The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-17
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
TWO WAYS OF REGARDING EXPAN-
SION
Baltimore Sun.

Baltimore Sun.
President McAden. of the Southern Cot
ton Spinners Association. indorses Mr.
McKinley's Philippine policy because he
believes it is in the interest of our for
eign trade. we should hold and gov
ern the Philippine Islands, says Presi-
dent McAden, as the archipelago lis des
tined to become the distributing center
of the Eastern world. We must
exert ourselves to extend our trade with
ether, countries. The great problem of
overproduction must be met, and the only
rational solution is in the building up of
our foreign trade
1t may be assumed that no intelligent
American, be he eXpansionst or anti-eX-
pansionist imperialist or anti-imperiallst
is opposed to the extension of our foreign
commerce. In the matter of trade devel-
opment all Americans are eXpansonists
The matter in which this commercial ex-
pansion shall be promoted however, in
view of the imperial tendencies of the Ad-
ministration. is a question of the highest
Importance. Is it essential or even adyis-
able that we shall abandon the principles
upon which this Government was founded
in order to sell more cotton goods or more
machinery or any kind of manufacture in
the Far East? Will the money which we
receive in return compensateus for the
proposed radical change in our policy?
That is the main considerat ton.
I'VE must hold and govern the Philip
pines" says President McAden, because
they are destined to become the distrb-
uting center of the Eastern world The
same reasons would justify the United
tory in Europe in order TO possess a dis
tributing center there. BY the same logic
We might annex one of the South Ameri-
can countries in order to extend our COM
merce with our neighbors to the South of
us. We might get a foothold in some
country on the border of Russia in order
to do business on a large scale with the
millions of subjects of the Car. OF course
all of these enterprises would necessitate
the employment Of large military forces.
the abandonment OF the Constitution, the
transformation of a republic into an
empire and the blotting out of Americana
ism in everything except in name By
adopting such policy we would prob
ably in the end get back 81 in trade for
every so spent in naval ornaments and
big armies. That would be a poor kind
OF business, however, Tor any nation to
engage in.
If the acquisition of trade distributing
centers' by wars of conquest is to be the
dominant policy of this country in the flu
ture it would be well for our manufactur-
ers and merchants who believe in such a
policy TO take TO heart Lord Salisburys
advice to the people of Great Britain.
They must begin to teach all their able
bodied employees how TO shoot and fit them
for the military trade. as we'll as for
commercial and industrial pursuits. They
will have abundant opportunities to use
them in acquiring new distributing GEN.
tiers" and in defending them. They may,
it is true, boom our cotton exports and
our manufactures of all kinds. but they
will have a two billion dollar Congress-
as permanent feature of trade expan-
sion On these lines and a President who
will be superior TO the Cons titution. If
this is what the American people want
they will get it by carrying out the
policy which Mr.. Mckinley has Inaugural
ted and which Mr.. McAden commends so
heartily