Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-05-18
rAE c0sr o. TAe pAILIpPINEs.

The stand taken by Congressman
Clark in regard to the Philippine Is.
lands at the late session OF Congress,
when he introduced a bill favoring,
in effect the disposal of the islands
to the highest bidder has received
the hearty commentator Of many Of
the leading papers of the country, and
the popular representative from the
Second District should, and no doubt
does, feel proud that the measure has
received such favorable mention.
Along this line we take the following
from The Augusta (Ga,) Chronicle
of May 18th, which viii prove inter
esting to our readers:
"Hon Frank Clark, Congressman
from Florida, who is a student Of the
Philippines and what pertains to them.
says the islands have cost the United
States nearly a billion dollars. It is
true that this is not generally &C.
knowledged by. the Washington gov
eminent, but Mr.. Clark is in position
to know whereof he speaks, The gov
ornment has not been candid about the
islands and blocks attempted inquiries
at every stage possible. In speech
at the recent session of Congress Mr..
Clark gave some idea of the fearful
responsibility of the Philippines and
the total inadequate return we were
deriving from them According to The
Baltimore Sun the conspiracy of ST.
lence at Washington should be
rebuked and the facts made known to
the public.
"The $2O,OOO,OOO given Spain for the
island was but beginning. There
followed years of war for the suppress
sion of the local aspiration for indie
pendence, together with costly par.
ticipation in the Boxer war in China,
growing out of our presence in the
Philippines. To the direct cost of
these wars must be added the ex-
penses incident to our attempt to gov.
ern an unwilling people, including such
items as the s7,5OO,OOO paid for the
friars' lands, the $263,00O paid for
damages to church. the $4,000 which
the first Philippine commission cost,
the 100000 paid for an unproductive
coal mine, 100000 given for carrying
coal from this country and 100000
given to relieve the people of the is
lands from the effects of the famine
caused by the war of subjugation,
Much more important than the sums
here named is the immense increase
Of our yearly appropriations for army
and navy called for by the policy of
foreign adventure Of which the acqui-
sition of the Philippines was but one
expression. To hold an empire ON the
other side of the globe necessitated
an increase of army and navy COM
mensurate with our enlarged RESPONSE
bilities. While we remained CONT
mental power, with purely defensive
policy small force sufflced for our
protection, our position being invlnci-
bic, but by taking Hawaii, Porto. Rico,
Guam and the Philippines we have
given pledges to fortune. These over
sea acquisitions enormously increase
our liability to loss and humiliation at
the hands of powers having large
means of aggression.
"The effect IS seen in our annual
appropriation bills. We appropriated
in 1906 for the army $71,S17,16
against $2S, 1884 in 1898, an increase
Of nearly 800 per cent West Point
cost us s1,664,7O7 in 1906, against
$470,572 IN 1898, an increase OF much
more than 300 per cent. For the navy
in 1906 the appropriation was 'SlQ2,-
O91 $40 against SS3.0Os, 234 in 1898, an
Increase exceeding 300 per cent For
these three items-West Point. army
and navy, exclusive Of new pensions,
caused by service IN the Philippines
we pay at present yearly S175,773,542
more than IN 1898. This increase Is due
almost wholly to the colonial policy
to the new venture I'm world politics.
Up to June 30 1903, in fnc. according
to Representative Clark, we paid out
on account Of the Philippines not less
sn,rr o. nnrn- nrrx nr To1rno.