Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-07-14
OUR COLONIAL MODEL.
Msnnar In which 10 h sussessed ".
Rule Them.

England IL and must be our colonial
modeh 1t Is she who leads the world
IN colonial methods, both as regards
colonies settled and started by men of
our own race, and colonies inhabited
by inferior races and plainly incapable
OF self-government. There may be
discovered, In the unknown future,
better ways OF managing such COM
munities than those which he has
adopted; but, thus far, her colonial
system is the best in the world.
When come to discuss the Eng
fish system, l am met at the outset BY
the fact that England has, as have all
other nations possessing colonies of
which l have any knowledge, O per-
manent executive. which has every
facility for maintaining and pursuing
consistent policy for OF least long
series of years. I am thus confronted
with the question, whether the ad-
ministration of distant possessions Ia
possible with an executive shifting
every four years through universal
suffrage. l confess that this seems to
me the most formidable Of all the diff
culties which we have to face, in set
ting up a colonial empire. In calling
attention to it, am not talking ''pol.
iucs;' am presenting a problem in
the art of government. Ny question
Is: If we set up a government Of in.
ferior races at q great distance from
home, can we, If we expect to have
respectable colonial administration.
leave the appointing power, without
any restriction but the senate's veto.
In the hands of the president?
When the news arrived that we were
to have expansion last summer, hap
pened to be In England, and naturally
discussed the matter good deal with
that very small body Of Englishmen
who understand the American consti-
tuition and American political ways.
1 remember that almost the first re-
mark they made was: "You will have
to amend your constitution, If you are
going to have dependencies" "Why
so?" l asked. Because you can not
administer them under your present
mode of appointment" But the re-
mark which most impressed me was
that of gentleman who said: "If
the queen had to get the approval Of
the house Of lords for all her appoint
nents to Office, the British empire
would be a wreck in six months"
What did he mean by this? He meant
that the peers would do exactly what
our senators do; viz. exact favors in
return for the confirmation Of ap-
potntees, or insist on the appointment
of unfit relatives or dependents. 81
Another argument against any CO.
lonial policy which is not directed by
q permanent executive is, that 1t is
only by permanence in rules and reg
ulattons that really civilizing influ- .
ence can be exercised on barbarous, or
semi-barbarous people. The most
prominent and striking feature of bar
barous life and government ia uncer.
tainty as to the demands and expso-
tations Of the sovereign power All
competent observers agree that the
thing which has most impressed the
natives Of the vast semi-civilized re-
glons which England and Russia have
subdued Is the permanence which the
conquerors have infused into the lives
Of the people. The people feel conf
neut now, as they used not to feel.,
that they will have to obey the same
laws and the same rules and regula-
tions-not the same men, but the same
kind Of men-uext year that they have
been obeytng this year.-Forum.