Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-03-08

THE PHILIPPINE QUESTION.
Senator McLaurin Makes a Strong Speech
in the United States Senate.

in the United States Senate.
In che United States Senate last
"Wednesday Senator McT.aurin, of
South Carolina, gave a strong ex-
preston on the Philippine question
and expansion. lie spoke in part as
follows:
Senator McLaurin strongly depro-
Gated the position which the Demo
cratic party had taken in making the
Philippine question and expansion
political issue. He pointed to the
past to show that son,e of the great
est Democrats who ever lived were
expansionists, and to prove by their
acts and measures that if it had not
been for them the United States
would not have been the nation it is
to-day.
lie took the ground that the Phil
ippincs are rightfully and legally
ours by the treaty of Paris, and
that the United States should hold
them, a!fording the Filipinos every
opportunity to acquire the art of
government and giving them all the
powers and rights possible in the
circumstances. lie dwelt particu-
larly on the great opportunities af-
fordcd by the islands for trade be-
tween Americans and the nations of
the Orient. He did not agree with
some of his colleagues "r the Demo
cratic side that our trade in the
East was a mere tigmcnt of the i'm
agination. lie quoted statistics to
prove that the experience of the last
decade contradicted those who as
serted that our Eastern trade was
not of immense consequence.
'lt is in the Orient" he said, "that
we must look for markets. There
must be change in our policy. We
must enter into actual competition
for this trade. We must as a nation
recognize changed conditions, and |
believe that by holding the, Philip
pines our trade in the Orient will
continue to increase until all surplus
products for years to come will find
remunerativc markets in the East"
81 am glad" said he, "to believe
that the Southern people have de-
tcrmlncd to investigate and study
this question rather than to be led
blindly by political anti-cxpansion-
lists. The Southern farmer, by the
increased price received for raw COT
ton last year, has become aroused.
Fealty to party and misleading in
formation, fear, has produced
among them opposition to territorial
expansion. The effort has been
made in my own State to suppress
all information and arouse public
sentiment against expansion. The
frightful ghost of imperialism has
been to frighten them, but |
believe it impossible much longer to
thus mislcad them"
Senator McIaurin said, in sketch
ing the progress Of the South during
the past twenty years, that the blight
OF negro suffrage and negro domina-
tion had almost extinguishcd hope
and energy and manly effort, but,
like a giant bound with letters, she
aroused herself at last and again
started upon an era of industrial life.
"Capital has flowed into that
scction," said he. "Thcre is conf
dcncc in all Southern enterprises.
The bitter memories of the past are
being forgotten in the rush of the
development of our resources. Our
people feel that they are again a
part of this great country, and are
left free and untrammcled to work
out their own destiny. Our South
crn manufacturers have already
reached ont to the markets of the
Orient and discovered their advan.
tagcs. The Southern farmer needs
such markets for his raw cotton to
make its production rcmunorativc.
"By the acquisition OF the Phil
ippincs we hold the key to the East
crn situation. We need not RELY
solely upon treaty rights to secure
the open door, but can demand
equal commercial opportunity with
other nations, and if necessary, with
the vantage ground we have, assert
that demand. win the United States
throw away the golden opportunity
by giving up the Philippines? I am
in favor of holding them, and
| believe the Southern farmers and
manufacturers will sustain me in nv
position. ] believe further that tho
presence of the United States, and
OF its flag, tho emblem of human
freedom, progress aud civilization,
will carry to the millions in the
Orient unnumbcrcd blessings, which
IN the coming years will be for their
bCttcrmcnt and amcliOrafi0n. and