Amador ledger., 1900-09-14
WHY WE SHOULD KEEP THE
PHILIPPINES.
The San Francisco Examiner to the
Rescue Of President Mckinley and
the kcpublican Policy.

The splendid editorial reproduced in
full below WAS published in the San
Francisco Examiner of Tuesday, August
9. 1893. 1t unequl vtr,ally justifies every
Republican contention with regard to
the Philippine policy of President No
Kinley and the Republican party and as
fully replies to every argument ad-
vanced by the forces of Organism in
opposition to thai policy Don't miss
reading line of it, aud when you find
some champion of the Examiner shout.
Ing against Republican Imperialism
draw this on him His face will not
give his mouth leave to speak.
Why should we take and keep the
Philippines, ask the little Americans"
who fear to look outside the continent2
Why should we spend money and sup
port an army and navy to insure the
peace and industry of islands seven
Thousand miles away? Comes the cry
from those who think the nickel in the
hand better than the dollar In some
venturesome trade. Why should we
subject our politics to the added dan
gers of the corruption that has over
whelmed Spain by adding colonies to
our responsibilities? Asks the timid
publicist who is always fearing for the
stability of our institutions.
Well, we should keep the Philip.
pines
Because we have annihilated Spain's
power in that quarter of the globe, aud
the responsibility for their peace and
order cannot he escaped, except by loss
of honor.
Because to turn them back to Spain
would put them under power which
we know to be cruel and impotent to
turn them over to one of the European
powers would make all the rest our enc
mics, and probably involve our friends
in war to keep them; to leave them to
themselves would be to condemn the
land to anarchy.
Because it lcouid pay.
Because the land is one of immense
richness, and needs only intelligent ap-
plication of modern methods to make it
enormously productive.
Because the barbarous Spanish policy
has kept down the trade of eight mil
lion people so that their import trade
is valued at about $4,000, 900 year,
and their export trade at hardly more
than $40, 900, ,000-scarcely above that Of
little Hawaii, which we have Just an
nexed.
Because we need markets for our
manufactures outside of our own land,
which is now unable to furnish employ
ment to all its people.
Because it will give us favorable
position to contend for the trade of the
Orient.
Because the commerce of the Pacific
is ready for the greatest development in
history, and if it is turned this way,
San Francisco, in the position to secure
the bulk of the traffic between the new
est continent and the Oldest. will be-
come one of the largest cities in the
world.
Our responsibilities for the govern
ment of the island have come to US,
and we can not shake them lightly off
without incurring the reproach of in
humanity as great as that we set out to
punish and overthrow.
The restricted trade and production
of the islands are even now highly
profitable for those who engage in them.
At the touch of the American genius of
production they will return great profits
to the country. AS for the cost of the
army and navy to protect them, it will
be no burden. Such troops as we main-
tain in the islands will be paid out of
the islands revenues, on which they
will be proper charge. For the navy,
we are going to have big navy any
how, and it will not have to be any big
ger for the possession of the Philip
pines. Our navy will have to be strong
enough to sweep the enemy off the sea,
and if it can do that, it can protect the
Philippines as we'll as Hawaii. and Ha-
waii as well as San Francisco.
Of course we shall not commit any
such folly as to draw tribute from the
islands by taxation, but we shall draw
profits from trade-a trade which will
be as beneficial to the Filipinos as to
our own people.
AS for doubts for our ability to rule
colonies wisely and justly, we are in
government the heirs of the English,
who have solved the problem to per-
fection. We can do as well as they,
and if we can not construct system
we can borrow it.
Tho Dhi1ipninac ura unday o,,,- ba, a.,
to dispose of. Let us keep them until
| we are certain that there is some bet
ter way to secure the happiness of their
people and our own"
Could there be better justification
of Republican policy than that afforded
in the foregoing by the Examiner And
why is it now shouting imperialism, :"
with the rest of the Bryan shouters I?
Simply because the exigencies of office
hunting make the bogy of Imperialism
the only hope of Democratic success.
| The heart of the Examiner is not in
that work and the wires will hardly
have cooled after bringing the tidings
of Bryan's defeat in November when
the Examiner will again hoist to its
masthead the banner of expansion and
tell the Bryanites We told you so I"
The United States restricts the coast
wise carrying trade to American YES
sells with the result that there was a
greater tonnage of American vessels built
during the year ending June 80 than for
the whole merchant marine Of either
France OF Italy, but of all this only one
vessel was built to enter the foreign