The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-07-23
Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.

WASHINGTON, July Ex-senator Caf-
fiery, of Louisiana, who made one of the
strongest speeches against the annexation
of Hawaii and is bitterly opposed to a po-
licy of imperialism, is apprehensive of what
is to occur after the war is over, and be-
lieves if the Democratic party is to prove
effective in the coming campaign, it will
be through its opposition to a colonial po-
licy for the United States. The Senator,
when asked today what he thought of the
war, said
"The logic of shells, the annihilation of
two Spanish fleets with the loss of 1900
sailors and officers, killed and wounded,
and as many prisoners; the speedy fall of
Santiago; the change of the Spanish cabi
net, and the slow awakening of the Span
ish masses to the crushing superiority of
the Americans, are the sure harbingers of
an early peace. consider the war yirtu
ally terminated Blanco can probably
hold out during the summer, but he sees
the handwriting of superior force, skill and
courage.
'sWhat do you think of the results of
the warp he was asked.
PLUNGING INTO IMPERIALISM.
sAh there's the rub. The Repub-
can party appears to have plunged into the
policy of imperialism The initial step
of that policy is in the absorption Of Ha-
wall into the republic. Their press, their
public men talk of empire as glibly as
Caesar did of taking Gaul. Manifest
destiny Star of Empire, traversing the
heavens westward, until its rays beam
over oriental possessions, and, like eu-
phemistie phrases, express the prevailing
ideas of conquest and absorption.
1.-The declaration in the war resolutions
that we would only hold Cuba to pacify it
is regarded as obsolete. Earth hunger
and territorial greed have taken possession
of the public mind. The question that
Mr.. Grosvenor scOrned to ansWer-the
question as to what we were going to do
with Spain territory held by us-presses
for an answer On the correctness of the
answer depends the future veal of our
country
eff we take and hold the Philippines,
or any of the Spanish islands, with the
possible exception of Cuba, the Monroe
doctrine is cast aside; we have crossed the
Rubicon, and the republic of the United
States will be like Rome under Augustus.
The semblanee of liberty will remain, but
its substance gone-its simplicity, power
and strength supplanted by the trappings,
splendor and weakness of empire.
'Our constitution prescribes rule of
government for each and every portion of
our country. Every State must have
republican form of government. There is
no provision for government from the Gen.
tire. Every territory of sufficient size as
soon as population is large enough must be
admitted into Statehood. The islands of
the Pacific or Atlantic archipelagoes are
not from size and population fit for State
hood-ergo, they must be held, if held at
all, as territories. They must be gov
erned from the centre, under laws made
specially to fit their condition.
THE GILDED CHAINS OF EMPIRE.
''This brings into play monarchic power
and tendencies These will gradually work
their way insidiously into our State gov
ernments. The public mind will become
accustomed to imperial government, and
the bad precedent will be adopted by bad
men, or ambitious men, or men swayed by
resentment against some temporary folly
or error or craze of the people, and grad
ualiy, slowly but surely, the gilded chains
of splendid empire will encircle States now
held together by the constitutional tie of
equality and liberty.