The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-22
up to broadening freedom and to

up to broadening freedom and to
larger hopes
Referring to the arguments that en-
ormous expense will be entailed upon
the United States on account Of the
Philippines, Senator Lodge said:
There is no reason to doubt that in
a comparatively short time peace and
order will be restored, and when we
are considering what burden the pos
session OF the islands will impose upon
us we must proceed upon the normal
conditions of peace. Under Spanish
rule. with all it's bad administration
and profound corruption, the islands
not only paid all their expenses. but
made at times at least a return TO the
Spanish treasury. With revenues well
and honestly administered and with
wise and honest expenditure, the ISL
ands in our hands would not only
easily pay all the expenses Of the
military establishment, but of the
civil government as WELL and we could
at the same time. by our superior hon
esty and efficiency, greatly tighten the
burden OF taxation. in a word. the
Philippine islands, as we should gov
ern and administer them, would be en-
tirely self-supDOrting, and would
throw no burden of expense at all on
the people of the United States after
peace and order We're once restored
normal channels"
Mr.. Lodge drew'a luminous picture
of the commercial possibilities of the
Philippines and of the enormous ad-
yantages they would be to the United
States not only on account of their
own fertility and richness of resource,
but because they are the gateway for
this country to the immense trade of
the orient. Adverting to a recent
diplomatic achievement of the United
States. he said:
The Pearl of the Orient.
The possession of the Philippines
made us an eastern power, with the
right and, what was equally import
ant. the force behind the right to
speak. Mr.. Hay, as secretary of state,
has obtained from all the great DOW
ers of EuroDe their assent to our de-
mand for the guaranty of all our
treaty rights in China and for the
maintenance of the policy of the open
door. l do not belittle one Of the
most important and most brilliant
diplomatic achievements in our hun
dred years of national existence when
/ say that the assent of these other
powers to the propositions Of the
United States was given to the mas
ter of Manila. They might have turn
ed us aside three years ago with a
shrug and a smile. but to the power
which held Manila bay, and whose
fleet floated upon it's waters, they
We're Obliged to give gracious an
swer. Manila. with it's magnificent
bay, is the prize and the pearl of the
east. In our hands it will become one
of the greatest distributing points, one
of the richest empOriums of the
worlds commerce. Rich in itself, with
all it's fertile islands behind it, it will
keep open to us the markets of China
and enable American enterprise and
intelligence to take master share in
all the trade of the orient. We have
been told that arguments like these
are sordid. Sordid indeed! Then what
arguments are worthy Of considera-
tion? A policy which proposes to
open wider markets to the people of
the United States, to add to their
employment. and to increase their
wages, and which in its pursuit re-
quires that we should save the teem-
ing millions of China from the dark
ness Of the Russian winter and keep