The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-06-25

the Rocky mountains ana the MlSSlS-
sippi river. was purchased from France.
The acquisition of this territory caused
the utmost opposition. Jefferson, VINO
negotiated the purchase from Napol-
con. was a statesman who above all
others least desired the appropriation
OF new lands. But he foresaw that
whatever country controlled the mouth
of the Mississippi mast control the whole
valley. and though the vast wealth and
resources Of the country through which
the Mississippi flowed was little known,
the ueople of the United states, raw
ished by the wars of the revolution and
the almost irsufferable incubus of debt
which it cntailed, sanctioned the pur-
chase. and thus we became masters by
this stroke OF policy of the continent
of America. We all now recognize the
wisdom and necessity Of JEFFERSON
policy. But it did NOT appear in that
light to his contemporaries. The pessi'
mists were even then abroad They
foretold the intervention Of Spain be-
cause she claimed a right ofpreemption
from France None of the arguments
with which We are familiar today onthe
subject of the retention Of the Phil
iprircs and the acquisition Of Hawaii
were unused in that early day our
forcfathers we're told in the solemn Ian
guage of prophecy that they were
starting upon a hazardous if not a
ruinous course. jefferson Gas de-
nounced as an atheist in religion and
a fanatic in politics, and the party
which supported him was said to he
composed Of "revoluticnists, disorgani-
zers and Jacobins" However, Louis
lana was purchased and the bargain
has stood ever since, not soul today
regrett.ng it.
Whenever it is proposed to add any
thing to the United states visions OF
| danger. expense, foreign complications.
war and loss of national prestige, the
| break up of our heaven-designed isola-
| tion. etc, are conjured up in the inn
aeination Of timid writers and partisan
politicians Let us do business at the
| old stand; it was good enough for our
| fathers. surely il is good enough Tor
us. What matter if the cnterprising
foreigner shuts us out from the worlds
markets? We are doing a substantial
| home trade and should not this satisfy
| uso It is true these people are waiting
| to battle with us; but they are cnly
a lot Of niggers, Pacific islanders, Ma
! LAYS and Hottentots. To be sure, we
spend millions each year in Christian
! 1,,,in
political atfilation is quite anothermat-
! ter. such is the pcssimists' line of ar
| gument.
We can scarcely credit today the
strenuous opposition that used to be
offered 10y the predecessors of the
school of political philosophy which is
working tooth and nail. night and day
to ward off the annexation of Hawaii
when it was proposed to incorporate
the then territories of California, oi
Florida and Oregon. Texas came to US
by conquest, just as the Philippines
have come. The expansion of our i'm
perial domain was to be a source %
weakness and peril, We had already
SO it was said, more territCry than ",
knew how ard when to reclaim anC
populate. All these prognostication
have been proved to he false. The!
nave brought us no war; they have
brought us peace instead. The foreign
Intervention which was believed, anC
probably hoped, to ensuo, eliminated il
the Monroe doctrine. The incongruou
elements of population which it VA
boldly said would lead to civil war
were in no sense the cause Of our grea
civil war. and all racial distinctions
except that Cf colcr, have long sine
disappeared.
The annexation Of Hawaii is al
ready virtually an accomplished fact
If the scratc throws out tn
bill, President Mckinley will us
his executive prcrogative to anne
the islands as a war measure. 1t woul
be better if the senate should adop
the bill and thus show to the worl
, a united front at a time when III
/ strength OF unity is something NOR
: tangible than merely the wisdom un
deriving an old apotheGm. Dut sena
, tors like other people have their ow
: opinions and feelings in this mat
ter, and however mistaken VIC ma
E think them, this is a free cour
try and everybody is at liberty 10 thin
and vote as he chooses. But so soon a
| the annexation is accomplished peopl
= will begin 10 wonder how any sane pol
son could have opposed a policy so ne
= Cessary to our defence and So advan
I tageous to our commercial Interests
- 4 nation no less than the in1ividuG
t has to accept and act W to its oppoi
tunities.