The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-12

duced a peasantry -antagonistic to
| American civilization. As ito the Phil
ippines he says the difficulties become
| enormous. The Dial says:
with a population of near 1000, 900,
| where not even five per cent. can read
or write, and where ninety-nine hun
| dredthS are profoundly ignorant, SUI
| perstitious, and quite aUenable 10 the
| control of the remaining hundredth, he
| Just refrains from predicting ultimate
| failure for the United States when he
acknowledges the shTewdneSs of this
| educated remnant, who are familiar
with native dialects and customs"
Mr.. Ireland says that he found in the
United States that the question Of la
Dor and the commercial problem will
perplex and retard success. He say
the products of the tropics are OF great
lmpOrtance-sugar. coffee. tea, cocoa,
spices, fruits-and he says it has been
impossible to produce them except I'M
der conditions OF absolute slavery, or
an indentured coolie system. The Dial
holds that the indentured system,
which prevails in Hawaii, is the, main
problem confronting Is there, and ev-
cry days delay in fixing the status Of
that island allows the icreased impor-
tation of contract laborers from China
or japan to complicate the situation.
In short, he recognizes the " thai
if the sordid commercial spirit Is TO
control the management of our tropi-
cal possessions, as it does that of all
other nations Of the world, it would be
well to disabuse the public mind of
some popular fallacies. OF these, the
most melodious to the public ear is
the assertion that trade follows the
flag, and that tropical colonies deal
primarily with the sovereign country"
The people of this country have
hardly as yet lost all regard for the
traditions, policies and practices of the
past-all love of the Constitution, and
regard for the principles embodied in
the sacred Declaration of ~Independ-
ence. They will hardly sink all pre-
cious considerations and muniments
in the deep, dark slough of commercial
adventure and advantage. If all right,
all moral law, all principles that were
the saving power in our LAND are to be
sacrificed upon the bloody altar of ex-
pediency and grab, ignoring right and
law and glory, then farewell to peace
and low taxes and righteousness as a
people. The Dial says:
1.-The politician and the statesman
of the United States cannot ignore the
experience of the enlightened nations
Of the world. If We. enter the sordid
contest for supremacy in trade, ignor-
,~r ~ 49, ~onrn1 hia
we have claimed to dominate our ma
tional economic and social system, we
will be compelled to follow in great
measure the methods of these nations"
Mr.. Ireland makes one statement
that is surprising. 1t is of the compar-
ative unimpOrtance of England's ex-
| tensive colonies. 1t is amazing. He
| says that Great Britain "can only sell
to her tropical subjects II cents worth
of goods each a year and she draws
from each only sc cents worth of sup
plies. This is the reSult of a centu-
rvs work in increasing THE purchasing
and the productive power of the peo-
pie of the British colonies. . The
United States is of more value as a
source of supply to the United King
dom than the whole of the British en-
pire. The trade between the United
Kingdom and her colonies is not in
creasing." Wise, ru~houghoful, prudent,
truly patriotic men will study the ex-
p~eriences of Great Britain, especially
in dealing with her vast outlying prov
inces. What Spain and Germany and
France have experienced may also be
prOfftably surveyed. The change pro
posed for or own country by Nc
Kinley and company is of experiment
unnecessary, unwise, impolitic and full
of perils of many kinds.