The Irish standard., 1899-02-04

payers would not be the parties bene-
flied by 1t. Why should the good people
of America. who do not want to rob or
oppress other nations be forced to pay
for the benefit of horde of spectators?
Let us demand a reduction OF taxation
instead OF an indefinite increase.
The annexation of the Philippines
would be only a first step. 1t wouid
soon involve us in a war of conquest.
We should be tempted to seize slice Of
China, and to pounce upon any other
badly defended coast The thirst for
land grabbing Is Unsuitable, and the only
safe thing to do is to dash away the cup
before taking the first sip.
1t is inevitable that we should soon
begin to feel how inadequate are our
powers to hold territory 1000 miles
away. Then we should have to appeal
for help and succor to some other ma
tion--England, for instance. Our ma
tional pride and independence, like our
constitution, would have to bend"
And we should hold our own under suf-
ferance of the guns of an English fleet.
This state of things England would like
very we'll, for 1t would bind us to con-
tribute all our men and money to aid
her in her wars.
The American people who are not An
glomaniacs should scout the policy OF
expansion because it has been dictated
and forced ON us by willy English politi-
clans. Poor Mr.. Mckinley has been de-
coyed into the net. and only the senate
can eXtricate the country from this In
sidious English snare. We owe nothing
to England for helping big Uncle Sam
to thrash little Spain. And we owe 1t to
ourselves, to our own pride, and to our
good relations with the world. to
England, and denounce the foxy strata
gem by which she sought to make the
United States as ugly, wicked and de-
formed as herself. We want to broadly
distinguish our methods from hers. We
know that she has carried MURDER ra-
pine and misery wherever her flag floats
and we do not want to initiate her And
we know that our management of sub
ject races OF Indians and of Aaskans
has not been very striking success.
Another objection to expansion is that
in our consciences we know that we
have no right to utterly despoil Spain
She did not injure us, and we have no
justification for playing the savage and
wreaking vengeance on her helpless
ness. 1t is unmanly, 1t is m-Christlan,
1t is 1nhuman. But we do this great
wrong because England wished us to do
IT, for she has mighty interest in de-
stroying Spanish power. We have been
the senate does not save Old Glory from
this stain, we are undonc
The last and chief reason now to be
mentioned Is that expansion would sully
our national reputation for generosity
and love Of liberty and justice 1t
would cause us to break with all our
glorious past. 1t would lead us into IL
quagmire full of unknown paths. where
much that is good III the American char
actcr would be sunk. and all that is dis
tnctivc in our republic would be lost
coin, Blaine would have quickly set
their feet on this Shiny seduccr. They
look down on us today In wonder ut our
infatlation for even dreaming OF bar
tering our glorious good name for IL
miserable and barbnrous territory out
, side the range Of our hemisphere
There are many patriotic Americans
who would gladly rrpudiatc expansion,
but they do not know how to get out OF
The tolls, and they think there is some
thing besides the vcriest nonsense in the
the flag. What compromise cnn be sug-
gcstcd? The treaty OF peace should be
rntifcd-that Is desirable. But ii IS in
the power of the senate to amend it.
And the way out Of the difficulty is to
amend the article that refers to the ccs-
sion of the Philippines. This would
leave tho islands to Spain and restore
our character for magnanmity. But
| there should be II prOvisO that the people
of the United States should have equal
trade rights with those of Spain in the
group, and that our citizens should be
granted concessions to develop the
islands, similar to the concessions that
China is granting to several nations.
We should also bind Spain to establish
as liberal a government In the Philip
pines as England has set up in any part
OF Africa outside of Cape Colony and
Natal. And we should agree to aid
Spain in establishing order, rs Eng
land aids the khedive: at the same time
undertaking to protect Spain in her
SOY osereignty against Europe.
1t Is possible that England would not
like this amendment. Her selfishness
and malevolency would be soon shown
by the tone of her press. We should
find her souring on the Anglo-Sax of
America. and discovering that mud as
we'll as blood is thicker than water. She
would learn that we have no desire to
whip all creation but herself, and her
laboriOusly constructed ALLIANCE" would