Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-05-25
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I would not have had the courage to dc
it, had I not felt that my vote was alb.
solutely necessary; but realizing the
far-reaching effect and the fearful re-
sponsibility, I cast my vote according.
ly. I have never seen the day when
regretted it, and my children will re-
member it, after am dead, with pleas
ure and pride. as the most glorious act
of my life.
Expansion.
I will not undertake to demonstrate
the wisdom of expansion, but will con-
tent myself by simply saying that we
are a nation of expansionists. We
have expanded during the last 1O(
years on this continent from 100000 tc
4,OO0, 900 square miles. Expansion is the
bedrock of Democracy. Thomas JEFF
ferson, the first expansion president
added 1,122,0O0 square miles to oul
area. The annexation Of Texas, Cal.
ifornia Arizona, New Mexico and Me-
vada were by Democratic administra'
tionS. Andrew Jackson would today
be denounced as an imperialist by the
very same people who eat jackson
day" dinners and worship at his shrine
Old Hickory said on this subject, 81
have thought with the ancient Roman
that it is right never to cede any terri
tory within the boundary of the Re-
public, but always to add to it by hon.
orable treaty, thus extending the area
of freedom. All this talk about impe'
rialism is bosh. The people under
stand it as the cry Of "wolf," wher
there is no wolf. When Mr.. Bryan
abandoned the money question and at
tempted to substitute imperialism,
he stood about as much chance OF be-
ing elected as split-foot bull froe
did of kicking all the water out Of
Lake Michigan. At least, that is the
opinion Of friend of mine. The price
paid for the islands has been given as
an objection. This is absurd. Eng
land, France, Germany, Russia, or ia.
pan would pay ten times as much tc
occupy our position in the Philippine
islands. Lying as they do along the
Asiatic coast, they are the gateway tc
the Orient. The people of the South
are vitality interested in the trade OF
China. So far, we have only touched
one of the provinces. Minister WI, the
other night in Charlotte, told of the
teeming millions in South China, and
said the great problem was to clothe
the people. They are forced to use silk
to make their clothes, but that this
was expensive and almost an impos-
sibility. I am told that for fear OF
wearing them out, the Chinese very
rarely wash their clothes. I have heard
it wittily said that the chief difference
between the Chinese and the japanese
is, that the former never wash the11
clothes, and the latter never wash
their body. I believe it was Mr.. WI
who said the other night, to teach the
Chinese to wear cotton shirts and then
get the emperor to issue an edict to
make the tails only one inch longer
and the cotton crop Of the South would
be exhausted by that one inch, and
none left for Europe. If any argument
was needed to show the Importance OF
these markets. the effect of recent
troubles in China is sufficient. Cotton
goods are stacked up in the warehous-
es unstable, and when the best judges
thought last fall that cotton would be
twelve and one-half to fifteen cents
per pound, it has declined more than
three cents. I am an expanSionist-]
favor the political, commercial and re-
ligious expansion of our country. This
is along the line of progress. We can
not attain a certain growth and ther
stand still. AS in the individual. so ir
the nation. We either move forward
towards perfection, or backwards to-
wards decay. There are certain crises
in the life of every man which seized
leads to success; let them pass anC
the chance is lost forever. The capac.
ity to take advantage of opportunity
constitutes the difference between the
man who succeeds and the one who
fails, and so it is with nations. We
have grandly seized our opportunities
and I for one am in favor of pushing
it to the limit. During the past GEN.
tury we have been absorbed in testing
the great question of constitutional
representative government and the de-
velopment Of America. The time has
now come when we must have foreign
trade, and not merely subsidiary to
our Industrial development at home
but as necessary to our continued pros
perity. Our resources and population
demand worldwide avenues of trade,
and we cannot separate the CONNER
cial and political elements involved
What are we to do with our surplus
products? This is the question engag-
ing the attention of all the civilized ma
tions of the earth. The only field un-
occupied is in the Orient. I believe that
the time is near at hand when the cot
ton trade of the South will be with the
Atlantic will be insignificant compar-
ed with that on the Pacific. Minister
WI gave us some valuable informa-
ton at Charlotte. Our manufacturers
are reaching out for this trade, and
what better can 7 do as your senator
than help them. No state will reap a
richer reward than South Carolina,
with all the water power and manu-
featuring development in the Piedmont
region, and with three such harborS as
Charleston, Georgetown and Port Roy
al. How can I better serve the farm
ers Of this state? They will share in
the benefits of this trade. Here is the
United States midway between Europe
and Asia. Almost an island when the
canal is cut-with the Gulf of Mexico
on the south and the Great Lakes on
the north: the Atlantic on one side and
the Pacific on the other, and with the
people of two continents bidding for
our products. the possibilities dazzle
the Imagination. 1t is no idle dream
l believe that most Of the people with
in the sound of my voice will live to
see it realized. We have become a
Pacific power with 5000 miles of coast
on that ocean; with the Hawaiian is
lands and Aleutian islands as resting
places, and the Philippines as key to
the "Open Door," we are the only ma
tion strong enough to compel Russia
with her trans Siberian railroad. to re-
spect the integrity Of the Chinese en-
pire. AS long as the United States and
Japan say NO." the Chinese empire
must remain intact and the door be
left open to our products. When
think of how strangely it has all come
about. I cannot but believe that the
hand of God is guiding this govern
ment, and that he has watched over
and directed us along the path where
lie greatness. peace and prosperity.
cannot undertake to discuss the ques-
tion of a government for these outlying
possessions. We have settled other
problems of more complex nature
and I cannot but believe that a solu-
tion will be found just, humane and
satisfactory to all concerned. My vote
on the army hill has heen attacked