Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-08
As to Way the Philippines
Should Be Ruled.
COMMERCIAL BENEFITS
To This Country From Their Possession
Will be ImmenSe--FavOrS Treating
Them As Territories For the
Present.

San Francisco, March 8.-Gen. Joseph
Wheeler favors giving the Philippines
territorial form of government. Said
he:
II believe the people are ready for
certain kind of lf-government. They
could be given the power to make laws
under such system of government as
has been adopted for our territories. The
municipal governments are all in the
hands Of the natives and they get along
without trouble or friction Under ter
ritorial form the islands could be best
controlled
He reviews his impressions of trade
possibilities in the Orient as follows
England, Russia, Germany and France
have braved war and pestilence in eff
forts to secure a share of the wealth
which will come to them by commercial
relations with these peoples. The treaty
Of peace cast upon us the responsibility
of sovereignty over from 100000 to H.
00O. 600 people, together with the islands
which they inhabit, containing an area
three times that of our great and pros
porous Empire state.
''Very naturally there may be honest
difference of opinions as to whether
everything has been conducted during
the two years in accordance with the
highest wisdom and best possible judg
ment, but there should be no question
among the .American people as to the
duty and wisdom Of our now uniting in
a determined effort to take the situation
as 1t stands and to SO conduct the affairs
&, = do oc% TO ifc,
glory, honor, welfare and prosperity. 1t
is friendly struggle for commercial SUI
premacy in which our rival nations are
using their best efforts, and I say let
us in a friendly but determined spirit.
use our best efforts also.
''Our Pacific cities are now face to face
with the EASTERN shores of Asia. The
Nicaraguan canal will bring our gulf
ports nearer to them than those of the
Atlantic and Europe.
with Manila as a great depot, steam
ers from that emporium could reach the
commercial ports of eastern Asia as read
lily as it can be done by English steamers
from Hong Kong. We must consider
that about one-third of the population
of the earth is concentrated in the east
ern half of Asia, and that these vast
multitudes are rapidly learning to ap-
preciate the advantages and, might add.
the necessity of high civilization, and
they are also learning to realize the conn
fort which is enjoyed by the people OF
the most civilized nations in the possess
sion and use OF the products manufac-
lures and mechanical developments
which are there found.
Europe and America must purchase
the silks, teas, coffee, hemp, spices and
products of the handiwork of the people
of the Orient, and this immense popula-
tion needs articles which American farms
and factories are producing cheaper and
better than those which are produced
anywhere else on earth. Cotton cloth
such as is manufactured in southern cot
ton mills is needed by the people of the
east TO the enormous value of from four
to five thousand million dollars.
England with her navy has ap-
preached China by the sea and has es-
tablished firm footholds at favorable To-
cations on the coast. France has acquired
possessions in Asia which contain a pop
ulation four times as great and an area
nearly ten times as large as that of our
Empire state. England's dominions and
dependencies in Asia now extend over an