The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1898-12-15
Thursday, December Is. 1898
EXPANSION TREATY.


departure in our national policy, and
it is such an Innovation that the whole
theory OF our government may be
changed by it. 1t may now become 8
serious question whether Indeed our
end shall be Republic or an Empire.
At no time in the history Of the coun-
try was there greater need for far
seeing and able statesmen in Congress.
During tie next few years, or per-
haps for many years, We believe the
great struggle between the great po.
litical parties will be on the questions
growing out of the Spanish-American
war. The Republicans will naturally
as a general rnle align themselves
along the line Of expansion and i'm
peria,ism. The cardinal doctrines Of
the party logically lead them as an
easy step to this pesition. The srgu-
ment hat "protecticn to infant in
dustrie>" naturally and logically leads
to pa,e nalism in all Of it's forms is
now familiar to every reader who is
well iaformed on the fundamental
differences between the Republican
and d. nocratic parties. Paternalism
as naturally and logically leads TO the
new doctrines of expansion and in-
perialism as "protection for protec-
TONS sske' has led to governmental
baun,jes in all shapes. and forms.
Why should it not delight Republi-
cans heart, believing as he does in a
strong centralized government at
Washington, to contemplate the
Government at Washington ruling and
controlling the PHILIPPINE Islands
thousands OF miles away, separated
from the sest~-of power by a great
e1panse cf water? Then too be sees
in it opportunity to rejoice that tie
ideal Of Capitalization is near at hand,
because he sees the prospects Of
large standing army, the natural
produc; of Capitalization and a ne
cesi,y as well under such policy, to
Say nothing ola powerful navy.
But tee Democrat is more conserva-
tive. he is slow, to invite change.
He believes in every neighssrhood
controlling and governing it's own
affairs just as far as possible, and he
suspects that every gain Of power al
Washington is al the expense Of his
liberty and right in his own neigh
borhood aud State. He believes in the
citizen helping himself and that tie
Government ought not to do anything
for the citizen tnat be can do for him
self. His faith being in local self
government be is naturally oppose d
to all forms of Capitalization and pa
ternalism, and for these reasons
among Others we shall not be sur
prised to hnd most Democrats opposed
to the new theories Of imperiaIi.m.
The average jus'ice-loving citizen
will doubt the rigb; Of this Govern.
ment to take the PHILIPPINES, except
by the right that comes through force
and might. The REIMBURSEMENT Of
all sovereignty by Spain over Cuba
was the object of the war sought to
be accomplished, and no one outside
ola few ignorant SpaniarGs in Spain
ever doubted hat this would be &C.
compl;saed wheu this powerful couu-
try undertook the job. 1t was pro-
fessed,y ~ war for human ty" and
nearly the whole civilized world ap-
plauded US when we {; AIRED That
barbari'y at our very do must be
stopped and Cuba il, and by right
ought TO be free aud independent.
But now Intoxicated with our victory,
we Ike the triumphant POLITICAL party
have gooe into a game Of grabbing all
of the erols in 81 ght.
Why should we want the Pnilli-
pines? VIII they not cos, US more
than theY will ever he worth to US?
Will the spoliation in which we are
engaged pay US for the trouble?