The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-12-08
AGAINST EXPANSION.
WILL WEOAIN ANYTHlNOBY LAND
GRABBING?

GRABBING?
Andrew Carnegie Opposes Policy OF
Territorial Thinks I'm
perialism Would Bring Expansion OF
Trouble and Expense but Not Ex-
pansion of Trade.
Andrew Carnegie, whose business
perspicacity nune will dispute, does
not favor the Imperial" policy of
the United States; he thinks it will
set every one of the powers to study
OF the question from new stand
point" and speaks of the increased
cost in maintaining a standing army.
Asked if he thought that territorial
expansion would bring expansion in
trade, he replied: mo, not by any
means; barbarians are no customers,
civilized people are the consumers of
our products"
We suggest, in regard to the latter
expression, that it is the develop
ment OF our new acquisitions by
American immigration from which
the imperialists expect most; but it
does not follow, even in this view,
that the returns would justify the
cost. The Anglo-Saxon from time
| immemorial has always spread HIM
self wherever he could get foothold;
and, if there was any opposition to
it, he would probably spread himself
over Greenland, as he has already
spread himself over the Klondike
country and Labrador. India has
been a source of vast revenue to the
British; and it may be that country
so rich as Cuba, Porto Rico, or the
philippines be made to yield rich re-
turns to the people of this country.
Still, there is the objection of it's COM
plicating us with foreign powers;
and there is the further oh lection
that we shall 90 on annexing until
we find ourselves invpossession of
regular job-lot, unk-shop of ma
tionalities which we shall have to
protect and develop, but whose adj
ministration cannot be managed on
principles of Statehood. The United
States is in position of a federation
of States, indivisible and nation
allied. not calculated to absorb other
nationalities except through the
gateway of Statehood.
We can, of course, hold land and
administer law in conquered or
purchased territory in some fashion;
but the day will come when we must
frame these acquisitions into sover-
eign States and invest them~with
every privilege of Statehood. It is
very true that Florida was purchased
from Spain, and Louisiana from
France, and that vast territory
West was practically won by con-
quest from Mexico. But all this
territory was contiguous to existent
portions of the United States, and
our people overflowed into them, as
it were, paving the way to integral
American States. Here, on the other
hand, are old nationalities, older in
deed as Governments than most or
all of the present American States,
and widely differing from them in
institutions, manners, and point of
view. Will it not be long, indeed,
before these will become truly in
tegral and homogeneous parts of the
American union? Florida. Louisiana,
and Texas were speedily over-run by
men generally of Anglo-Saxon lineage,
and States blossomed into being
quiet naturally; but will this be the
case with islands like Cuba and Porto
Rico, which have existed so long
under entirely different forms of Gov
eminent, and with a different Ian
guage? Some people fancy a Gov
eminent can do anything. The Gov
eminent of the United States was
called into being for the protection
and general betterment of its own
people, and with no Interior purpose
whatever. But here. on the TIRES
hold of the twentieth century, with
no very great exertion of our part,
we find ourselves in possession of
vast territory in the Northwest
Alaska,-a rich island in the
Caribbean sea, and another at our
mercy, and large group of islands
in the Pacific to the North, with the
Hawaiian group in the South. 1t
may be the very best thing in the
world for the people of these lands
to boast of so powerful and generous
protector: but what of the protector
himself? Where does his real adj
vantage come in? Indeed, it begins
to look as if we had gone into the
national founding-hospital business
for aye.
Acquisition is alluring, and ap-
parent acquisition is frequently
race. If we were not, our flag would
not float as it does from the Arctic
circle to degrees below the Tropic OF
Cancer. But it is good thing. in
national as in individual enterprise,
to know where to stop. We all know
the old motto of "too many irons in
the fire. but we apply it only to
business. We might apply it to ma
tional aquisition as we'll. A man
undertakes to carry on two or three
different kinds Of business at one
time. because he has succeeded II
one. Possibly a successful merchan
gets hold of a paper on mortagage
or farm. or machine shop. Whel
he is most deeply absorbed in prob
lens pertaining to his first and mos
familiar concern in life, there come
an imperative call to break off an
decide some knotty point with refer
ence to the second business.
We have our doubts that Uncl
Sam is fitted to be Jack OF a
+rodoS and we are STRONGLY incline