The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-08-17
Expansion VS.. imperialism.

Expansion vs.. Imperialism.
Expansion and imperialism are by no
means exact synonyms. In fact, true
and righteous expansion and the right
Staying imperialism which Is so ram
pant in certain quarters. today, are as
wide apart and as antagonistic as heav-
about small Americans" who do not
wish the United States to extend her
territory or expand her powers under
any conditions. We know of none such.
We have never met them. We. certain
ly have never looked upon the reflection
OF one in any mirror. The United States
may yet rightly and vastly extend her
territory. If, for example, without
force or fraud being in any way brought
to bear, the people of Cuba should at
some future time freely and earnestly
express the desire to have their lovely
isle annexed to the United States, and
the people of this country should also by
free and fair vote, favor said annexation,
we certainly would heartily favor such
expansion. If, again, in some great
new day in the future, near or far, Can
. ada on the north or Mexico on the south
should want to be annexed, and our own
people should by free voice and fair
vote, favor this consummation, we GER
tainly would regard it as eminently de-
sirable. All this would be right in line
with true American principles and pur-
poses. This would be just and there
fore truly profitable expansion.
There is also another kind of expan-
sion possible today, altogether right
eous, both ideal and practical, and
which we therefore strongly and con-
stantly favor. We mean the unlimited
and ever increasing expansion, in appli-
cation, both at home and abroad, of the
ideal and fundamental principles for
which true Americanism stands-the
principles OF liberty, equality and
fraternity. Let the application of these
principles be expanded until there shall
be no monopolies, lynchings, schools of
crime, special privileges or involuntary
poverty at home; no oppression or de-
frauding of peoples abroad. There is
ample room for this expansion, and it
can only benefit all concerned. More
over, until our vast problems of pow
erty, misery and crime are solved, until
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rights to all and special privileges to
none, until we present to the world the
example Of truly prosperous peaceful
and happy people, we can best expand
our powers and extend our influence
and institutions abroad by the effective
application of American principles at
home.
But imperialism is expansion of a
radically different sort. 1t is beast of
an altogether different color. 1t re-
quires, as it's very first step, the shelv-
ing or the fundamental doctrine of
equal rights and the substitution of i'm
perialistic dogma that might makes
right. To expand American territory it
asks us to deny American institutions,
situations. To carry Christianity to the
East it requires us to trample the Cold
en- Rule in the dust here in the West
With this requirement as it's very es-
sence, it says LET us pray" but it
means, Let us prey" Instead of the
glory which accords with peace on
earth, goodwill to ALL" it seeks the
glory written in human blood. All this
is not true American expansion, but
real American desertion.
The Rev. Dr. Henry Van Dyke right
ly says: There ID one thing that can
happen to the American flag worse than
to be hauled down. That is to have its
meaning and its message changed" Inn
perialism utterly changes the meaning
and message of our glorious flag, max
ing it stand not for freedom but for vas
salage. not for right but for might. not
for just government deriving its powers
from the consent O, the governed, but
for Imperial" conQuerors ruling peo-
pies across the seas.d All this is not in
any true sense American expansion. 1t
is the contraction of the declaration OF
independence and the United States
constitution to something less than
nothing.
BENJAMIN Franklin once tried to dis
suade Thomas Paine from going over to
France, where a strife for freedom was
on. Said Franklin: Where liberty is,
there. is my country" Paine replied:
Where liberty is not, there is my coun-
try" Paine meant: Wherever a peo-
pie is striving for liberty. there, by
their side. to help them in the strife,
there is my place." Shall we of today
say: Where liberty is not, there is my
country" with a meaning far different
from Paine's? Shall America say this,
meaning: Where people across the