The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-30
We Have a Guide in
Our Own Experience
From the New York Sun.

C7HE expectation of the LONDON
standard that Hawaii will be the
easiest to manage of all our new
possessions may be realized, but
during the long debate upon the
annexation of those islands the opponents
of the policy filled the senate chamber
with doeful cries bewailing the evil con-
sequences which they predicted as sure to
come from It. They prophesied day In ana
day out that the annexation would suo-
ject our political system TO a STRAIN
which 1t could not bear without disrup-
tion, and newspapers opposed the meas
ure with violence on the ground that the
Introduction of Hawaii into that system
would impose upon us a colonial policy
wholly foreign to II and subversive of "
The annexation of Hawaii has been ac-
complished; the American flag has re-
placed'the banner of the Hawaiian repub-
lie, but no sign of disturbance there or IN
our own political system appears. Nobody
in this country ana nobody outside OF II
has any real anxiety as to our ability 10
provide for the Hawaiians a government
which will be altogether satisfactory to
them and will bring to them larger free
dom and a more prosperous development.
AS the London Standard says the prob
lem is easy of solution, and 1t will give
us no seriouS trouble.
o.
That paper suggests alSo that while we
might set England an example of putting
tropical colonies to commercial uses, we
should take lesson from England In the
matter Of their government and admin
istration. without disparagng the un-
questionable ability shown by England
in colonial government 1t may be said,
however, that the character of its po-
litical system is so radically different
from our own that we shall be unable
to learn from 1t valuable lessons for our
guidance in the government of colonies.
Nor, happily. do we need to learn any. In
truth colonies, distinctively so-called, or
under the monarchical designation of
them, are foreign to our system and in
compatible with 1t. Distant possessions,
insular or otherwise, become Immediately
upon their acquisition an integral part
of our political system They begin with
the territorial government provided for in
our Constitution; and when they become
properly and prohtably assimiable as
self-governlng states they are INTRODUCED
into our Union, whose possible extension
| Is not restricted by any geographical sep
aration. The process goes on without
any fixed Limitation of time. Nor is II
| new, for it has been applied to two-thirIs
| of our present territorial area, and is still
working in other parts of 1t than our new
Hawaiian possession and the West Indian
and Asiatic possessions, to which 1t IS
| about to be applied. 1t has worked so
successfully in the past that there is no
| reason to fear that it's future operation
will be less satisfactory. 1t has proved to
| be far more effective and productive of
| far less friction than any colonial policy
| ever undertaken by any monarchiCal
| country, and has demonstrated that Of
| all the civilized powers of the world. the
| American republic is the best equipped
| in it's system and by its constitutional
\ ,,oth hnIG io11 nd nrn
| porous government to all peoples brought
| within it's political sphere.
| o
| The history of our rapid transformation
| of the territory of the Louisiana purcha Sc
| in 1903 affords an example and precedent
| which give assurance that in the matter
| of colonial government and admins
| tration we shall have no reason to go to
| England for a lesson. We have only to
pursue an established policy of our own,
| whose successful operation on a magnifi-
| cent scale has been demonstrated SO
| strikingly. The method of TRANSFORMED
ton and assimilation in the case of the
| Louisiana territory acquired by Jefferson
was simple and natural and it was
pursued without YeXatious complications
| though it was applied to a territory only
lately II Spanish possession, with It's
Spanish laws, language and traditions. II
| was also a territory more difficult of ac'
cess at the time of its acquisition. ano
long after, than is now any point in thc
Philippines. Weeks were required to com
municate with it from Washington, while
now the communication with Manila is in
| stantaneous. Moreover, this country II
1903 was comparatively feeble. with &
population of not more than one-twelftf
of what it is now, and the development
of our wealth was in its mere begin
ming, and our political system was as ye
untried by so severe test. 1t was move
| experiment, but it was completed so sue
cessfully by the craftsmanship of those
| days that 1t furnishes a lesson and an in
centive for all time. 1t proved that tn,
| difficulties of absorbing new and distan
| possessions and unassimilated peoples, O
| which we hear so much now, have no eX
| istence in fact, or are easily conquerabl,
by processes and methods distinctivel,
American and inherent in the genius O
| our political system.
o.
Accordingly, with all due regard to tn,
friendly spirit manifested by the Londol
Standard, we can say to 1t and to tn,
world that, as we are taking no new
| departure in a colonial system" It Il
not necessary for us to study the expert
ence of any other country in that field
Our present policy of territorial expan
sion is only fresh application of a polio,
which runs back to the earliest days o
this republic. We shall pursue no meth
DDS of government in our new possession
which are not old and tried, which hav
not been uniformly successful in all ou
abundant experience and are not of ou
origination. Difficulties which beset tn
, path to colonial pire for England can
not obstruct the progress of our Ameri
can system of poular government. TIL
elements of the problem are totally dis
similar. We do rot need to go abroad t
; find the formula for its solution, Ii