The record-union., 1898-06-26
Shall the Nation Remain Hermit
or Extend Its Dominion?
Views of Prominent Citizens of Sacramento
and the Nation on the
Question.

clothes of our ancestors. The founders
of this Government We're wise and far
reaching in their day, but 1t was not
given to human nature to foresee all
the possibilities before this great peo-
pie. These constant references to ira
dition remind ne of what Chinese
missionary once told me as character
istic of the Chinese. He said that
when you confront the Chinese with
anything new, however good it may
be, they Will shrug their shoulders and
say: THE doctrine we now hold is the
doctrine of our ancestors, who were
great and wise men. We shall adhere
to it, because we have no reason to be-
lieve we are greater or wiser than they
were.'' 1 believe we have a right to
bring the skill of our wisest and best
statesmen to bear in the solution of the
great problems of the day, without for
ever being frightened by the shadows
of our ancestors.
President Frank Miller of the Ma
tional Bank of d. o. Mills & Co., whose
son is an Ensign on the OregOE-In each
of the fc'E. points of the compass this
nation is already entangled With the
affairs of every nation on the earth. On
our northern boundary we have vast
{
of the Canadian Empire. On our
southern shores the rising country of
Mexico deserves our gravest attention,
while eastward, across the Atlantic. the
situation is well known, involving the
present war Westward across the
Pacific no man can tell the greatness
of the future. Consider the Nicaragua
Canal as a fact of the future and then
what? The brotherhood of man is a
fixed fact and we are part of it. Our
duty is plain We must go ahead We
cannot go back. We cannot look to
tradition as guide, especially when
we live in a part Of our country of
which our forefathers had no knowl-
edge and on the borders of the Pacific
of which our statesmen and our coun-
trymen have little knowledge.
Grove L. Johnson-I frankly admit
that 1 am undecided whether I favor
the taking of Hawaii or not While
in Congress l introduced a bill that pro-
hibited absolutely all foreign immigra-
ton, and on principle l oppose depart
ing from the beaten paths l am in
clined to think We are a little like the
boy in the orchard, who ate too many
green apples, but stuffing his stomach
with pears was not the remedy The
dethronement of Queen Liliuokalani was
grave wrong and when President
Harrison gets to heaven. where all good
Republicans go, he will find hmeslf
excluded from the seventh heaven. The
taking cf Hawaii involves many new
and complex questions Of legislation
and Jurisprudence. l must think over
the question before / have a clear idea,
what is best under the circumstances.
for all these
II. Weinstock-I once thought | had
this problem solved in my mind lust to
my own satisfaction but 1 now feel
that | was mistaken, just as / was in
error when 1 once believed that the
| world would have only one religion.
You may say that / am on the fence
on the question of Hawaiian annexa-
| ton as well as on the problem of the
philippines, though / am inclined to op-
pose the annexation of Hawaii. In all
these matters there seem to be strong
| reasons for as we'll as strong reasons
against, and | cannot say what I think
( IS right until have time to balance the
matter carefully. The hope of enlarg-
ing the functions of Government and
going into new territory is aIluring but
| 1t may be hard to let GO To me the
annexation of new territory is not 81
much commercial as a political prob
lem. 1t is fine idea to expand the
| held of civil liberty, but the great oues
! ton Is whether we are prepared to carry
the doctrines of civil liberty to the
world outside.
Albert Bonnheim-I am for the an
| nexatlon of the islands and for the ex-
, panslon of our territory. 1t is no time
10 stand by the legends of the past. but
= time TO go forth and show that
tiils Is great nation. / cannot see
that the policy Of Mr.. Cleveland is of
any account
Eu"aro Bonnheim-I do not think we
are prepared to extend our territory
| we DO not want 10 follow the examine
OF the old nations Of Europe but We
nave all we can do to attend TO the
affairs of our own Government