The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-18
POSITION D0UBLY RIGHT
CHARLES EMORY SMITH SO DE-
CLAREs AMERICA TO BE.
The Nations Moral and Material Atti-
tude Toward Her Possessions
Could Not he Improved Upon.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, March 17-Hon. Charles
E. Smith, postmaster general of the United
States. was the honored guest Of the Com
mercial Club tonight, having come to st.
Louis In response TO a special invitation
to deliver an address. His prominence as
a member Of President McKinley's Cabinet
and his pre-eminence as a student of ma
tional affairs gave special Importance to
Mr.. Smiths address. and it was listened to
by full attendance of the club. Mr..
Smiths topic was Home Development and
Commercial Expansion" Aside from some
features Of his speech Mr.. Smith avoided
talking any subject with a tendency
toward politics. He advocated the highest
possible development of all home industries
and such policy toward the outside world
and the new colonies as will give the best
and safest outlet for the surplus produc-
tons Of the United States. After devoting
considerable space to the marvellous indus
trial expansion of the United States in the
past quarter of century Mr.. Smith con-
tinued:
1.-THE first and paramount obligation con-
nected with the war with Spain is the NOR
considerations are the moral responsible
ties of our new possessions. We owe a duty
to our American character and honor. We
owe duty to the new peoples who have
come under our flag. We must, above all
things, be true to the principle of liberty
and justice and right These obligations
have been and will be thoroughly consid-
cred, but 1t does not fall within my present
purpose to discuss them. Recognizing the
moral duty as duty supreme, do not hes
itate TO say that President Mckinley has
made 1t his guiding rule in dealing with
all the transcendant questions which have
grown out Of our new possessions
But when We have met the highest re-
quirement of the moral standard, there
is no code of ethics and no rule of states
manship which excludes consideration of
the commercial interests involved in our
public policy. 1t is the obligation of the
government first of all to be right; it is
also Its obligation to promote the advan-
tage and welfare of its own people, and
when the two fully coincide and harmonic.
when the moral mandate and the material
interests completely blend. the policy is
doubly wise and the duty doubly COM
manding. Such Is our present position. We
should be recreant to our American man
hood If we did not bravely fulfill the mis-
sion of humanity and civilization which
the war has bequeathed to us. We should
terests If We did not recognize the re-
quirements of our phenomenal industrial
expansion and the marvellous oppor-
tunity of commercial expansion, thus made
necessary, which is opened before u.s.
Speaking of the "open door in China,
Mr.. Smith said: 1.-THE open door in China
| is the open sesame of vast possible trade,
and the American accomplishment of the
open door, with the consent and pledge
of all the great nations, and without the
necessity of entering into any territorial
| division, is the greatest of all recent
achievements of diplomacy. 1t secures for
the United States a commercial oppor-
| tunity which is immeasurable. 1t provides
one of the great outlets which our in
dustrial supremacy and our enormous
| producing capacity require. And that
| achievement Is the great and magnificent
| fruit of our triumph at Manila and our
possession of the Philippines. 1t comes be-
| cause we have established our footing in
| the Orient; because we have planted our
selves for Thousand miles along the front
of China, and because we have taken a
new position as a world power. The po-
| tency of this commercial opportunity is
| worth immeasurably more than all the
| cost of the Spanish war. and all the cost
| of the subsequent conflict in the Philip
| pines"