The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-18
THE DEWEY CLUBS OPPORTUNITY

To the Editor: The Dewey Club recent
~ organised in Seattle seems to be gen
orally misunderstood as to its purposes.
1t is popularity supposed to be the out
growth Of jangle among the fustonists
over the antt-expansion notions of Bryan
and the Ohio platform. On the contrary,
as shown by the able addresses OF Judge
Humphries, Judge Winsor and others. 1t
IL broadly national and patriotic in Its
scope and purpose. and deserves more OF
public attention and support.
raise the question. however, whether
the club might not safely leave the siEn-
pie question of expansion to the declared
sense of the American people and to con-
gress as being an assured fact. and turn
its attention to the grave and momentous
questions which are even now forcshad-
owed, or must come In the future, re-
gardfng our new possessions In the Pa
cif1c, and to the still greater graver prob
lens that the coming disruption of East
ern Asia will force upon us.
The states of the Paciflc slope are nat
uraily more directly and vitality interested
in all that relates to our westward In
terests than the rest of the country, and
II II reasonable to suppose that the peo-
pie Of this Coast will be looked to for
the initiative In discussing and dealing
with all those political, commercial and
administrative problems as they arise.
The government Of all those 100000 and
their rich possessions will come largely
from the citizens Of this Coast. The
market afforded by the Philippines and
their neighboring countries will be de-
pended on to maintain good prices for
all the products of these Coast states.
and the wealth and population of these
must increase faster than ever before.
What, then, should Seattle do and be?
Has 1t not the most wonderful oppOr-
tunity for power and influence ever Of
fered by fate to young city? And, II
80, does 1t not demand the prompt and
powerful organization Of all its mental,
moral and financial forces. 50 that they
may not only meet all questions as they
come wisely and irresistibly, but that
they may have the genius 10 anticipate
them and control their course? II this
opportunity Is to be grasped and the gen.
tiemen Of the Dewey Club wish the honor
of assuming that great trust, they must
drop their present name and limited work
and under some such title as "Oriental
Union League or the like. proceed 10
build up an agency that shall command
the attention and respect of the COM
mercial and political world.
Among the earlier provisions that will
need to be provided by the government
will be the selection of a great number
of proper officials to govern and edu-
cate these millions, who are SO utterly
foreign to our language, customs. ethics
and thought that only those officials of
peculiar fitness in some required line OF
work can be anything but hindrance
and failure. The great mass of pro-
fessional offceseekers - men without
training in work or characteristic will
first rush for those places would prove
the greatest possible curse and fmpedi-
ment to the civilization and uplifting of
those island peoples.
If possible arrangements should be
made between our state university and
the general government by which chairs
of instruction would be maintained here,
by which instruction could be provided
as far as possible IN the languages, GUS
toms and philosophers of the various
Philippine races and the other Asiatic
races who win be brought into CONNER
cial or possible political relations with
US. The above suggestion Is in partial
accordance with an important article
written by Prof, Bourne. OF Yale college,
In the North American Review for Oc-
tober. Such a movement made by Sc
attic would be of Unreasonable value
in drawing official appointments to Be-
attic and building up the influence and
control OF our commercial. manufacture
ing and mercantile forces.
But great. and rich as Is our oppor-
tunity ana responsibility in the Philip
pines. far greater and more important
fields are opening behind II. Siberfa-ai-
most as great and rich as all North
America-is lying vacant and faIiow.
with the greatest railroad system In the
world just opening II up. Then China,
with its hundreds % usillions, seems on