The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-31
SELF-INTEREST AND ANTI-EyPAN.
SIONISM

Ii would be interesting to know If such
thing were possible to ascertain. to what
extent the anti-expansion sentiment in
New England is due to sectional and self
ish considerations. In some great instances
the people of New England have shown
that they can be grandly patriotic They
were so in the revolutionary war and in
1872 and the Mexican war public sentiment
in that section of the country was large
ly modified by its supposed interests. In
one case many of the better class of New
Englanders feared the effects of an en-
barge on commerce. and in the other they
opposed the acquisition of southern terri
tory that might still further overbalance
the political influence of New England
New England opposition to the war of
1872 was particularly bitter. Massachu-
sets sent twenty-six delegates to the
Hartford convention, which was called for
the express purpose of opposing the war
and denouncipg the administration 1t took
the State fifty years to live down the
odium of that proceeding, and it will ever
remain a blot on her record. There may
have been other motives in the case, but
the main one was mercenary-the certain
ty that New England commerce would
at least be temporarily injured by the war
1t would be unjust to say that New Eng
land is peculiar i'm this regard. Self-in-
terest is one of the most powerful
IN, ho
tons of men and communities, and it's
operation is not confined to New England
1t appears continually in politics and in
national legislation. 1t is as real and po-
tent a factor to-day as ii ever was, and
must always be reckoned with. The peo-
pie who opposing the opening of
United States markets to Porto Rico can
give legal and constitutional reasons for
their course, but their real reason is self
interest. The sugar manufacturers and the
tobacco raisers In the United States would
rather have their interests conserved than
deal fairly and justly with the inhabi-
tants of our new island possessions.
From a selfish and mercenary point of
view one can see why there should be
strong sentiment in Massachusetts,
against our holding the Philippines Our
possession or control of these islands
means an enormous development of our
trade with China and the far East. That
in turn means the building up of seaports
on the Pacific coast that my rival those
on the Atlantic. and it means, further.
in the South. Hon. Charles DENLY, in his
address in New York, few nights ago.
said:
The finger of destiny has pointed the
way to commercial greatness. Our west
ern coast is alive, awake and is stretch
ing out its hands for the trade OF hun
dreds OF millions of people. which is TO
make San Francisco, Tacoma and Seattle
the rivals of New York Philadelphia and
Boston. The Southern States see an illim-
liable market for their cotton and for their
iron. China's foreign trade
amounts to only $3.50. 00Oo. or not quite 81
a head. This trade will before many years
reach s700,0Oo.O0o. A majority Of the new
cotton mills established i'm the South are
exclusively supplying the Chinese trade.
If these predictions shall be verified it
means a readjustment of commercial and
manufacturing interests TO the injury of
New England. The growth of cotton manu-
featuring in the South in recent years has
been astonishing. In 1898 six new cotton
mills were chartered In South Carolina
alone. with an aggregate capital OF $4,000.
and in 1899 eleven new mills. with a capt.
tai of $4,000 were chartered. in addi-
ton to which sixteen mills already in OPP
Grafton made extensions and increased
their capital stock by s2.i29.O0O The best
Informed judges claim that by Jan. !. 1901.
South Carolina will be the second cotton
manufacturing State In the Union. second