The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-07-29

The Democratic Administration "orkAD1
Je6ersonian Principles.

The latest reports from Hawaii show
that Mr.. Cleveland is still carrying out
his thoroughly American and thorough
~ democratic policy of non-intervcn-
ton in the domestic affairs of our
weaker neighbors. Mr.. Blount has
given the provisional government to
understand that American newspaper
correspondents in Honolulu must not
be arrested and punished for what APP
pears in American newspapers, but he
has taken no part In the controversy
on the islands and is doing nothing
whatever to promote the trouble,
which, as is now we'll known, was
originally due to the intrigues of per-
sons connected with the Harrison sad-
ministration.
The autonomy of these islands will
be maintained. They will remain in
not annex them, nor will we declare a
protcctorate. 1t will be enough simply
to have it UNDERSTOOD as it is well UNI
derstood now by the whole world. that
the Monroe doctrine applies to them.
Mr.. Cleveland's foreign policy is in
every respect admirable. He has OPP
posed himself to the policy of en-
tanSling alliances and intrigues which
under Harrison threatened the coun-
try with the gravest dangers. Had
we gone on for another year without a
change of this policy, we would have
almost certainly had foreign war of
conquest and rapine, in which, to our
lasting disgrace and to the final over
throw of democracy. we would have in
vaded and subjugated some one of our
weaker neighbors.
In opposing himself to this Mr..
Cleveland represents the democracy of
Thomas Jcfferson--of government by
consent of the governed; of opposition
to subjugation; of helpfulness and
neiGhborliness instead of rapacity and
violence.
We have a country so large already
that any further acquisition of terri
tory would be in every respect a disad-
vantage. If we acquire more territory,
we must sooner or later abandon tn:
republican form of government 1t ir
not suitable for an empire. and we can
not make it SO. What do any of US
know Of the condition of our subjects
in Alaska? We know that they are our
subjects-lnore the slaves of the federal
government than if they were personal
chattels. We hear from time to time
that whole villages of them are carried
off by starvation, and we know in a
general way that all this country cares
about in Alaska is what money can be
got out of the mines and fisheries. But
beyond this we know nothing and care
nothing of these people for whom we
are morally responsible since we have
bought them as slaves in buying their
country without their consent. But
who will say that our form of govern
ncnt is suitable for them? And if it is
not, who can deny that it was a crime
for to buy them as it is crime to
hold them in subsection?
AS the country becomes moro inn
pcrial in extent it becomes more diff
cult to maintain local self-government.
Our territory already extends from
ocean to ocean, and already in the
course of it's first century we have been
obliged to fight civil war which came
near costing us the abandonment of
the principle Of consent and the restora-
ton of the old barbaric rule of force.
What folly, then. would it be to enter
deliberately on a policy of subjugating
new territory when it is certain that in
so doing we would forfeit our own lib
critics.
Mr.. Cleveland deserves the thanks Of
every patriotic American for what he
has done to save the country from the
great danger that threatened 1.-THE
danger of rejecting the democratic
principle, of finally abandoning the re-
publican form and of rushing headlon2
into policy of imperialism.-St. Louis
Republic.