The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-21

WlSuOIH OF the statesmen VINO dictated JnS
move. If we. turn those Islands over to the
inhabitants to become petty Latin indie
pendencfes they will never cease to give US
trouble in time of peace and to be a sore
menace in time of war. We may have to set
up colonial governments. Shallow thinkers
are saying that our Republic cannot main
tam tam these detached possessions as Great
Britain does. But these DIRECTORS have no
data upon which to base their argument.
Ihey can give no sound reason for saying
that we would abuse colonial power The
fact is that England's success with her col
onles the world over is not due to her form
OF shome government, but TO her understand
ing OF the duty she owes to her citizens
everywhere. The same would be true of us.
We must believe this or we must admit
that we have no faith in our American civ
lhZation. If we are not strong enough polit-
ically and morally to maintain colonies.
Wherever we chance to have them, our end
is not far distant. And those who assume
that colonial policy would endanger our
government confess their lack of faith in
the strength of our national foundations.
ENGLANDs STRENGTH.
Take from England her colonies and that
instant you reduce her to second-class
power. Her statesmen know this and they
hold on to every colony no matter how
small or remote, with patriotic persistence.
Long experience has taught them that coll
onies and commercial influence go hand in
hand, and that commercial influence is ma
tional prosperity. They know that a right
eous government can be maintained III
Canada, in Australia, in India, in Jamaica
or in Africa, just as easily as in England.
and they maintain it, There is no reason
why we should fail where Great Britain so
Splendldly succeeds, unless it be true that,
after all our boasting. our government is
not inherently self-sustaining. If, indeed.
we deem IT SO weak we had better set about
strengthening II a once. For nation whose
>cohesiveness is not sufficient. to bear the
strain OF moderate expansion of it's struc-
destroy it.
Every war has it's Tories and Tories are
always wrong. At least they have always
oeen wrong in our country. as time has
SHOWN. In the revolutionary war they were
wrong. In the war of 1912 they were wrong.
In the Mexican war they We're wrong. In
the civil war they were wrong. and they are
wrong now: 1t is quite safe to predict that
the party that sets itself now against haV-
ing our country take the full benefit of
the d1stavor and meet the reverse which has
always come to American Tories. 1t will de-
serve it and it will get it. Look back at our
cal lesson.
But the fear is INDUCED by the opponents
OF colonial policy that when we have once
pegun conquest we shall go insane and be-
gin mad course of proWling over earth in
search of more territory to conquer. Is this
a fear well founded? We. Americans have
sense and wise control We are not going to
lose our heads. This war is a righteous one:
were it based in unrighteousness the people
would soon stop it. There is to be no con-
quest in the ancient sense of the word. We
shall give Cuba and Porto Rico freedom I'M
der our flag the only true freedom in the
world
BASIS OF ToRYIsM
The Tory argument now, as it always has
been, is based upon lack of confidence in
our government. 1t is second cousin to trea-
son. If our people are to-be educated to feel
that our Nation lacks the vitality and vigor
to bear expansion, a sort of contempt for
its weakness must inevitably follow. The
Tory attitude is pose of debility, the Tory
reasoning is always an attempt to demon
strate national inadequacy. look back over
our national political annals and note how
every victory over Tory opposition has ush-
1t may be safely assumed that in this
war. as in every other the men who do the
hghting viii have more influence than the
men VINO stay at home and object to having
heroic patriotism result in great national
benefits. A sober thought. indeed, must
tility of this war if it Shall end merely in
setting up in Cuba little independent ma
ton off our Florida. tcQast--a nation made
solutely. iliiterate and Wholly Incapable of
comprehending a constitution or reading
law. 1t must bring a greater result than
that or it will totally fail to justify itself.
But they say we went to war to relieve
starvation in Cuba. Well the starvation is
not renewed, II us aggravated -tenfOld. We
have added to it by our blockade. No; what
we are at war with is Latin nediaevalism.
We are at war with the so-called civiliza-
ton that degraded Cuba to her present con-
dition of insufferable filth. poverty and IL
literacy. We are fighting to set our civiliza-
ton in Cuba and to give the people the
blessing of our enlightenment and Christian
freedom, under fiag that never yet has
oppressed any peopieI Wear fighting the
fifteenth century atl the Close of the nine
teenth. Cuba cannot justly complain if we
make her as free as New York or Iowa.
-Four hundred years of Spanish oppression
exchanged for the lasting protection and
be called a cause for regret For us to
say so is toryism gone wild; it's to say that
the Cubans are superior to us.
QUESTION OF CIVILIZATIONS. :
What applies to Cuba. applies with equal
force to Porto Rico and the Philippines. 1t
is the question which civilization is to be
perpetuated in those islands. the American
or the Latin. Is 1t to be Anglo-American. or
shall it be like that of Central America,
that of Spain, that of the forever revou-
tionary petty South American states?
Every thoughtful person must feel what 1
mean. The stability3of our civilization de-
Ponds greatly upon 9the character of our
near neighbors We must guard against fos-
tering an island on our border whose nat
ural trend of civilization Is opposed to our
own. Cuban civilization unguided by US will
be but Spanish civilization modified by
great Ignorance Guided by us it will soon
compare with that of Texas or that of Cali
fornia or Louisiana. For time it will be
rough, as it was in Texas after the MeXi-
can war as it was in Louisiana after the
purchase. Civilization will clash but the
better will prevail. se4.a
l will be a great misfortune if this ques-
ton of the control of our Spanish acquisi-
lions shall get into partisan politics We
shall then have Tory party and patriotic
party, a condition to deplore. The Tories
will be beaten: they are always beaten; but
perpetuity of the government. They will
poison manv minds with the venom always
expressed by the phrase: Anything to de-
feat the national will
1t is a favorable time now to foreStall
toryism with full-voiced national cry. Our
navies and armies are not fighting for the
empty honor of whipping old Spain; they
are doing heroic battle to perpetuate our
views Of civilization and to extend Anglo
American influence over an area long black
ened by the infamy of the Latin interpreted
ton of human relations. Our hghtlng men
home and ii will not be Tory language that
they will speak. They will rightfully de-
mand that their sacrifice of blood shall not
be regarded as mere aid to the schemes of
those politicians who have no confidence in
the government, and whose chief aspiration
is to gain something by obstrCcting the
march of American nationality
The Monroe doctrine is American self-de-
Tense 1t forbids foreign meddling with af-
fairs in America; it does not forbid us to
grow and spread it does not forbid us TO
pursue our best aspirations, or to make Sc
cure by any righteous means the defenSeS of
our domain. Moreover, we grow we can
the past. Every year brings new response
bilitieS The world moves and we cannot