Albert J. Beveridge's 'The Taste Of Empire'

After the Spanish-American War, the United States had possession of the Philippines. This created a divide in the United States about whether to keep the Philippines for its commercial value or to allow the Philippines to become independent. The purpose of the document, The Taste of Empire by Albert J. Beveridge, is to write a disquisition on how essential it is for America to monopolize the Philippines and continue to preserve it. He addresses to the audience of labourers and farmers to show the benefits those groups would enjoy, such as; better wages, and higher prices for produce. He states how America would become the peacekeeper in trade since they are largely involved, and how America would help out the little places, like the Philippines, greatly. That it …show more content…
He exclaims how Americans need to stand by and encourage the President of God’s chosen people. Beveridge’s idea of freedom is that it is a wonderful thing which needs to be spread throughout and around the world, and that we are withholding this fantastic thing from other countries. Citizenship is something Beveridge believes to become a huge benefit if we kept the Philippines. He states that, in America, it will help out workers and farmers, and outside of America, it will help smaller places of trade expand. Charles Eliot Norton, who wrote The Desertion of Ideals, to show how America is deserting what its original ideals were. He strongly believes that America was strong and had validity, but now America is selfish. Norton shows that he disapproves keeping the Philippines, and that the men who also believe in this are not given any credit. In the very first line of The Desertion of Ideals, Norton is described as one of the most grief stricken of all patriotic citizens about the participation of the Spanish-American war, and about the