Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-07-06
TERRITORIAL EXPANSION.

One OF the great questions which the
war has brought before the people of
the United States is whether to expand
or not to expand territory. On the sur
face the plan of annexation, territorial
expansion and conquest looks plausible
and has no doubt become popular
among a great many who have not CIV
en- these propositions careful study.
But there is an under-current which is
worthy Of consideration. 1t should be
no longer question of how much we
govern but how we'll.
On this subject we are pleased to
publish the following extract of a let
ter written for the Valley Democrat and
Journal Of Agriculture by our friend,
w. G. Musgrove, now editor of the
Lexington (Mo.) Intelligencer, togoth-
er with the comment Of the eminent
editor of that Journal:
II recognize that many Of our leading men
are beginning to advocate the doctrine of ter
ritorial expansion, but am utterly opposed
to any and all such schemes. At this time ouI
army and navy are making heroic efforts tC
drive the Spanish soldiery from the islands OF
Cuba, Porto Rico and also from the Philippine
islands, and l approve and endorse every
blow that has been given Spain. 1 do 80 be
cause believe the war was begun in the in
terest of humanity. But do not be
lieve IN annexing any of these islands. We
must make CUBA and Porto Rico free.
hope the inhabitants of the Philippines will
be strong enough and intelligent enough tC
establish government OF their own, and thai
they will be able to defend themselves agains 81
Spain; but whether they shall be or not,
think we have no right to hold them after oul
indemnity shall be paid. Cuba must be a free
Republic"
This is justice; this Is Democracy:
this IS Americanism. There Is nc
room for two opinions among just and
honest men who believe in human
rights as the basis of government. Ii
we 60 on as the administration has be.
gun; IL we do in Cuba what has already
been done in Hawaii, we will betray
the hope of the world, which, for q cen.
fury, has turned to us as the represent
alive OF freedom and justice-of gov.
eminent by consent, as opposed to gov
eminent by Krupp guns and bayonets.
Look what has happened in Hawaii!
A handful Of carpet baggers, determln-
ed and ruthless men who care no more
for the lives Of Hawaiians than for
those of SO many ants, seized the arse
nails and military supplies of the island,
overthrow the native government, u.s.
urped power, organized a republic
dominated by the San Francisco Spreck-
les branch of the sugar trust, and in
the interest of that trust demanded ad-
mission to the union of free and equal
self-goyerning States"
To ascertain whether the trust Inter-
ests in congress intend to attempt the
same usurpation in Cuba, they were
asked to recognize the Cuban Republic,
They voted down the resolution of rec.
ognition, and revealed their intention
of appointing military governor to
'reorganize" Cuba on the carpet-bag.
ging plan the same element used In
robbing the people of the South. in the
old days when Wall street imperialists
were using the bayonet and the black
vote to force repeated bond issues
against helpless people.
If the American people consent, we
will have all the shame of the Recon.
struction period repeated and exagger-
ated after the close of the Spanish war;
and before we are done with it we will
be plunged into vast scheme of colon
ial imperialism and bayonet govern.
ment, utterly opposed to our constitu-
tion and sure to end in the destruction
of the liberties we enjoy under a con-
stitutional union of equal and self-gov-
erning states.
The question Of whether or not this
plan shall he allowed to succeed Is now
the greatest question before the world.
1t is astounding and alarming that the
sO-called great dallies" pass it by in
silence and that the responsibility of
developing American public sentiment
against bond-dealing Imperialism falls
on the weekly press of the Valley States
CO operating with the Democrat and
journal.