The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-20
The Crawfish Argument.

Anti-expansionistS make much of the
argument that before resuming new re-
sponsibilities we ought first to do bet
ter with those which we already have.
AS Professor Sumner. of Yale, puts it:
There are some things thai AmeTi-
cans cannot do. Americans cannot
collect 81 a gallon tax on whiskey. They
tried it through many years and failed.
That is an economic and political m
possibility the roots of which are IN
human nature Americans cannot gov
ern a city of 100000 inhabitants so as
at a low cost and without jobberv
The fire department of New Haven is
now demOralized by political Jobbery.
Spain and all are her possessions are
nOt worth so much to you and me as
the efficiency of the fire department of
New Haven. The Americans in Con-
necticut cannot abolish the rotten bOr-
ough system. Americans cannot re-
form the pension list. 1t is very doubt
full indeed If Americans can keep up an
army of 100000 men in time of peace.
Americans cannot assure the suffrage
to negroes throughout the United
States. Worse still-Americans can
not assure life liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness to negroes inside Of
the United States. When the negro
postmaster of South Carolina and not
only he, but his wife and children we're
murdered as they came out, and when,
moreover, this incident passed without
a legal investigation or punishment, it
was a bad omen for the extension Of
liberty to Malays and Tagals by sim
ply setting over them the American
flag"
This kind of talk has a specious eX-
terror, but what is there in it? Be-
cause we have not yet protected every
negro in the south in his constitutional
rights shall we restore slavery and de-
tach the southern states from the
American union? Because American
municipal government is not yet as
good as the best opinion demands, shall
we Quit trying to govern our cities 4?
list shall we unjust to 9S out of every
100 veteran soldiers? Because we cam
not collect 50 a gallon tax on whiskey
shall we abolish all excise laws? This
certainly is the logic of Professor Sum-
ner's argument. If we are unfit ed
to enlarge our circle of duties because
some of the old duties are not yet per-
formed satisfactorily, then it follows
that the proper thing is to contract it..
y live nation must be moving one way
or another-either forward or back
ward. 1t cannot stand still.
Instead of picking at incidental faults
why not look at American civilization
in its entirety and acknowledge the
truth, that it is the best in the world? 4?
1t obviously is the best, because every
year it attracts from every other ma
tion hundreds and thousands of IN
migrants who want to share it; who
recognize in it features better than they
have been accustomed to at home. If
there were a better civilization else
where, not only these people but our
ONlA BCpPlS Nbult SGth II out, HTOI9S-
sor Sumner himself would pacl; his
trunk and HE him hence or be unjust
to himself and the members of his fam
lily, who are entitled to the best up
bringing that civilized society can af-
ford. The fact that Professor Sumner
stays in this country and remains with
in the demoralized fire limits Of New
Haven is circumstantial proof that the
benefits Of his environment exceed the
disadvantages of it: in other words,
that for all his pessimism the Amer
incan way is the best way on earth.
But even If we were to accent his
argument as sound, what would he
have his countrymen do? Defeat the
peace treaty? Reopen the war? Re
call Dewey? Scuttle out of the Philip
pines, leaving the flame which We kind
led there to break into a destructive
cOnnagration? The man who would
seriously advise such a course as this
must be morally and mentally diseased.
Persual Of the proceedings of con-
gress these days cOnvinces one that
there are numerous talktive national
lawmakers who are better qualified to
follow the occupation of fourth