Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-02

HOW would you like IT, you good
people Of the United states, II you
"A were suddenly deprived OF liberty
In its largest sense, denied all partlol-
patton Ia national affairs and held sub
iect TO the behests OF foreign poten-
tate far over the sea?
The question Is supernuous. Of course
for you wouldn't Ike it at all, and II you
didn't raise the biggest revolution on
record and make 1t particularly hot for
that same potentato tradition and his
tory are In error as TO what you have
done in tho past,
Yet thatis exactly our condition down
here in ST. Thomas, Santa Cruz and st.
John, the three Islands which collective
~ form what are known as the Danish
West Indies. Two hundred years ago
and more some Danish sailors came
into the Caribbean sea, discovered these
Islands. temporarily vacant. promptly
annexed them 10 the crown Of Denmark
and declared that all future settlers
should be compatrlots Of the immortal
Hamlet. That was all right, certainly,
for the prlyateers Of every nation az
that time had q habit or anpropriating
everything they came across, whether
fat old galeon sailing up from Pan
anna with londs OF silver or an island
inhabited only by aborgines.
So for some two centuries these is
lands have been the acknowledged
property OF the Danes and they have
managed them as they saw NJ, sending
out a governor and soldiers TO keep
them IN subsection and wiring rev.
enue from them. The government has
been mild and paternal IN the main,
and really we have had nothing in par
tlcuiar TO complain Of except our pow
erty. which has waxed more and more
oppressive as time has gone by. until
at present we are scarcely able 10 exist
The only satisfaction we get out Of Il
Is that Denmark Is la the same boat
with ourselves and every year expends
about $4,000 more than she gets This
Is not the fault Of the Islands. but is
principally due to the fact that poor
little Denmark lies so far away To
tell the absolute truth she really has
no use at all for these tropical posses
sions, and only hangs on to them be-
cause, like the man IN the story who
caught a wildcat by the tail, she wants
some one TO help her let go.
She has been quite ready 10 let 60 any
time In the past 90 years-for a consid-
Grafton and. In fact there was a time,
3s years ago when to an intents and
purposes she aid so and in good faith
concluded a bargain with your United
States by which, for the sum OF $500
600, we We're to be transferred TO you.
To be exact the preliminary neg0tia-
tons for the purchase Of these islands
were entered into in 1866. and, after two
years Of slow diplomacy. Mr. Seward,
then your secretary Of state, cabled to
the United states minister at Copenha-
gen, CLOSE with Denmark's offer; ST.
John, st. Thomas. Sl.5O000O: send treaty
ratified Immediately" Denmark had
held out for Sl5.OO0OOO. but finally
compromise was effected on the sum
mentioned. with an option for Santa
Cruz at $5.OO0,OOO more
Well, the treaty was fairly and
sQuarely negotiated so far as the Danes
were concerned. and sent to the United
states senate, where II was slaughtered
by Charles Sumner assisted by a hur-
ricane that came along just as the dis