Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-12-22

consciously, when they say we muss
act Justly and fairly to tho empire.
No doubt, also, we. Numbered into our
system little by little rather than set ~
MP on abstract grounds. Still, the
fact remains that what keeps our en-
pire together, what gives us q really
able body of administrators, what So
cures us from revolt, and what TO o
great extent ennobles our homo politics,
Is the fact that e.the interests Of the
governed" is our rule of empire. III
America keeps that it mind the petty
difficulties which she now dreads will
disappear. She will find the mem
West Point at the beginning, will give
her plenty of good administrators and
she will find also that the government
of dependencies will not corrupt, but
tend to purify, her home administra-
tion. We SEQ that Mr.. Carnegie is
said to have declared to the President
that India was the curse OF, England.
No greater mistake could possibly be
made, and mono but very reckless
thinker would ever have made such @
statement. India is great, or il YOU
will o terrific responsibility, but who
can say that a man who accepts an
| onerous trust and carries 1t out faith
fully is cursed thereby? Men are far
moro often cursed by the lack of re-
sponsibilities. They are drowned in
security" in their own material well
fare, and in their want of real difficult
ties with which TO grapple, Depend
upen it, the men who have to deal
with the terrible difficulties which
| the Indian government occasionally
encounters nre not made worse, but
better, citizons thereby. With thu
allegation that an oversee empire would
mean increased corruption in America,
| Mr.. Chamberlain deals very we'll. He
shows that our politics have been puri-
| fled, not made moro corrupt, rs the
empire has increased. And here We
may note that Mr.. Chamberlain also
touches upon one very important
practical question the question of big
salaries. II the Americans try to pay
small salaries to their colonial admin
istrators they will almost certainly run
on the rock of corruption. They want
to insist on o very high standard, moral
as well as intellectual, in their imperial
4 civil servants, and they will only be
able to insist on it if they make those
i posts desirable enough to attract really
good men, and valuable enough to
make dismissal very severe penalty.
We have but one more word TO urge.
America originally taught us how to
govern our empire By their righteous
and vehement refusal to submit to .
system under which the colonies were
to be used for the benefit, and expected
to serve the interests, of the mother
country, the States taught us q greal
lesson, They need not be too proud Il
relearn that lesson from those the,
originally taught. All we want Americi
; to do is to start her empire on trui
. lines. If she does that, all will b.
well, and she will be able to max
I any notifications in our colonial sys
tenn that difference of circumstance
,, may require. We implore her not
: shrink from or to shirk her great duty
! but to accept it, and carry it out i
! the spirit in which her people entere
! upon the recent war with Spain The
! did not shirk that duty. They mus
! not shirk those which are directly d.
= rived from it. III