The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-04-28
SATURDAY. APRIL IS. 1900.
SOME THINGS IN SIGHT.

It did mot require the evidences which
the recent Republican conventions have
furnished that Mr.. Mckinley would be
the next nominee of that party for the
office of President All men have known
and felt that 10 be the case ever since
his admins trattion commenced, but If
there was any lingering doubt in the
minds of amy, those doubts ought ITO have
been Saspelled by the conventions Of this
week held in Ohio, Pennsylvania and
Massachusetts. But these conventions
have not shown alone that Mir. Mckinley
would be the nominee OF his party. They
1raus shown that lle has his party united,
solid and enthusiastic at his back, and
that he will be Inc nominee of his party
because he represents it, and because
all its members are loyal to him and en-
Enthusiastically hope to see him the Presi-
dent of the United States for another
term To be more specific, they see just
as clearly that in spite Of adj the clamor
that has been made an respect to his
foreign policy, that policy has the earn
est, sincere and enthusiastic approval Of
the entire Republican party. The declara-
sion OF the Massachusetts, convention, that
we must hold the Philippine Islands for
the pfhIamflroric purpose OF lifting its
savage inhabitants to the plane of our
own civilization, is quite in keeping with
the traditional policy of the Massa chu-
setts people, while on pleasure bent. to
have a frugal mind The islands are rich
and they want ahem and it Is exceedingly
randy 10 have the Islanders in need of
cirilizing influences. They will go on
cirilizing them until they have made
many thousands of millions of dolls rs
out of them, when they will leave it to
their losterity TO civihze them a little
more
But it would be a great mistake to
suppose that the desire for retaining these
islands is confined to the Republicans Of
the North and Northwest. There is
Very powerful sentiment for it in the
Southern States. Indeed. a leading South
ern politician said in Washington a few
days ago. that if Mr. Bryan insisted on
disca riding the Philippine Islands, he
might as well make up his mind ITO give
Up the vote Of several Of the Southern
States. This is sheer nonsense, SO far
as the vote of the Southern States is con-
cerned, but it is entirely true so far as
the sentiment and opinion of the voters
is concerned.
To sum it up then, we have TO sort of
doubt that the overwhelming sentiment
Of the voters of this country is favorable
TO tae retention of the Philippine Islands
and of Porto Rico. and there is q powerful
yearniny for Cuba too, which is restrained
by the pledge that Congress made at the
beginning Of the Spanish war alone.
But this does not mean that the people
are IN favor of imperialism, as that term
Is applied abroad. They think that there
are trade advantages TO the United
States in the Philippines, and the -Ameri-
can people being, as The Spaniards said
contemptuously OF us, "a nation of shop
pers," are in favor OF trade expansion
But they have not the slightest idea of
abandoning any part OF our Constitutional
liberty in possessing ourselves of them.
Men at Washington like Hanna and other
true i7nperalists would. we have no
doubt, be glad TO see the Constitution
set aside and the yitals of this country
exposed TO their araalcions claws but
they do not represent the American peo-
pie. We have doubt s,sat the Philip
pine Islands viii be retained by this
country. that peace and order viii be re-
stored there, taat the eaeI,le viii be in
time civilized. but we have no more fear
that this Malay population viii be turned
loose upon our wording people, in the
meantime. than We have that San Fran
cisco viii admit the immigration of
Chinese coolies to compete with the labor
OF cailfornta.s worldnsrnen.