El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-31
OUR new POSSESSIONS.
General Butterfield'S Views as
to Their Government.
ADVOCATES MILITARY RULE.

Says Precautions Must BE Taken to
Prevent New Territory From In
vading the UniOn-Captain Mahan
Points Out That Our New Islands
Can Never BE Colonies.
The New York Chapter of the Colo
NAL Order held it's annual banquet at
Sherry's in New York the other night
and alternated in the consideration be
tween the historical American colonies
and the new colonies now becoming a
part of American history. The vice
chancellor, Camillus J. Kidder, pre-
sided in the absence of Colonel William
Carey Sanger, the chancellor, who is in
camp with his command. kilograms OF
regret were read from him and from
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, both of
which we're literally applauded. The
chairman introduced as the first speaker
the Rev. Thomas R. Slicer, who spoke
on "Indian Affairs In Colonial Times. ="
He was followed by Chester S. Lord in
response to the toast 'The Colonial
Newsgatherer. - "Our Present Colonial
Policy was the subject assigned to
General Daniel Butterfield, and he ad-
vocated strongly military colonial pol
icy. He said in part:
eff the inhabitants of our newly ao
quired possessions were of the same ster-
ling qualities and intelligence as our
original colonies, the policy question
would settle ITSELF There is where the
whole difficulty comes in a response to
the subject you give me- We want
compromise. A new page in our history
is opened. We are aligned, perhaps al
lied somewhat, in policy with England
Shall we be as wise as England and
hold our government and rule within
ourselves? Put up the bars and so de-
clare by constitutional amendment if
need be. No more states outside our
present boundaries on this continent.
Colonies if you will-yes, and for them
q colonial policy.
"Shall the mathematics of population
dominate the moral, political and COM
mercial considerations involved? No.
If so, Hawaii can knock at the doors of
| congress for admission, and what would
| she be?-about 1000 intelligent whites,
counting our British brethren there. as
| against more than ten times that num-
| Der Of raw japanese and native Ha-
| waiians. Think of that uneducated vote
handled by political Adventures and
| greedy corporations!
"No, gentlemen, unless we want to
accentuate the present all sufficient
| abuses of our political system and slim
ulate corruption by endowing ignorance
with power, we shall not tolerate the
idea that Hawaii, Cuba, Porto Rico,
the Philippines or even Alaska are to
be erected into states of this Union.
Within the sound of my voice there are
| those who will live long enough to see
| the day when, if these foreign races are
admitted as states, one branch alone,
| the Asiatics, under q moderately close
| political division of our own people,
could hold balance of power in con.
gress to settle such questions as. for in
stance. gold or silver money, paper or
| fat money, based on sugar, hemp,
wheat, tobacco or other products, de-
clare and support a state religion for
our military posts regiments, ships OF
war, territorial and race schools or
| other grave and serious questions not
| unlikely to arise in a government like
| ours under such conditions.
"Now, how shall we govern these
people? What shall be our policy?
| answer: Make them colonies and have
| u colonial policy-one that will enable
us to devolve their government upon
themselves as fast as they develop Ca.
| pacity therefor, but that shall not open
the door for their exercise of any power
or control, however remote, in our gov
| eminent. To govern with the military
| arm is the only sound, practical solu-
| ton of the problem. 1t will need no
large army to properly garrison our
Asiatio and West Indian possessions
| with the aid of our magnificent navy,
of which we are SO justly proud and
| which we must and will maintain.
"Do you ask my reasons why a mill
| tary government will be best for our
| colonies for long time to come. an
| swer:
''First.-It will be stable and even
| in its operations Commanders may be
| transferred. but no change of govern
mental policy viii follow such transfer.
"Second (perhaps this should be first).
1t will be more honest. Military men
| from our government schools or acquir-
| ing that training in service are not
| prone to jobs and deals. The psyche
| logical fact is that men to whom the
| profession Of arms is attractive-sol-
| diers and sailors born and bred-are
not, as a rule, subject to the allure
| ments of commercial cupidity.
'The third reason for urging military
government for colonies is corollary
to my second. It will be vastly more
economical and more efficient.
"The cardinal principle Of the prac-
teal military mind is order and disci-
pline. Order is the primary need where
inferior races abound, and where the