New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-27

afty milIions. The average ocean freight rate for
the wOrd Sysr Is SeGpe es' ann"s
Consider for a moment another, and. In my oph-
lon most important aid to our f9 ore &c mn near
f Mnsrs IS surely saS 0 IN he o!ient
the snmmerce Of the Pacific would in time exceed
that Of the Atlantic; and what intelligent man to.
Gay a9 tSen Seemed dream? Do not England
France Germany, Russia and Italy Dy tn ,e Soh
How shall we secure our share OF this commerce.
The suez Canal was opened y s nreI Seaors ,ns.
pool was but after Liverpool had tne auyamt i,S
BY from three thousand to four , tbe rss
Increased 40 per cent with the rest OF me worid
only per cent shSrene Sr,, .Hns results Our
Government should construct the Nicaragua lana
0ossble fine making II neutral TO the world ex,
cept to any nation at with us TINS W WOULD
nonI viii Ie on the average thousand miles nearer
all the northern ports Of ShIn hs;rsafter
III Eiahteep hundred miles nearer Yokohama
Two thousand miles nearer S Ntn' hourpe
Eighteen hundred miles nearer sidney. ZEALAND
Thrty-eight hundred miles nearer New-nsai -, The
western coast OF South America: would ptIhs , 10
one thousand to five thousand mes 80 Zoo "a 600
whose imports last year amounted 10 SiiO'V''V
ENORMOUS ADVANTAGE TO 10
Is there an intelligent business man before me
who fails to see the enormous advantage 10 US III
our export trade. by such shortening OF line anu
snace and the reduction of freight rates between
us and these nations. with whom we are Oh '"'
frendliest terms, and with many Oh ""'"' "
commercial treaties?
am silent as to the magnificent advantage such
q route promises to our domestic trade. bringing
this city ten thousand miles nearer by water W
san Francisco, the Columbia RIVER anu f"se'
Sound. shortening the time by steam from ior.y
10 twenty DAYS: by sail from hundred anu
IN
least one-third; for my discussion TINS eEeai"e -
confined 10 our export trade and It's extensioIII.
Mr. President: While all the nations OF EUROPE
are our commercial foes; while Just no" IVY 10
mo more than ever before and. as China witnesses
are lining up to stop our advance we haNe apVa
dant cause for courage and hope the uneXpeCstu ,
has happened. increasing our confidence IN n eet
IRE tenfold Humanity and a decent seI-lssPsC'
forced us to a declaration OF war against oPdil'
The conflict was short sharp and decisive. III d
plant for peace. Commissioners were appointed
by the President to settle its terms treaty Wa
signed has been ratified and proclaimed Dhoer
it's terms cuba is commercially ours; for, While we
refused to accept sovereignty there. and intend 10
yield all claim to- authority wmemgsg will owe
it's life to us; its people cannot Lll 10 reinenDeI
that their freedom from oppression from exsctn ing
md most burdensome taxation. from munger anu
starvation. is gift from US Gratitu9e ana eon
a ides there, and good government assures protec
tion to life and property commerce VIII enor-
mously increase. Porto Rico Is ours ana lis "aue
But more promising than the requirement OF
many such islands is the acquisition by US uhuer
the terms of the same treaty. of the Philppine ar
chipelago undoubtedly the most fertile ana pro-
ductive unexplored land under the sun, For three
hundred years under Spanish dominion more OPP
pressiye and cruel than known elsewhere in the
world; treated mere sponge TO be squeezed by
the hand of the oppressor; burdened by taxation
the most ingenious and intoerable; without rail-
roads or highways: without any laDor-saVlng ma
chinery: a third Of its product rotting on the
ground for want of transport ton TO the its
revenues plundered by Spanish officials yet In
1891 with rebellion rife, according to United states
Commissioner Harden,
The exports VI Si2 coo
The imports i'"'"'
Ra,anco in favor. s23 800 coo
WHAT THE RESULT WOULD BE.
Give the islands a good government, protection
to life and property. an advancing civilization IN
creaslng intelligence fair wages honest collection
of revenues. railroads and highways, improved
agricultural Implements cable communication with
our country and Geographic lines between them
and who doubts that commerce Will in lew
years be quadrupled? The bulk OF II VIII be ours,
even with the open door. for we shall have the ad
vantage OF England. Germany and France in dis
tance and In freight rates. Under present condi-
tions these rates have been. since 1877, from Ma
Mia to the United States little less on the aver
age than one-haf those from Manila TO England,
and 10 per cent less from our country TO Manila
than from England. The Islands are marvenously
rich and productive. not more thah one-quarteT OF
the tillabe land under cultivation. They produce
the best hemp known, while there Is no limit to
the demand FOR II; sugar, copra' indIso' Iooacco,
rice fruits and vegetables of all kinds. They are
rich in minerals. gold. copper, lead iron the last
yielding in some mines So per cent pure metal,
There is abundance of coal in nearly all OF
the islands. We have paid for coal for Dewey's
feet from $12 TO $40 ton On the island OF Cebu
IL is found i'm quantities. OF quality SUI
peror to the Japanese lump, practically inaccessi-
BILE now for Il is fifteen miles from the port OF
Cebu. A railroad for that distance will land it at
best merchanta BILE woods are boundless
Under such government as this Republic would
it, the possibilities of the archipelago are amazing
Even under Spanish dominion in 1863 few for
egners gathered 100000 capital built steamer TO
ply between Ilolo and Cebu and now the line has
nifty. reaching all the Islands.
But the value to US of the domestic trade of these
possessions is insignificant compared to that re-
garded from ommercial-strategc point of view.
They front the entire China Sea, are only two days
sail from Hong Kong; they introduce us to the
hundred millions of people, with imports
ceeding $1,000 100000 annually, which advancing
us for the first time a tremendous moral force.
most potent voice for the preservation of the
the future OF such commanding position to our
foreign commerce?
Are we to fold our hands and allow this harvest
to be gathered by our rivals? We have treaties
with China, guaranteeing TO us commercial rights
and privileges equal to those Of the most favored
nations. Are We to sit silently by and see our
treaty rights invaded, the doors closed against us7
The nations OF the earth are to-day near neigh
and recognized this Republic. for the first time
as one OF the great Powers OF the world. Are We
alone of these all TO Ignore the stupendous fact?
REGARDING THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
What shall We do with the Philippine Islands?
Restore them to Spain? Not one even of Mr. Car
negies reform leaders. by whom according to the
press. the name of President Mckinley was Kissed
and that of Aguinaldo cheered at a recent meeting
I'm Boston proposes this Shall forthwith sur
render the sovereignty TO a native government?
There isn't ansntelligent man in the world who
has familiarzed himself with the conditions there
isn't an officer OF the United States with expert
ence there from Admiral Dewey down: there ISM
an investigator OF the Islands and their peoples:
there isn't writer who instructs from personal
for government. There was not witness before
our Paris Commission who did not unhesitatingly
assert 1t.
How could any one expect them to be fit? What
model has been gwen them to copy, what expert.
ence to follow They have enjoyed the oppor-
tunity, only to study the most despotlc govern
ment the world ever saw. Turn the sovereignty
over to them, anarchy follows tribal wars ensue
and their condition will be worse than even under
Spanish dominion Or. what is more likely the
M lions Of Europe. to protect their suhiects or ON