Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-18
hn R, Proctor Delivers Address to
Boston Audience.
MASTRRLY REVIEW OF QUESTION
History of Advance of the Idea in
This Country.
PRINCIPLE GAINS GROUND

meeting of the WOrkingmenS Pontlcal
League Of Boston. He engaged in debate
with Mr.. Edward Atkinson of that city on
the problem of expansion. Mr.. Proctor took
the positive side of the question, making an
argument which showed thorough famii-
iarity with all the issues involved. He said
in part:
Il accepted the kind invitation of your
Workinsmen's Political League to meet
with YOU here tonight and discuss with my
friend Mr. Atkinson. the question of eX-
pansion and its relation to the workingmen
OF assachusetts with extreme reluctance
because 1 felt my inability to do justice to
the subject and | only run the risk of being
overwhelmed with the broadside of statis-
tics which | realize Mr.. Atkinson has ready
to hurl upon me. because | am imbued with
the true missionary spirit Our mission
aries go to darkest Africa with full appre-
citation of the dangers TO be encountered,
ard having read the publications which
have been scattered broadcast through the
land by the Massachusetts, Anti-Expansion
League or Anti-Imperialistic League. felt
that there va. a need that some one should
undertake missionary work in Darkest
o. Boston, for. while the entire American peo-
pie seem moving forward to the music OF
progress and are willing to accept the
grave responsibilities thrust upon them,
and do their part in extending the prin-
ciples of AngIo-SaAon and Teutonic liberty
and law throughout the world. Boston
seems to be the only place not in touch
with this great movement. You people of
Massachusetts have been right on so many
questions that you seem to feel that you
have the privilege of being absolutely
wrong on questions affecting the expansion
of this country. y large-l will not say
cor troIiing-eIement of your public men
have been absolutely. persistently and con-
SiStently wrong on this question from the
Foundation of this government to the pres
ent DAY They opposed the expansion of
the thirteen states west of the Allegheny
mount&irs, and claimed that that was the
natural barrier. They opposed the extern
sion beyond the Mississippi. and claimed
that that was the legitimate barrier. They
opposed the extension beyond the Rocky
mountains and claimed that that should be
TIE limit Of our EXPANSION. They opposed
the acquisition of Texas Oregon and Cal
ifOInia, and many Of them saw grave evils
III the acquisition Of Hawaii
MIR. RooseveIt's Views.
Theodore Roosevelt. in his Winning of
the West thus characterizes the early OPP
position of northeastern sectionalism to
our national growth:
&c The extreme representatives of this
northeastern sectionalism not only object
ed TO the growth of the west. at the time
now under consideration. but even avowed
a desire to work harm by shutting the Mis-
sissippi. so as to benefit the commerce of
the Atlantic states. These intoler-
ant extremists not only opposed the admis
sion of the young western states into the
Union but at a later date 1S11 actually
announced that the annexation by the
United States of vast territories beyond the
Mississippi offered just cause for the seces-
sion OF the northeastern states
After we hal acquired the territory of
Louisiana and the northwest against the
opposition of New England. your Massa-
ChusettS statesmen, who were wise and
able men. opposed the admission of new
states from that territory. They then took
ground that could ACQUIRE terri
tories without admitting them as states.
Their descendants now take the ground
that We can only acquire territories with
Il view of adrc4ttinS them into the Union
as states. thus reversing the attitude
sumed by Quincy and others in 1911. In
opposition TO the admission of states from
this territory Mr.. Quincy said: Il am COM
PEELED To declare ii as my deliberate opinion
that if this bill passes the bonds of this
Union are virtually dissolved; that the
states which compose it are free from their
moral obligation. and that il will be the
right of all so will il be the duty of some
To prepare definitely for separation: ami
cably if they can violently of they must.
Later. in 1871 the great American
statesman Daniel Webster. when it was
proposed to establish a mail service be-
tween Missouri and the Pacific coast, said:
What do want with this vast.
worthless area. this region of savages and
wild beasts. of deserts of shifting sands
and whirlWindS of dust. of cactus and
prairie dogs? To what use could ever
hope To put these great deserts, or these
endless mountain ranges. impenetrable. and
covered to their basis with eternal snow?
What can We ever hope to do with the
western coast. 4 coast of 5000 miles, rock
bound. cherries and uninviting, with not
harbOr on it, What use have We for such
a country Mr.. President. | will never
vote one cent from the public treasury TO
place the Pacific coast one inch nearer
Boston than il is today.
Capitalists Differed With Webster.
And yet, gentlemen. it was not many
years after this statement that Boston
capitalists were investing their millions to
build railways across this worthless des-
ert' to reach out TO the trade of the
worthless Pacific coast and Massachu-
sets spent millions to tunnel the Hoosac
mountain To bring nearer the trade of the
great northwest. ana the prosperity Of
the wOrkingmen of Massachusetts today
is owing to the fact that your statesmen
OF the early day were mistaken, and the
eXpansi1nists Of the country carried the
day and acquired territories which but for
them would have remained subject to
France and Spain, and hemmed in this
country to a fringe along the Atlantic
states If your wise men of the past could
be 50 mistaken, may not the wise
Uf the present day who are preaching this
doctrine Of isolation and opposition to
PansIUn be equally mistaken
Mr.. Atkinson and the Anti-Expansionist
League are attempting to brighten the
To the effect that We cannot acquire terri
tories without making the people of those
territories citizens of the United States
and bringing those territories into our sys-
TEN as states Of the federal Union. They
take the untenablc ground that the rati-
hcation Of the treaty with Spain imme-
diately extends all the provisions of the
Constitution over those acquired territories
We Of the south. who remember the atti-
tude OF Massachusetts on the Wilmot pro-
visO. and the great debates over the carry
ing Of slaves into the territory. are sur
prised 10 find such large element in Mas
sachusetts today standing uD for the con-
strUction put upon the Constitution by
John c. Calhoun and JEFF Davis and oppos-
Ing the construction put upon it by Web
ster. Sumner and others. In the cele
brated debate with Calhoun MIR. Webster
said:
&c 4 do not say that while we sit here TO
make laws for these territories We are not
hound by every one of those great nrinci-
pies which are intended q general securi-
ties for public liberty. But they do not
exist in territories till introduced by the
authority Of Congress These principles do
rot proDrio vigore. apply to any one of
the territories OF the United States because
that territory. while a territory does not
become part and is no part of the United
States