The herald., 1898-05-18

The traditional policy Of the Repub-
lican party in the United States has been
to build about the country high wall,
with sharp spikes firmly embedded in the
capstones, to shut out effectually the
product Of what the advocates Of this
policy have been pleased to term
European pauper labor" and thus pre-
serve the home market for the domestic
producer-in -other words, America for
Americans Less careful has 1t been, to
be sure. in admitting the foreign paupers
themselves, to compete with the Ameri-
can laborer and-vote the Republican
ticket-but let that pass.
On the other hand, the traditional con-
servatism Of the Democratic party has
confined it to rigid scrutiny Of all
schemes of territorial aggrandizement,
lest the experiment Of alien race amalga-
can interests, If not destructive Of dis
tinctive American institutions. To this
policy Democrats have adhered with
something like martinetic rightly and
consistency, while their adversaries have
periodically stopped over in their IRA
tional efforts to eat their pie and have it.
While endeavoring steadily to increase
the height Of the wall, they have period
ically peeked over and looked with COW
etous eyes upon Cuba. upon Samoa,
upon Hawaii, upon the Danish and the.
British West Indies-upon any little old
thing. lying ar ound loose in either ocean,
that promised to pay tribute to the ma
chine.
1t is obvious that, II the United States
Is to make new departure in it's foreign
policy, as a logical outcome of our war
with Spain, and undertake to hold and
defend the insular territory it may ac-
quire by conquest thpeHks must yield
something of their traditional policy.
The Monroe doctrine, in the first in
stance, will be subjected to a severe
wrenching. 1t will henceforth occupy
only tentative position as a national
doctrine. While possessing and coloniz-
Ing, or annexing, insular possessions in
the eastern hemisphere, reaping the ben
efits and assuming the perils which that
policy comprehends, we cannot, with
much show of consistency, maintain that
Europe must continue to keep hands off
the western hemisphere. And yet the
power which the nation may at no distant
day in the future be able to display
may be more effective as a deterrent
than the appeals we have heretofore
based upon abstract principles of right,
without so much of force behind it.
In the second instance, the unphilo-
sophical economic policy of the dominant
party will need to yield to the exigencies
CT the new conditions, the new situation
the new destiny. A great power, CORES
ponding with that of Great Britain, can
never be built upon such a narrow
foundation. The wall must come down.
Our ports must be opened to the COM
merce of the world which we are, by our
new departure, to invite. We have been
applauding the attitude of Great Britain
toward free ports in China. We are in
clined to concede that we have a common
interest with her in that contention.
We are disposed to be grateful to her for
undertaking to fight our battles in that
behalf. And we make little concealment
2f our belief that the triumph OF Great
Britain in the far east will be beneficial
70 China as we'll as to the rest of the
Eorid. Thus do we concede the correct
nesH Of the doctrine of unrestricted, un-
fettered, unhampered commerce, one ma
Ion with another. We are angry al
Germany, and with France and with
Ruesia, for attempting to erect barriers