The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-21
THE PRICE OF OUR WHISTLE.

Most OF us remember, Tor 1t is but lew
years since, when the country was arous-
| ed by the cry concerning the billion-dollar
congress. Figures which have appeared
from time to time of late. outlining the
| expenses of the federal government, es-
| pecially in the army and navy branch of
| it, make that billion-dollar congress look
like very small potato indeed.
We are paying for our Philippine whis-
| tie, and the price is quite UP to the rec
ognized value of the article. The man
who pays 500 for a given thing, and then
! spends something like $1,000 to get pos
session of what he thinks he has bought.
| is not ordinarily looked upon as nonu-
ment of commercial sense. And that is
| about our position at the present mo-
| ment in regard to our $2O, 000, 600 purchase
made a summer or two ago. Before We
| are able to take hold of the thing we
| thought we had bought, the cost is not
at all unlikely to reach and even surpass
| 81, 0O0, 000, 900.
| Our army expenses in the Philippines
alone will reach an average Of $200, 900
| annually We have 100000 men in actual
service, and the campaign, after having
been brought several times to close
through the arduous labors of peace COM
missioners and other like bodies, still pre-
| walls. Aguinaldos mother and child have
| had their pictures took" much to the ed
ification of all lovers of Imperialism. and.
| being now prisoners Of war, may at any
| time be transferred to this country, and,
| with the consent of the war department,
| may be exhibited at our several centers
| of popular culture known as the dime
| a congress which has economy and re-
| trenchment down quite as fine as our
| own city comptroller, to carry on the war
| Of subjugation, has disapp- ared somewhat
| after the fashion of the mists Of a sum-
| mer's morning, and very many more eigh-
| ties with 1t, and still it seems, in the es-
| timation of our good Sunday -go-to-meet-
| ing president to be case which, above
| all other things. calls for the Intervention
| of new peace commission. This new
| eonquering body has a Judge Taft at its
head Had 1t been Judge Taffy, all ex-
| perience Of the operations of the former
peace commission among the Filipinos
| would show the name of the new lead
| ing peace commissioner to have been even
| better chosen.
| New colonial possessions come high, but
we have to have them. OF course a good
| ly portion of the expense is due to the
fact that we have to have transports to
| carry our soldiers. swimming not being
| particularly good between here and the
Eastern archipelago. AS we have no
| transports of our own, our imperialist
| administration further cements the bonds
| of amity which unite our government
| with those Of other colony owning states,
| among others our traditional ally and
| friend, England Of late of course, Eng
| land has been finding quite active use for
! her own transports, and so it will not be
| in our power to show for the business in
| terests of her merchants and shipbuilders
| that polite regard which, for instance,
| distinguished the operations OF Secretary
| Hay, in looking after her colonial well
fare, when he had his son chosen as
| the successor of one Macrum. But We
have money to spend, and as the expense
| cuts no figure, and as the American mer-
chant marine still remains one of our real
| infant industries, we wish all nations that
| go down to the sea in ships to know that
we can find profitable employment for all
| their transports in our laudab,e effort to
make our s2oooO.OOo purchase good.
| The Republicans are doing considerable
| whstling, and If it Is not to keep up
| courage, there is nothing to account for
| the music.
| Apologies are due from those people
who imagined Mr.. Macrum was a phono-
| graph with blank cylinder.
| Chicago has just received some con-
science money. so there are people there
with consciences after all.
Gen. French will probably recall the
| saying that stern chase is a long chase.