The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-08-29
EMPIRE OR REPUBLIC.

EMPIRE OR REPUBLIC.
Essay Read BEFORE the Palmetto
lsteraryt society.
afR THOMAS LYoN.l
Mr.. PresidSkS most honorable Juds4k and
ladies and ga81emen: believe this HSne OF
aad dc eve6 not
the presi6eht3xH HemphilD has said. III IL
confronted 4h$ $American people whenItbe
not Tas abs aS
Ieys ReSsh That fonted s % the Aaerican an p People
when9F loftda was purchased. l do not be.
lieve thatat has ever confronted the Ameri-
question % Amsrieans. It is a question as
10 whether thesUnited States of America will
be an empireE31r remain free republic, and
% the courseof my remarks will prove what
Let US first consider the trade and com mer ce
Of the territories. l will take first the Philip
pines as they are said 10 be the golden gate"
10 the oriental trade. The latest statistics
Including imports and exports, amounts to
not more than S30,OOO ,000 annually. For the
year 1896 the imports from the Philippines
into Great Britain, France, Germany and the
amounted 10 $l9,702Sl9. The exports to the
Philippines for the same year amounted TO
50. .l74093. So, il we should control the whole
trade Of these islands, unless 1t should won.
derfnlly increase, it would not pay one-thIrd
the expense Of maintaining our army and
nayy ID that quarter OF the globe.
III iB said that the Philippines Will form
snf5ts t4r our trade, IN the east and especially
,G6dna n insiHt, Mr.. President, that this can
sba; ;ckt tHined Without the American people as
snfntnG The bfeat burden of this foreign ter
sritory and 4Ansist further that this trade has
been over esfimated. The total import and
export traceyof China for one year does not
eIceed s95dp0O000. Now, II the United States
LfeoefySde every dollar OF this as profit, how
docs the acconnt stand For the year 1901
appr1praIions for 9q6 aOa aGms a66
lotai OF S903,000OO0. taking no account OF the
the pensions IN ncideut to the Spanish aud Phil.
tppine wars. Add TO this the past cost OF the
war, S95O, 100000. and allow for the commerce
of the Philippines and Porto Rico, 500, 600 600
which counts every cent OF this as pront, and
we find that we come out behind Sl70,eOO,0Oo.
But the army and navy must be increased.
An army and navy sufficient for the require.
ments. with the increase Of pensions, civil
government, ETC., will add TO the cost OF rum
ming the government S50O,OOOOOO: or twice as
what IL cost us In 1887 before the spanish.
commerce of China, the Philippines, Porto
Rico and Hawaii ii we received every dollar
of their commerce TO the exclusion OF every
other commercial power In the Worlo.
The statistics again show that there has
been an annual Increase OF our expenses
under the policy Of Imperialism pursued by
President Mckinley. OF SSOl .439, 69s ~: or as q
dstingnsed gentleman pas tha sns snnronrI an m
ton would have been but for the change,
from republic to an empire, or over SsO0,0OO,'
OOO." Think OF II! An An increase Of Of over sSO,,
don't care Tor money! Neither do the anti
imperialists, but when our government eX.
pends money we like TO see some good derived
from II: and what benefit have We derived
from this unholy war? Is an increase Of ex-
penses Of S3Ol ,i39 G9S.1O annually a benefit? ls
it to our best interests To have true Amerl.
can soldiers, whose blood Is as gold, TO be
placed in foreign lands where disease Is more
dent, think not.
1t has also been urged by some inconslder-
ate people that we could have profitable cot
ton trade in the Philippines, and that 1t
would be wise to send our coal 10 New Castle.
Living in warm climate these people have
very little need for clothing or coal, but they
can produce cotton though, and with the
Chinese, Japanese and Malay labor they can
manufacture this cotton, paying or l0cts., a
day for their operatives. How then could
this benefit New Eng gland, south Carolina,
Georgia. or In any other State In which the
manufacturing OF cotton goods is paying In
dustry.
has always been expanding, that Jefferson
but MIR. President, there is a difference be-
tween expansion and Imperialism, as another
has said, mo one but blind man should have
any difficulty in distinguishing between the
ex pansion OF Jefferson and the Imperialism
of Mckinley: one was the natural evolution.
AIRY growth Of the republic, the other Is for
eigu fungus that, II not removed. will sap the
lie OF the republic" All the territory pur-
chased up to this time was contiguous terri
tory, and acquired by the consent of the peo-
pie for the purpose OF making states OF the
Union. Therefore the territory heretofore
annexed was homogeneous and contiguous
expansion with a view that the territory
would be admitted eventually TO statehood
and citizenship. But when we 80 off the
American continent for territory-yea ten
thousand miles away-lt Is not American eX-
pansion,' but mperlalism.
President Mckinley said that expansion by
force Is criminal aggression. Yet What are
the leaders OF this policy doing but forcing
Filippinos, the Porto Rtcans, the Cubaus and
all to submit to this government?
Mr.. President this policy that the American
people are now entering upon Is Imperialism
happened to other free republics that sought
The republics Of Greece were strong until
they entered upon policy OF Imperialism
and invaded the Persian Empire. In the
glorious victories Of Alexander came imperial
destiny, but with it the extinction of Greek
liberty, and the decline of the power OF the
Republics.
Roman history. Rome, having grown strong,
listened to that voice which spoke of wealth.
of extension of power and expansion of terri
tory. Rome rose to the height of power
Rome was the mistress of both land and sea,
but In the hour of her greatest glory came
also the first note TO the Roman citizen of the
| loss of his greatest privilege, " for no nation
! ever yet robbed a weaker people Of their
rights OF self government than in the end
I the fate of Providence did not cause the
blow 10 rebound and strike the perpetrators
of the on trage."
These 1t may be said, are ancient examples
but 20 on down to modern times, take the
most powerful nation in Europe; Spain who
dictated the very policy OF the continent
when in league with imperial Germany,
Spain who sought in all quarters of the globe,
East and West, TO enlarge her area Of dominion
TO get wealth and power. yet where does Spain
stand today" She Is wreck before the civi.
IiZed world, No nation will bow to her honor.
England has often been pointed to az the
one great power who has established the doc
trine that colonies or annexation, as We call
n can be used TO an advantage, but when we
carefully consider il, we find that the colonial
noIicy of England has been and will be q
positive disadvantage to her. She once owned
the American colonies, but on account OF her
tvranical rule, they pulled from the oppressive
Yoke and inflicted upon her Il wound that
inps her today. Since then the spirit of col.
| iniZation has proceeded to grow, and England
has grabbed all the land she could get. She
| storned India and brought the poor lnhabi.
tanls under her yoke. And Sir, what has been
| the result: When she sends her numerous
army, arrayed in all its pomp and glory, into
south A frica to deprive a free and liberty low
| Iug people OF their rights she awakens from