The sun., 1902-04-27

Liverpool. going TO our Pacific coast, one
through the Suez Canal and the other by
Cape Horn. and two vessels OF the same
speed from New York. one going westward
and the other eastward, and both English
vessels will reach San Francisco before
either Of ours. Cut the lsthmian Canal and
II is nearer from New York to Hong Kong
via Nicaragua than from Liverpool to the
same point via the Suez.
We are to have, gentlemen-we must
have-the largest merchant fleet ever kissed
by ocean breezes," Secretary Shaw con-
tinued, and these carriers of international
commerce are 10 be built of American ma
terial, in American yards. by American
labor, they are TO be manned by American
sailors, fired by American coal, or more
probably oil, and they are to float the Stars
and Stripes. Whether this will he accom-
pllshed through Government aid or by
American patriotism and American capi-
tai and American energy. | cannot say
whether this contamination shall be con-
tributed TO by statesmen or achieved by
fnanciers liz mmaterial compared with the
importance OF the thing itself
American wealth. American energy
plus Hawaii, which in ours. plus the Philip
pine Islands which are ours plus the 18TH
mian Canal which we will surely construct,
plus merchant marine, which we will
surely build. transfers the sovereignty Of
the Pacific Ocean from the Union Jack to
the Stars and Stripes.
And now, gentlemen. what should be
done with our new possessions? They
were acquired by non-part isan vote.
Shall they become the football OF future
partisanship1
Complaint is made that they are being
treated differently than we have treated
other Territorial possessions They are
differently situated. and they were differ
entlv acquired
Personally would not dare to write
out a prediction Of the future Of the Philip
pine Archipelago and lea We il for my grand
son to break the seal In proof Of the wisdom
Of his ancestor. ] doubt not mistakes will
be made. l doubt not we shall trip and
falter, stepping sometimes backward,
oftener forward, but in the end good will
come to them and good TO us.
1t may prove an expensive experiment,
but If there shall he nothing worse than
expense. and If in the end II shall be TO their
advancement, then that people whom
God has made rich beyond the dreams Of
other nations can afford IL.
A few things l am reasonably certain
Of. We will give the Filipino the English
language and not the Spanish, for English
must be the language OF commerce. We
will give the Filipino the American yard
and not the Chinese covid OF the Spanish
vara. the American pound and not the
japanese catty, the American busbel and
not the Chilean fanega, for United States
standards of weights and measures must
be the standards Of commerce until all
commercial nations shall unite upon the
metric system.
we will give the Filipino the United
States dollar and not the Mexican, for the
United States dollar-mark must Ire the
safest money sign known to man, and in
II the prices current Of the whole round
earth must ultimately be written.
We will give the Filipino American
schooleachers, American literature and
American ideas. for they all breathe liberty
and they all teach elf-government and
will submer2e the Filipino in n Western
civilization. and will do our best To make
him survive ard 10 make him ft TO survive,
and having done our best our RESPONSE
bility will have been met