Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-04
HE DENOUNCES EXPANSION
Carl schurS Shows How Dearly We Shall Pay
for Commercial Greatness,
OTHER SIDE OF THE QUESTION PRESENTED
Acquisition of New Territory Menus
Unlimited Opportunities for Cor
ruption and Many More Tam
manys He Says.

NEW YORK, Nov. "A mass meeting
was held in Chickering hall tonight in the
interest of the independent state ticket Of
the Citizens union. State issues were dis
cussed. The principal speaker was Carl
Schurz. who took occasion to forcfbly pre-
sent his views on territorial expansion.
Mr.. Schurz entered upon a discussion of
territorial expansion, saying that, while the
campaign in this state should have been
waged on state issues, Colonel Roosevelt had
forced the annexation issue By declaring
that his election would be an endorsement of
the policy of keeping all the conquered ter
ritory. He said:
The adoption of that policy would be fatal
to the republic morally Congress, in order
to satisfy the consciences of our people and
to propitiate the opinion of mankind for our
war with Spain, declared solemnly that it
was to be a war in behalf of oppressed Cuba,
a war of humanity and liberation and not
of conquest or ACKNOWLEDGMENT President
Mckinley had already declared in a manner
equally solemn that annexation by force
is not to be thought of, because, according
to our code of morals. it would be criminal
aggression"
Our first duty is to keep our word to do
honestly that which we promised, to pre-
serve the character of our Spanish war as
a war of humanity and not of aggrandizo-
ment, to abstain from that criminal ag-
gression" which has been denounced by
President Mckinley himself. and thus to
maintain our national honor. The anneXa-
ton policy will bring into our political sys-
TEN millions of Spaniards, Creoles negroes,
Malays. Chinese, Japanese. Filipinos Tagals
and tho savage tribes whose names we have
yet TO learn, and thus thrust upon us race
problems which, compared with those we
already have on our hands signify much.
How can it be doubted that the annexation
policy will be certain to bring upon us
flood of corruption such as we have never
seen We denounce the iniuuities of Tam
many and Justly So Adopt your annexation
policy and you Will have American Tam
manys ten times worse scattered by the
score over two hemisDheres.
Start on your policy of Imperialism and
who will deny that the peace of the country
will be in constant peril? Do not we hear
ii said every day now, with horrible cynicism,
that after having thrashed the Spaniards at
Manila. we shall have to thrash the insur-
gent Filipinos If they refuse to do our will?
Have YOU considered what that means
After having pretended to make war for
the sake of humanity, in aid of those who
fought against Spanish despotism, we are
told that we may have to shoot down the
very men who have fought for their liberty,
because they may want to be independent
II.
fouler blot of shame upon the esCutcheon
of this republic-a republic originally
| founded on the principle that government
| derives it's just powers from the consent OF
! the governed so.
2. al it. sach business We are To 'so httsSype
| youth of the American people to fight In the
| tropics, whence they return wasted wrecks
| in health and spirits. II they return at all.
| For this we are to throw away the greatest
| glory of this republic which consisted in the
fact that it lived and prosDered and grew
rich and powerful and secure, not by war,
not by building up great armies and naVies
| but by not needing any.
| But | am told that we must have new
markets for our products. Cannot we get the
market of those countries unless we annex
them?
| Terrible Price of Commercial Gain
But now am asked, do we owe no duty
! to the peoples we have liberated from the
Spanish yoke? Well, whatever responsible
tiles may have been put upon us by the de-
structon of the Spanish fleets and by the
capture of Santiago and Manila, will any
sane person seriously maintain that the duty
the republic owes to the people OF the Span
! sh colonies is paramount to the duties II
owes TO it's own 75000O00 people and to the
untold millions that will occupy this lane
of the future?
Must we in order to do our duty to the
pledge that this was to be war of human
ity and not of elf-aggrandizement? Mus
we destroy our moral credit among the ma
tions of the earth? Must we commit Grim
inal aggression? Must we attempt to rul'
subject populations by arbitrary government
which democracy. like ours, can never dt
without abandoning its fundamental prin
ciples and rushing into immeasurable corrup
tion?
Must we thus break down the great trial o
general government of by and for the peo
pie? Must we bring upon us the constan
danger of war-often war or nothing-ant
burden our people with a measurelessl,
growing load of ornaments? Must we con
tinue to send the sons of the republic to tn
tropics to be ruined or gilled by tropica
disease? Must we pay such terrible pric
for commercial facilities which through
diplomacy might be secured for nothing?
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