The age-herald., 1898-08-06
IMPERIALISM
 AN OLD POLICY
From the Chicago Inter Ocean.

fibH the CHleGSO lhief ocean.
 Ex-senator John II. Reagan of Texas is in the city, spending a few weeks at the Chicago Beach hotel. He ranks as one of the most historic figures of the south. For sixteen years he was a member of the house of representatives. resgning his seat in 1887, when chosen senator from the Lone Star State. Two years before his sena- terial term was completed he retired to take control of the railroad commission of Texas.
 The venerable Texan is the only surviving member of the cabinet of Jefferson Davis. He was postmaster-geneTal of the Confed- eracy, and toward the close of the war was also secretary of the treasury. Though re- tired from the service of his state at Wash ington he takes great interest in the ques- tions of the day, and is regarded as a com- manding authority throughout the south.
 As to the disposition of Cuba, Porto Ri- co, and the other possessions of Spain. he has decided and definite views. He is an ''imperiaist" of the old school, and the cry raised by the opposition to the United States acquiring territory he treats with ridicule.
 Whatever opinions may be about tho
  yesterday, "you can put it down that the island will belong to the United States when this war is over. That has been the trend of the last twenty years. I believe 1t was a mistake for the president and the government to announce that the govern- ment had no further purpose than to give the Cubans their freedom. It was evidently done to prevent interference by other pow CTS, but it was an apology uncalled for at the time. As to Porto Rico the president is perfectly right. It should belong to this country.
 "The annexation of Cuba is an old ques- ton. President Pierce advocated the nexation of Cuba in his inaugural address. During the Polk administration Spain was offered $1OO0 900 for the island and while Buchanan was secretary of state he was joined by Senators Slidell and Soule Of Louisiana in urging the president to raise the offer to $l20,OOO,00O. When these eff forts failed people of the south were anxious to get Cuba that they organized flibustering expeditions and determined to take it without legislative sanction. Now -eeo>a peos,ieae..iI 1mperldiisf. art it.
 'There appears to be a strange set of inconsistent statesmen who assume that any acquisition of territory will be against the constitution, and imperi institu- tions, and they have made the catchword imperialism These questions are not new with me. I discussed them years ago in the house-the question of seacoast de- lenses, the enlargement of the navy, the need of a channel through the isthmus, the urgent demand for coaling stations in .I.a otorc xxrha xUa could supply and repair our ships and reach out for the trade of western Europe, China, Japan and Australia. I have long believed in this policy, and if it is fol- lowed it will make the United States the greatest commercial country in the world.
 "But as to the catchword, imperialism If a desire to acquire territory is imper- ialism President Jefferson is the greatest imperialist we ever had. When the con stitution was adopted territory was only SOO0O0 or 900 square miles, By the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana he secured 200 000 square miles additional anu the control of the Mississippi river. In 1903 President Monroe secured Florida, 6),. GOO square miles, He was another 1mper- iaist In 1S46-7 under Polk, Texas was annexed, including within her boundarles over 00000 square miles. More 1mperlal- ism As a result of the Mexican war, the United States acquired 5O0,0OO square miles more. Still more imperialism. All the ad- ministrations down to the civil war urg the acquisition of Cuba. They were all inperialists. Now we have a brood Of statesmen who think it unconstitutional to acquire territory. They seem to be unfa- miliar with the history of their own coun- try and quite unfamiliar with the history of the democratic party. One gentleman said to me: Why, the republicans want to acquire territory. told him that l should welcome their adoption of our tra- ditional policy, but that we surely snouiu not be driven to abandon 1t because they had come to it. I would not swap sides with the republicans on that question, as some seem inclined to do.
 ss.Neither Cuba nor Porto Rico is capable of self-government at the present time. That they will become so under the ute, lage of the United States I have no doubt. These are questions that must be handled by this country with the greatest care. As to the annexation of Hawaii l believe the entire delegation from my state was opposed to it, but had been in the senate I would have voted for annexation. Dur ing my term in the senate I advocated fortified port in the Samoan islands and think we now have the Pacific outpost needed for our commerce.
 "As to the Philippines, 1t is one of the greatest questions resulting from the war. We are face to face with it and must set- tie it. There is a possibility of our get- ting tangled up in European complications that would entail more loss, debt and suf- fering than we would gain. recognize that the control of the islands would very materially increase the commercial impor- tance of the United States. I don't know enough about the sentiment at the Euro pean courts to understands whether they would .interpose. No doubt the pfesidenu is informed on that subject and will be governed by those influences. As to letting go of the islands as a whole I would do it if it cost a general conflict to hold them: As to the wisdom of maintaing a naval base there, there is TO question That is absolutely imperative"