The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-20
Would Accept II Into the Union. as
Jefferson Wished. but would
Abandon the Philippines.
BECKHAM OUT FOR GOVERNOR
HE ISSUES A STATEMENT TO THE
PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY.
Towne Says There Was No Politics In
the Wisconsin REPRESENTATION
Party Demands Statehood.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala, June 19.-The alum
nj association of the University of Ala
bama held it's annual meeting here to-day.
The address of the day was made by the
Hon. Hannis Taylor, former minister TO
Spain. After paying a tribute to Jefferson
and his colleagues in the founding Of the
Republic and in safeguarding its early
progress, he took up the Monroe doctrine,
discussed the various phases of its enforce
ment and in connection Herewith took up
the pending problems now pressing for
solution" He said:
1.-THE rainbow chasers who, scorning legi-
innate chances of wealth at home. exhaust
their energies in seeking pots of gold in un-
known lands, may be fairly contrasted with
those Quixotic dreamers of the imperial
istic school who, after closing their eyes to
a burning and urgent question at our very
doors, are ~expending blood ana treasure in
order TO secure unnecessary responsibilities
or government in a tropical archipelago
eight thousand miles from our western
shores. Fol three quarters or q century
American statesmen. especially Southern
statesmen, have had their eyes fixed upon
a fruitful and historic isle which as a part
Of our coast line stands as the bulwark
erected by nature for our protection against
the navies of the European world. Captain
Mahan, our greatest naval strategist, has
recently demonstrated the fact that Cuba
is at once the key TO the Gulf of Mexico
and the Caribbean sea, no matter whether
ii begins at Greytown or Colon. BY the de-
cree of physical law Cuba is a part of this
continent; by the decree of political law
she must inevitably become a part of the
American system. If you ask me if I, as a
Democrat, have the right TO make that as
sertion L am ready with my answer, be-
cause the founder of the Democratic party
has answered II for me. In his famous let
ter of Oct. "a, 1923, i'm which he laid down
the foundations of the new American sys-
tenn for President Monroe, Jefferson was
careful to say at the very outset that Cuba
must be a part of 1t. His exact words were
these: But we have first to ask ourselves
a question. Do we wish 10 acquire to our
confederacy any one or more of the Span
ish provinces? I candidly confess that L
nave ever looked on Cuba as the most in
terestfng addition which could ever be made
10 our system of states. The control which,
with Florida point, this island would give
us over the Gulf of Mexico and the coun-
tries and isthmus bordering on it. as we'll
as those whose waters flow into IL, would
fill Up the measure of our political we'll
being
"Of all the prophetic visions that ever
foated through the luminous mind of the
Sage of Monticello there is not one more
remarkable than this, in which he so clear
ly foretold the future necessity to the
United States of Cuba as the key to the
Gulf of Mexico and the countries and 18TH
mus bordering on it. But you will no doubt
say to me that Jefferson was a liberty-lov-
llS SIdteSmdn VINO advocated 1~n0eDendeUce
and the right of local self-government as
the heritage of every people. In the words
OF the Declaration of Independence, TIC Sc
cure these right governments are insti-
tuted among men. deriving their just DOW
ers from the consent of the governed I
cannot admit for a moment that jefferson
ever contemplated the admission of Cuba
into our political system on any other ba-
sis; certainly l would never advocate it's
submission upon any other basis. If the
Cuban people and ourselves, for the adj
vancement of our mutual interests. could
agree in a spirit of brotherly love upon
such a basis of union, could any liberty
loving heart in all the world be offended?
mo one has sympathized more deeply
with the Cubans than / have; few have
more exactly, perhaps, the details of the
cruel and crimson tragedy that was en-
acted in Cuba during the last three years
of SPANS expiring dominion. The thought
that /, as a private citizen, was able to add
even a feathers weight to the force that
finally broke the hold of her lead hand
upon the faireSt garden of the new world
will ever be carried by me as the most
precious memory of my life. Because I
love the Cuban people almost as we'll as nv
own am eager TO see their future so fixed
that they can develop their wonderful
natural resources under such a system of
local self-government as will guarantee TO
them all of the blessings of liberty under
law"
In regard to the Philippines. he urged a
REIMBURSEMENT of control and the establish
ment in its stead of a sphere of infiu-
ence" on the same basis as the European
spheres of influence in Africa and China