The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-21
LET US EXPAND AT HOME"
John =. Tinerty's View of a Proper Amer
lean Policy.

lean Policy.
From the Citizen.
In its advocacy of territorial eXpan-
sion the Chicago Tribune has repeated
ly quoted the policy of Thomas Jeffer-
son n other famous American states
men in egard to the requirement of
Louisiana and other territories tina
now form a portion of the United
States. But these requirements We're
all on this continent and the lands so
acquired naturally belong to this great
division of the globe. The Tribune is
perfectly aware of this fact, but pre-
fers To be dishonest in argument in or
der To make a political point. There is
a vast difference between territorial eX-
pansion on our own soil and that eff
fected on some other peoples soil. We
LAY no fault whatever to find with the
annexation of Hawaii, of Porto Rico, of
one of the Ladrone islands. or even
with the retention of Manila, and, If
deemed necessary, the great island Of
Luzon, on which ii stands-all these
vantage points may be needful to us
IN the future of our commerce-but We
are opposed to going into wholesale
expansion IN the continents of the
world, outside of our own, N becom-
ing thereby mixed up in unseemly
quarrels for the spoils of weaker ma
tions that the monarchial sharks Of
Europe may wish to prey apo
Our natural expansion is on this con-
tinent, where we now possess $780,, S44
square miles-within about $50. 900
square miles of being as large as Eu-
rope. When peace with England was
proclaimed in 1888 we had only $50. $50
square miles. We acquired, 20 years
later, by the purchase of Louisiana
from France. 930,92S square miles; the
Cession of Florida by Spain, in 1919,
added 1920 square miles more to our
possessions, and these were further
augmented by the acquisition of Tex
as-24I 900 square miles-in 1S45; by the
oregon treaty with Great Britain,
2S0,425 square miles, in 1916; by the
Mexican treaties Of lS4s and other
years. 81, $50, and by the purchase of
Alaska from Russia. in 1867, 517 800
square miles. on all this immense ter
ritory. containing the greatest mass of
arabic, agricultural, food-producing
land On the planet. we have a popula-
ton of less than $1,000. 900. while Europe
has a population of al least $780, O0, 900.
We have barely scraped the surface of
our soil, in comparison with the old
world countries, except portions of the
Russian empire where il is sparsely set
tied, and we are capable of maintain
ing a larger number of people h Flu
rope-yet We are told we must "ex-
pand' still more. and the very writer's
ahb SAtdhtiS anu IbilllClduS II tel US
this tell us also that we must restrict
immigration from Europe for fear we
might become "Overcrowded."
No, We are not overcrowded. but we
are overcorporated. and the wealth of
the country is tied up in the hands of a
comparatively few people-just as the
land I'm Great Britain and Ireland is
tied up by a comparatively few land
lords. There is a congestion of capital.
Trusts. department stores and other
kindred institutions" suck the life
blood out Of the country and there APP
pears 10 be no redress. The corpora
tons have the nation by the throat.
They have their representatives every
where-to 'coZen. coerce and scare"
Legislation is paralyZed by them.
wages are down To an almost Euro
pean scale. Faxes are increasing and
multiplying. The rich grow richer and
the poor poorer steadily. The pluto
Gratis have taken the place OF King
Georges aristocrats and the more mod
ern sl~avoracy. Our American girls who
have beauty and dollars-especiaily the
latter-are selling themselves to titled
foreigners by the score. National
Americanism is at a discount. Our rich