was noted throughout the country
side. he meelxiy replied that he had no
language adequate to the expression OF
his feelings.
whether the speech of Mr.. Matthew's
was another proof OF In vino veritas we
know not Both the occasion and It's
character suggest that It was. BE that
as II may however, Mr.. Matthews was
frank to the last degree in disclosing the
true inwardness of the policy of the eX-
pansionists. 'pne of whom he Is which,
and utterly ruthless in exposing their
arrant hypocrisy. Mr.. Matthews repu-
dated absolutely the claim of his can't
ing associates i'm the cause of duty and
destiny " that we were sending the Fill
pinos TO Kingdom come" in a halo OF
gunpowder In order to establish on the
islands the same great, grand, and bless
ing-bestowing government this country
enjoys, and asserted that the United
States would probably never admit the
Philippines into the Union, or extend to
their inhabitants the full rights of citizen
ship. In other words, this imperialisuc
orator boldly proclaimed that 1t was the
purpose of those with whom he Is allied
to set at naught all precedent, ignore
the letter of the Constitution, and bid
defiance to the highest judicial tribunal
IN the land. But this was only the be-
ginning of Mn Matthew's disclosures.
Upon warming up he dismissed the Decla-
ration Of Independence as collection OF
phrases" and affirmed that empire
was the only word in the English lan-
portance, dignity, and obvious destiny
of the American republic. Here again
We have proclamation that the anneXa-
tionists purpose destroying the very
foundations Of our institutions. for OBJ
viously we cannot attain the obvious
destiny" Mr. Matthews points out so long
as these foundations endure.
1t was, however, when Mr.. Matthews
came TO deal specifically with the motive
and the inspiration of Imperialism that
he made the most awkward exposures.
Then it was that he ripped off the mask,
represented in the claim that we are in
the Philippines not by choice but 'by
the providence of God" and that there
is nothing behind benevolent assimi-
lation" but the exalted desire to civiliZe,
elevate. and make Sunday-school and
free-schOol scholars of the 100000 of
heterogeneous natives whom we pur-
chased al $500 per head i'm a spirit of
pure benevolence and philanthrophy. Mr..
Matthews did not hesitate to appeal for
support for Imperialism by admitting that
the almighty dollar" was at the bottom
of the whole business. He avowed what
had long been a suspicion, that the I'm
perialists look beyond the Philippines TO
China, and 10 the money that is in mix
ing up with foreign Powers in the game
Of land-grabbing in that part of the globe.
For. said he, "the military market-seek-
ing powers have descended like vultures
on its (China's) disintegrating body poll
tic. Have the United States
of America no interest in this question?
Shall we consent that all Asia become
the spells Of Europe?" In a word, the
true definition Of our humanitarianism IS
"spOils."
No wonder that the New England i'm
perialistic papers have practically no COM
ment to make upon Mr.. Matthew's
speech. We can readily understand their
inability TO command words that would
do justice to his prematureness. No won
der. also. that the anti-imperialisic pa
pers are giving Mr. Matthews extensive
advertisement. He deserves It. What
ever the influence under which he spoke,
or the object Of his speech. he
has done good service in warning the
country as to where ends the road along
which Mr.. Mckinley is carrying it.