The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-06
THE WHITE MANS BURDEN.

H UDYARD KIPLING has joined the ranks of
~ those eminent British jingoes who are trying
to induce the United States to help Great
Britain in her imperial schemes by taking part in the
Oriental imbroglo. Chamberlain and Balfour have
enticed us with lofty oratory Kpling wooes us with
a song published in The Call of Sunday
The title of the ballad is "The White Mans Bur
den" Mr. Kipng sings:
Take up the White Mans burden
Have done with childish days
The lightly proffered laurel,
The easy, ungrudged praise;
Comes now, to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years,
Cold edged with dear bought wisdom
The Judgment of your peers.
By way OF further information to what we shall
have to do when have done with childish days and
set about winning the approving judgment of Our
peers with their cold, edged, dear bought wisdom
the poet drawing an easy lesson from the experience
OF Great Britain, adds
Take up the White Mans burden
Send forth the best ye breed
Go, bind your to exile
To your captive's need;
To wait, in heavy harness,
On futtered folk and wild
Your new-eaught sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child.
1t seems are to infer from this that if do not
consent to send forth the best breed to in
exile amid the ungles of ropc islands for the noble
purpose of imposing American law and civilization
upon the mongrel races half devil and half child we
shall lose the esteem of European powers now en-
gagged in that task, and possibly the esteem of Mr.
Kpling also 1t is dilemma from which we cannot
escape Fate has ordained it and face it we must.
We might be more willing to enter upon the i'm
peria task if our British cousins were not so out
spoken in their eagerness to get to do so. Their
Willingness to have share the glory of civizing
All e
altogether profitable one. Great Britain evidently
has than she carry and would like to divide
the glory with us.
The invitation to take part is faterng to our pride
but not attractive to Our common sense We have
pretty heavy white mans burden at home and il will
take something than song even from so strong
singer as Kipling to to go to the Orient in
search OF an increase.
In all seriousness the eagerness of Chamberlain
Bafour and other British leaders to get the United
States involved in the affairs of the Orient and in
directly, made party to all European squabbles, is
significant sign of the times, and ought to be suf
cien warning to all intelligent Americans to avoid
imperialism as they would plague.
The pursuit OF Imperialism has raised up antagonists
tc Great Britain in every part of the world has
imposed upon her people heavy burden OF debt and
taxaton it has disturbed her politics by the continual
menace OF war and thus prevented the accomplish.
ment of many needed reforms at home; and finally it
has brought her into position where without an ally
she is confronted by hostile world and is in danger
OF having her commerce, and perhaps even her en-
pre, swept away at the first outbreak of war
Rightly considered the white mans burden is to
set and keep his own house in order 1t is not re-
CURED of him to upset the brown mans house under
pretense OF reform and then whip him into subsection
whenever he revolts at the treatment