Excerpt from Albert Beveridge’s "The March of the Flag Speech," 1898
Hawaii is ours; Porto Rico is to be ours; at the prayer of her people Cuba finally will be ours; in the islands of the East, even to the gates of Asia, coaling stations are to be ours at the very least; the flag of a liberal government is to float over the Philippines. . . .
The Opposition tells us that we ought not to govern a people without their consent. I answer, The rule of liberty that all just government derives its authority from the consent of the governed, applies only to those who are capable of selfgovernment. We govern the Indians without their consent, we govern our territories without their consent, we govern our children without their consent. How do they know what our government would be without their consent? Would not the people of the Philippines prefer the just, humane, civilizing government of this Republic to the savage, bloody rule of pillage and extortion from which we have rescued them? . . .
Shall we turn these peoples back to the reeking hands from which we have taken them? Shall we abandon them, with Germany, England, Japan, hungering for them? . . .
If England can govern foreign lands, so can America. If Germany can govern foreign lands, so can America. . . . Why is it more difficult to administer Hawaii than New Mexico or California? Both had a savage and an alien population: both were more remote from the seat of government when they came under our dominion than the Philippines are today. . . .
we do need what we have taken in 1898 and we need it now. The resource and the commerce of the immensely rich dominions will be increased as much as American energy is greater than Spanish sloth. . . .
Use the excerpt to answer the question.
Which of the following best describes Beveridge's main argument in support of U.S. imperialism?
A.
the lack of resources available to foreign businessmen
B.
the discovery of new flora and fauna of academic interest
C.
the inability of locals to govern or protect themselves
D.
the inefficient political systems governing the countries he describes