Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-01-10
Clark Howell, Of the Atlanta Con-
stitution, Delivers a Speech
at Buffalo.
The FLAG MUST Be UPHELD
Little Americans" Have Small Sym,
pathy From the Southern DEM
ocratic Leader.

"In the Philippines $1,000 American
soldiers today are standing in the
trenches against the onslaught on
our national authority. 1t is need
less now to recount the why's and
wherefores OF this attack. There is
room for patriotic difference on ex-
pansion of our boundary lines and
the subsequent control Of territory
thus acquired. But IL should be
enough for any American citizen,
whatever may be his political opin-
ion, to know that our boys are being
killed, our flag is being assailed and
our authority Is being defied."
Such was the message brought
from the south to the north by Clark
Howell, editor of the Atlanta Con-
stitution. 1t was delivered at the
banquet of the Independent club OF
Buffalo, held last month, and patri-
otto cheers were its accompaniment.
Retention Of the Philippines was
advocated by Mr.. Howell, primarily
on the ground Of patriotism, but he
presented n secondary argument even
more important to the commercial
spirit of the south. This lies In the
huge cotton market 'to be had for
the asking" This phase Of the ques-
ton was summarized by him in these
words:
Figuring only upon the increased
demand sufficient to justify a modest
wardrobe of not more than one cot
ton suit to each Filipino, we have In
this item alone a return which would
very soon meet the cash cost of the
islands, and, in addition, an invest
ment Of incalculable wealth to the
cotton industry of our country"
Mr.. Howell Is known throughout
the country an the successor of the
lamented Henry w. Grady In leading
the champions of the new south"
He IL not only progressive, but ag-
gressive. The rumblings Of revolt
against Democratic anti-expansion
plans which are echoing through
out the south were given open ex-
preston by him tonight. Coming
from an acknowledged party leader
and a man widely popular with the
masses, his speech is weighted with
great significance.
"Slnce the organization of the thir-
teen original states each generation
has produced some misguided citi-
zen who, blind to the benefits offered
by extension of national domain,
sought i'm vain to thwart the march
OF commercial progress and check the
current of n nations destiny. Even
prior to the birth of our republic the
great Frederick characterized as alb
surd the idea of maintaining an indie.
pendent form of government cover
ing 50 vast a domain as that en-
braced between Maine and Georgia.
"Every extension of our border
line was met by similar argument,
and when the Oregon country was
under discussion in the '40s a senator,
with becoming seriousness, declared
that no such remote land could ever
be incorporated and held as an in
tegral part of the United States; that
1t would require ten months out Of
every twelve for its representative in
congress to go to and from the ma
tional capital, and that the contein-
plated annexation would prove a
topheavy construction which would
weaken and crush the tender founda-
ton of the national fabric.
But IN by n new states were
nodded from new territory, and the
republic, built on the hearts Of the