Evening journal., 1898-12-06


continental Powers, hemmed in be-
tween fires or opposing nations. then
1t would, as a consequence, be obliged
to stand armed to the teeth just as
European nations stand, unfortunately
for themselves, to-day. Seeing that il
was newer, at any recent period, neces-
'sary for this country to adopt any such
war,El1e policy, is it wise, therefore, for
the United States to foster large mill
tary GLASS and a proporttonately large
naval class, both Of which classes
woufd ever throw their influence and
votes into the scale favoring a spirited
or warlfke policy? Is it wise, therefore,
for this country to formulate the pol
icy Of territorial expansion policy
which means the formulating of a sys-
tenn OF endless and unwaganeed taxa
tion? We may be told that the secret
of Engrandrs strength lies in her coll
onies Well, we perfectly understand
an that But do the people, the men
who are never tired Of advancing this
old-time fact, ever stop to remember
that England, when acquiring outside
territory, never pauses to consider the
right and wrong Of the matter? Do
these people, these pauTot-Mke Jingoes,
ever stop to remember that England
when meditating a land-s.eal, no
matter whc,her it be a portion OF Chi
nese or African terrftlory-neYer pauses
to ccrsiG-r the principles Of Menm
and Tuum, the just rights Of Mine
and Thine? When England, by fonce
OF arms, acquires foreign territory
or. in other words, when she finds
something bafore it is lost-she In
varialb,y has an eye TO the main chance,
to the mere material end Of the trans
action. England is essentially conn
mercial nation, and, no matter whether
she herself is annexing, or whsther
She regards with favor some other ma
ton that may be engaged in the same
dirty business, she is impelled, first,
last and all the time, by pure and un-
aduTteraEed shopkeeping motives. We
hear much OF Anglo lo-Amerlcan senti-
menp; much Of Anglo-Amsrican din
ners, at which lame attempts are made
to justify the recent Standardization
War, and ait which English govern
ment officials, indulging in "taffyism, -
endorse the warlike policy Of the
United States. England pats the
United States on the back, and APP
plauds the Philippine burglary. The
recent turn Of events viii suit England
all right, for she would far rather this
country should assume the ownership
of these particular Islands than that
she herself should assume the responr
sibiMty Of the same. Great Britain
will benefit, in a commercial sense
just as much, perhaps more, without
her having to carry the Philippines
the white elephant OF the Far East
But ar this cIasping of hands, thi:
'WE CAN BEAT THE WORLD" sor
r OF talk, is nothing more nor less thai
a conEemptib.e exhibition of the ranl
r and rotten principles guiding undu'
national sesf-interest and aggrandize
ment. The mental stomach turn
) AWAY ,disgusted and nausf at d, and re
garis the parading Of all such falls
sentiment as so much post-prandia
4 rot, irresponsible humbug and fulsom'
e hypocrisy.
Is this country to emulate the so
e called "progressiveness" and '"civiliza
a ton" of England's gTasping, aggres
r sive. annexative spirit? Is this grea
K Republic going to arTogate to itself
4 seGf-conkkEtuted system Of appropria
1 tiveuess, and to pa0uen its foreign POI
e lev. either in the Far East or else
+ where, alter that Of Great Britain?
r SO. then let it go ahead. But no ne
tRon that attempts to build and expan
t itself upon the hopes and aspiration
d of some other Power Will ever be real
u ly great. 1t may become commercial
{, great, territoriaaly great-'we grant a
q that-but not great in the higher, tn
d nobger, the ethical sense. THAT ma
1t would be rigidly deemed fool wh
e, would attempt to prognosticate the da
" and hour when the sun Of England
le power Will set to rise no more. 81
1f stands to-day the MOST powsETul-in
m fighting -sense-the rlchest-in con
z mercial senss-and the most feare
" but not the most beloved, nation OF
e, the nations OF the earth. But the da
NJ win come when these questionable
ID tributes will vanish, and when her G
m gonfal possessions will cut loose FRO
he their Illegal mOorings. If the rsce'
5? war is to be considered as the frs
r fruits OF inaugural of a hlgh-hande
at spirited foreign policy for the Unit
n StaFes-and it is difficuIt to view 1t
Id amy other highland if this country
II determined to foilOw in the war-crea
,e, ing footsteps Of Great Britain, then tf
be most important Republic may possih
80 ,.sonp th., elatne altff1ide of sO-call