Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-03-05
OF Acquiring the Philippines and
Their Inhabitants
Contrasted With Expenses of Uncle Sans Pre-
vious Wars and Purchases of Territory.

three times as dense as that of the
United States, and yet the campaign
orators have talked about these islands
being an outlet for the people of the
United States.
jefferson made the Republic
greater by the addition of 1,171,931
square miles of contiguous territory,
containing little more than 100000 in
habitants, at cost of only $4,000, 600,
without the loss of single human
life or the shedding of single drop
of human blood
The present administration seeks
to make the Republic greater by the
addition of $4,000 square miles of
territory, divided up into more than
1000 islands, ten thousand miles from
our shores, and containing 100000
of people having little in common with
us, at a cost of thousands of lives of
brave Americans and hundreds of
millions of treasure. With the excep-
tion of the territory formerly part
of Mexico, with whom we had an
expensive war, none of the territory
acquired by the United States cost
any human life or the loss of any hui
man blood
In no instance between 1903 and 1867
the periods between which all the
territory of the United States was
acquire by the United States cost
United States make warfare upon
the people of the territory acquired
because the people objected to the
Government of the United States.
In no instance did the people in the
acquired territory raise an army and
wage war against the United States
because they were made part Of the
United States and became not only
subjects but citizens of the country
of which they became part. They
all became part of the governing
power as well as a part of the power
governed.
In no instance in the territory ac-
quired by the U. s. were there suf-
ticent inhabitants. under the provl-
sions of the constitution of the United
States for the people to have national
government of their own.
Not so with the Philippines. In
marked contrast is the administration
of President Mckinley with that Of
every other administration which has
preceded it in all these respects. lie
does not stand with Jefferson nor
with any other administration. In all
our previous history, with the excep.
tion of Alaska, we only acquired con-
| tguous territory whether it was by
war or purchase, and all this terri
tory almost uninhabited.
AS will be seen by the figures
quoted the present administration has
already expended more in the pre-
sent war than the whole United States
cost; cost of the war of the Revolution.
war with Mexico, treaties, purchase
money and all. 1t can hardly maintain
the stand beside the administration
| VI JeHeTson upon tllS record, nor
beside that of any one of its predeces-
sors.
1t is not pleasant to arraign the ad-
ministratlon of the country we love,
nor the officials for whom we entertain
the kindest personal regard, but the
men who can look on ana see thou
sands of brave lives wasted, hundreds
of millions of treasure wasted, nation
al debt and taxation being piled
mountain high, the war percentage
OF our whole revenue far higher than
any European country, without rails
ing his voice or uttering protest for
fear of offending some one, must be
one without convictions or the cour-
age to utter them. should be sorry
to belong to either class.
SAMUEL j. RITCHIE.