The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-07
DRAWS A LESSON
FROM THE FIGHT
Professor Won HOlSt'S
Warning.
FRUITS OF IMPERIALISM
MANILA BATTLE A FoRETASTE
OF NEW DANGERS.
First Departure From the Nations
Traditions Has Already
Led to Shedding Of
Blood.
Special Dispatch to The Call.


CHICAGO, Feb. 6.-Professor Won
Hoist, in his lecture at the University
Of Chicago to-day, took for his text the
recent happenings in Manila and issued
warning to the people of the United
States that 1t was but foretaste Of the
dangers that would surely attach to a
plunge into the maelstrom of imperial
ism, toward which the nation now
seems to be sweeping in spite Of the
efforts Of all thoughtful men.
1.-THE battle which has just taken
place probably will have the eff
feet the Maine explosion had" said the
professor. Il never doubted ratifica-
ton would come ultimately, but now,
l fear. we, the minority, will be over
ridden in the stampede and will not
get the desired time for elaboration.
First, l propose to tilt my lance
against what l believe to be an exceed
ingly weak part in the armor of my
adversaries, while most, if not all, the
expansionists evidently think it the
strongest part. President Mckinley
has put the argument into epigram-
matte form. His saying Destiny de-
termines duty has been exultantly
hailed as striking the very keynote of
the situation confronting us and point
ing us more unerringly than the needle
points to the pole to the policy we have
to pursue, whether or not.
In my opinion q say 1t with due
respecD the saying is very nice and a
clever bit of ALTERATION, but that is
all the merit there is to it. AS an axiom.
intended to serve as fingerpost in
practical politics, it is worse than
worthless. 1t is in the highest degree
harmful, because instead of sober and
sound thinking vague-sounding
phrase is made to point the way-a
vague-sounding phrase eminently fit to
serve. as stately, nay, as a gorgeously
dazzling cloak to any vagarieS.
I'VE declared war when Spain, after
yielding to our every demand, finally re-
fused to do what, as far as / remember
now, no self-respecting nation In re-
corded history has ever done-refused
to relinquish at our bidding a large and
valuable part Of her rightful national
domain. Still, 1 believe that the body
of our people was sincere in the pro-
testation that war was to be Waged, not
for selfish ends, but in a truly and
grandiy altruistic spirit-serving the
holy cause of justice, liberty and hui
mainly.
Our noble intentions broke down
before the onset of temptations precipi-
tated upon us by SPANS weakness. We
not only took whatever we could lay
our hands on, but, with a grand squirt
of the imagination, the like of which is
not to be found in all recorded history,
we claimed to have conquered 1000 ISL
andS, While, as matter of fact, we
had possession of only one city in one
of them. A bigger dog was never
wagged by a smaller tail. Spain, hav-
ing practically not a ship or a dollar
left with which to continue the war,
had of course to yield to the perenp-
tory demands of the Presidents Peace
Commissioners. to cede not only all we
had actually conquered. but all we pre-
tended to have conquered
THE constitution is the sheet anchor
of the republic, and if we stand fast
to the letter and spirit of that great in
strument, we as nation cannot go far
wrong. Already we have paid in blood
shed in the environs of Manila too
dearly for the first departure from the
teachings of the fathers. These are
signs of the times boding us no good.
Though all the luscious fruit should be
garnered which the enthusiasm of the
eXpansionists expect to reap from the
new departure, the spirit manifested in
these things cannot with impunity be
allowed to take root with our people.
"The republic rests on a foundation
of sand and the waves of time will
wash 1T down. all the more certainly
the larger it's population the greater its
wealth, the more irresistible it's power
becomes, if the nations destiny be NOT
implicitly ruled by the deliberate iude-
ment and the conscious will of the peo-
pie at large based upon calm reflection
ana nursed to maturity by full, I'M
trammeled discussion"