The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-13
MoNRoE1sM AND IMPERIALISM.

| The most radical imperialist in all
the country is the New York Tribune
| Could it have its way, all the world
would be included in an American colo
NAL system; this done, it would sit
down and weep that more worlds could
! not be made colonies.
Speaking of imperialism and the
Monroe doctrine, it says those who are
opposed to imperialism say if we adopt
that we must abandon the Monroe
doctrine. 1t then goes on to define the
position of the anti-imperialists, saying
they argue that the Monroe doctrine is
reciprocal; that it contains a warning
and d pledge; that it warns European
powers to keep hands off the independ
ent republics of this continent. and it
pledges this country not to lay hands
upon any other land; that if we violate
this latter pledge we cannot expect
other nations to respect the former
, warning.
Having thus defined the position of
the anti-imperialists, the Tribune pro-
ceeds to say:
It is pretty syllogism, but it doesn't
work, because its major premise is out
of joint. The Monroe doctrine made no
such pledge. 1t made not the remotest
reference, by implication or other
wise, to Hawaii, or the Philippines, or
anything of the sort II did pledge US
not to interfere with the existing colo
MES or dependencies of any European
power on this continent, and that
pledge we have kept with scrupulous
fidelity, even to our own loss, until one
of those colonies interfered with US in
an intoIerable manner. The pledge of
non-interference has no more reference
or application to the Philippines than
to the canals of Mars; While as for
Hawaii, it may properly be reckoned
as falling under the provisions of the
warning. since it belongs indisputably
to this continental system.
1t is true the Monroe doctrine made
no pledge that the United States would
not go to other continents, and there
set up their form of government; it
made no pledges of any kind, but sim
ply declared that this government
would regard certain acts as unfriendly
to it. While all this is true, it is
equally true that no European govern
ment has ever said it would not at
tempt to extend its form of government
to this continent, or that it regarded
this continent as closed to colonial
ton. Europe has scrupulously OBJ
served the Monroe doctrine, with the
exception of the attempt by France to
set up an empire in Mexico. And this
has been so because Europe has always
believed that this government had no
colonial ambitions in those parts Of the
globe considered as subject to appro-
priaticn as colonies. If Europe respects
our Interpretation of the Monroe doc
trine, she will expect Us to respect her
Interpretation of it. This is phase
of the question that the imperialists or
jingoes entirely overlook, and yet it is
a most important phase.
1t is a very wonderful thing how
many have burst the bounds of our
country's traditions and have grown
beyond the teachings of Washington
and others of our wisest leaders The
people are told that the precious advice !
of the farewell address was good
enough for a few seaboard provinces
that had declared themselves inGe-
pendent and set up for themselves, but |
that it will never do for the United
States of today. They are told that !
while the Monroe doctrine was all well i
enough in the nations provincial state, |
it won't do for today. when we have |
become one of the great powers of the |
age; they are told that so far as di- |
recting our ship of states foreign pol !
icy is concerned, the Monroe doctrine |
at best is but an astrolobe, and that it |
is antiquated; that we must have a |
new compass. The imperialists look |
upon Washington and Monroe and the |
early fathers as good, but small men, |
with contracted views and non-pro-
gressive ideas. We may annex all the |
islands in the South sea and people |
them with imperislists and then place |
those imperialists one on top of an
others shoulders. and they will not |
a cubit's height when COM !
pared with such men as Washington |
and Monroe. i
Aspersers of the Monroe doctrine, |
shouters for a colonial empire would do !
well to bear in mind that the Monroe |
doctrine is, so far as pledges are con-
cerned, no more nor less than the gol-
den rule applied to Europe and Amer
lea.