The evening times., 1898-11-26
SATURDAY. NOVEMBER % 1895
The Isthtcs Of Exn,nSion.

Whether Andrew Carnegie is sincere
in his argument against expansion is an
open question If he is. then f0T an in
telligent man who writes books in de-
fense of democracy ne is about as in
informed as po ossiblo. Perhaps il is due
L. the fact that he is of foreign birth
aud lacked the advantages Il a common
school education i'm America. the chief
virtue Of which il tkat the contact with
al kinds Of boys makes the mind inn
Tressionable ana abS0rptiNe. Most m n
uT foreign birth are disposed to con-
found suffrage and liberty. Perhaps il
is not easy TO magnify The Importance
ol popular suffrage. since on that de
I nds personal liberty: bul it appears
10 b. too easy to Xacgelate the neceS-
Sity OF the ballot in the hands II a par
ocular man that he may have freedom
and happiness. As long as a number of
I1-ISuus who are devoted to the prin-
,.pleS Of human liberty direct thr policy
uf the state. particular man win not
b. deprived Of the common blessing
simply btcauss he cannot vote. man
who has lived in Mr.. Carnegie's State
only eleven months cannot vote. but he
is not. on thai account loaded with
chains Some Of the Cubans seem 10
share Mr.. Calneeie's opinion that tfey
viii not enjoy amy of the benefits Of re-
publicanism until lot Of their own
people draw salaries from the govern
mvut
Voting is not, in itself, pleasuraabie
thing Ii il important in what il ef-
frcts. To suspend business and
go TO the polls To pass piece
OF paper 10 be put into box is
not nearly as delightful as many 9th
er things a man may do. 1t becomes
useful and glorious only when il is
regarded as the means OF protecting
men in the enjoyment OF life and liberty
and in the pursuit of happiness-as af-
frrding to men an opportunity for in
dlyidUal development according to their
respective desires. The merit Of popu-
lar suffrage on which American institu-
tions are based is that it permits every
man and woman, voter or not, To do eX-
aotly as he or she viii, as long as il does
not interfere with the equal right Of any
otter man and woman 10 do as he or
she viii Some Of US would like TO be
rid Of the trouble of voting if we could
know that our liberties would be pre-
served without that trouble. When
one of us, for any reason, fails TO vote.
we do not fear that we are To become
the vassals of anybody. Several men,
btrs of the Presidents Cabinet did not
20 home to vote I'm the last elections,
and Mr. Carnegie himself has loitered
in luxurious incidence in his castle in
Scotland when elections were held al
PitIsburg. Yet he d,d not fear TO come
q. back to this country and did not expect
e. be put in chains oI deprived of any
liberty because h had not voted. The
people of the Western territories were
not serfs before admission 10 Statehood
but were as well protected in their per-
sonal freedom as anybody IN New York
Finally. the people of this city are not
conscious Of their chains When Mr.
Carnegie called here the other day with
his impertinent warning To the Presi-
d mt of the tremendous dangers of ex-
pansion-impertinent because it as
sumed that the President knew less
about the subject than the citizen who
spends SO much Of his time in Scotland
he did not observe that we bore the
marks OF vassals. Yet we have nc
votes.
The people Of the Philippines are nc
better than some Of the people of the
District of Columbia. We have had the
superlatiye advantage of coming into
close contact with members of Con-
gress. If we can stand it to be gov
rrned by the national legislature, the
choice of the American people, the Fill
ipinos can. Life is as secure. property
is as safe-with the precaution of locks
and boits-business goes on, pleasures
nre many. here as elsewhere in the land.
We have schools, churches, art galleries