The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-19
HERE WE HAVE 1T.

In the debate in the house of repre-
sentatives on the army appropriation
bill we have a member letting the cat
out of the bag and following precisely
the line that the G l o b e has describ-
ed and prophesied as a part Of the pro-
eramme Of the un-American politicians
who are bowling for an overthrow Of
the American system to make room for
one fashioned upon the monarckies Of
Europe. We said yesterday, in speak
ing Of the demand for Hawaii and the
C.amOr for ever more and more forti-
f'catiOrs and fleets and munitions of
war, that the caTstcne of this argu-
meEt must be an increase of our land
forces to an equality with those CT
England, France, Germany and Rus
STA.
This was no empty prophecy on our
Fart. Representative Mcclellan has
challenged the attention OF the country
by speech II the house not only at
lacking to present army organization,
but paralle,ing, with reference to the
army, as he has a logical right to do,
the argument advanced by the advo-
Gates of unlimited naval expansion and
the policy Of colonial aggression. Mr..
Mcclellan needs only to point to the
same old man of straw that the lin
goes and anneXationists have set I'D.
We do not need a big standing army.
of course, for our present wants, but
to meet an emergency" He notices.
in the old familiar way, that we are
utterly unprepared for war, and, to
make us prepared, we must have a mill
itary equipment like those of the
European nations" We are glad to see
this logical evolution of the lingo ar
gument appear at this early date, be-
cause it may serve to recall to their
ordinary senses a large portion Of our
people who have been led away, if not
to Jingoism, at least to station half
way on the route, without seeing the
fatal consequences that 1t implies.
This country Of ours was founded on
several great ideas, among which were
to be not only freedom of conscience.
Of speech and of action, but freedom
from certain unbearable conditions
that were found to be universally in
separable from the forms of govern
ment prevailing in the old world These
evils, against which the forefathers
fought as truly as they did against
taxation without representation. in
cluded not only hereditary rulers, but
the mighty military and naval estab-
lishment which those rulers were bound
TO maintain to protect themselves
against their own people. For a CEN
fury we have followed that policy We
have looked with righteous adherence
upon the burdens of standing armies
and of great navies, natural symptoms
and necessary concomitants of des-
potic rule, and we have thanked the
Lord and the fathers that we were free
from them.
Are we now to place, voluntarily, our
necks beneath this red yoke? 1t looks
q little like it. For a century this pol
Icy has secured to US peace abroad and
tranquility at home. With a standing
army kept jealousy at the lowest
point, and with navy adequate mere
~ to the protection of our commercial
interests, We have increased from a
fourth to first-rate power. We are
loss in danger of attack than we ever
were before. Yet there has arisen
among us a class Of politicians who
cherish contempt for the traditions and
principles OF Americanism; who tell US
that the republic of the United States
is mistake: who point to the great
nations of Europe as exemplars, and
who tell us that we must pattern our
policies hereafter upon theirs
They have succeeded in securing a.
naval establishment beyond all reason
able needs and heavy charge upon
the taxpayer. They are engaged in a
deadly grapple with the advocates of
Americanism TO secure the annexation
Of distant islands. principally in order
that a reason may exist for multiply
ing ships and building Notifications
They come now to the final article of
their programme, which is to force
upon the American people a vast
standing army, utterly useless to Us
AID serving 20 other conceivable pur-
pose except TO threaten popular liberty.
american history today is travelling