The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-30
Freedoms Battle
YET 10 Be Fodght
-=
From Harner's Weekly.

GT HE FACT that an international al
lance is desired by Englshmeu
III OF all parties Is now one Of tho
Ii foremost facts of international
politics. Mr.. Chainbcrlains words
are an Inspiration to every one who real
iIeS the fun significance of an alliance
between Great Britain and the United
states. 1t would be an alliance of the
democratic peoples Of the world, ami
thdt there may be speedy need OF It, if
lhe world is not to move backwards, is
clear to all who are watching the course
OF the nations Of the continent of En-
rupc For more than hundred years
IN" monarchy Cf Great Britain ana the
republic of the United states have stood
Tor the lighter pressure OF the law. the
complete Clsion of the unrcStraincd DOW
cr OF any one man over any other, the
larger liberty Of the individual. The race
has not only developed the man by loav-
inE TO him the gains of his genius hut it
has opened the world to civilization. 1t
mas iliumincd Asia and Africa and the
southern seas. 1t OpprCSSrs no one. but,
on the contrary, it has abolished slavery
by its own acts ana by its Influence ana
example, In spite of all shat can be said
Of Englands land-grahbing It remains
true that there is no land in which Eng
lishmon have founded colonies that IS
not the better in every way for their COM
ing English institutions English order,
English law, English justice, English
tair-play to the native and the foreigner,
ana English commerce have rendered
English colonies the only successful of
the attempts made Ivy European govern
mcnts to rule in distant countries and
over alien people,
Great Britain has prOfted by the mis-
take SO disastrous to her and so profit
able to our fathers and to us. She has
voluntarily left her Colonists i'm Canada
and in Africa and Australasia as free to
rule their own affairs as are we of the
United States by reason of the revolu-
tion which deprived her of her richest
possession. The roots Of the two nations
go deep into a rich and historic past. 1t
is from old ToutOnC soil that we draw
the instinct of self-gOvcrnment and our
ttrOng passion for Individual liberty.
With these innate possessions which are
apparently lost for the time by our Ger
man knsmon, and which are incOmpre-
hcnsblC to the men of the Latin race,
Great Britain and the United States are
playing much the same part i'm the world.
There are differences and there have been
disCords between the two. Neither is an
easy country to get on with. A strong
Individuality is likely to be both dis
agreeable ana trustworthy. But despite
the differences and disCOrdS the systems
the same idea prevails as to the reIa-
tions of the people to their government,
the SYmpathiCS of both have been mani
Tested in behalf Of the oppressed and the
down -trOddcn. Above dll here and in
England exists the same wOrshipful re-
spcCt for tn" rights of the man, and cs-
pcCially for his right to control himself
and to play his own part so long as he
does not iniuro his rciEhbor. In these
two countries, among all others, do men
love justice so dearly that the same law
governs the ruler ana the ruled. Under
the system which she has established
since she lost this country, England has
wonderfully prospered, and i'm her pros
pcrity We have seen the growth and eX-
pansion of the fundamental idea of gov
crnmcnt on which our own state is based
And We must feel, now that the appeal
for a closer union is made to us, that the
seed from WHICH this growth ana cXpan-
sion have come, and without which it
could not live, must he saved if We are
ourselves to remain the master that We
have been and that we are.
u
The nations which are hostile to all
this have Joined for the purpose not only
Of limiting, but of crushing Great Brit
ain. Tho governments of the Czar and
of the kaiser Of the emperor Of Austria
and of the king of Italy are against Eng
llllu ana TIE I.uSllSn ana American lnc-
ury of government, ana are CndeaVoTinE
to destroy some of its richest fruitagc.
| The enemies of the rights of the indvid-
ual are contemplating war on democracy
ana while the anmating spirit of his
united hostility to England and this coun-
try is Jealousy of the commercial pros
pcrity of both that cannot be checked
or destroyed without assailing the polit-
ical principle on which the American
ana English people have thriVed. Their
enmity is directed i'm reality against the
danger to them ana their thrones fore
seen in the expansion of English and
American influences But they will not
attack our united race They will not
risk a conflict with all the forces at the
command of the highest civilization of
/ the century. ON our part, we do not de-
sire expansion. If we are wise we will
decline 60 enter a movement which has
planted European frontiers in every part
Of the globe. But if We make a prevent
| i've alliance with Great Britain, we Join
her i'm saying that Anglo-Saxon institu-
tions shall be defended by all who live
under them wherever they are at
tackled; such an alliance will do q thou
| sand times more for the peace of the
world than all the guns and navies that
the kaiser and the Czar can heap upon