The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1899-11-04
IMPERIALISM.

IMPERIALISM.
When those faroripg expansion deny
that. as applied TO the Philippines. it
carries with il imperialism. they may be
since-e IN their b~llei. bat they are labor
ing under d-lusion. ShoOh the aa-
lninist-ation policy te carried oat toward
these islands xe would witness the in
congruous spectacle Of parent republic
uhose chief executive would he. in fact.
emperor Of the Philippines. Let Us de-
fine the word aud zee IL it 10 not true:
Imperialism. sccording to the best aa-
thoriiies, means \ power, authority, or
character OF an emperor; belonging to
supreme AuthoritV = government where
the inhabitants have no choice IN the
gelection OF their ruler and where the
authority OF said ruler is supreme. In
short, 4 government without the consent
al the governed is imperial ia form and
was one Of the chief causes OF the Amer
jean revolution. We were then q coloni'
nj dependency Of Great Britain and IN
der an imperial form OF government.
The administration now proposes TO
make the Philippines colonial DEEPEN
dency to be governed by governor gen
eral and cabinet appointed by and under
the control and direction OF the presi-
dent. Is not that Imperialism 1t may
not he as absolute 40 some are accus-
toned to believe, yet it is imperial in
form and inconsistent with the spirit OF
our constitution, and wholly DOT OF place
in n republic. The Spokesman Review
charges the anti-expansionists with
PLAYING on the word ''impeTialism, and
argues that in order that there should
be danger from imperialism there must
be some one to advocate it. There are
thousands Of expansionists today vho
are honestly, but unconseiously advc'
eating it. They are laboring under the
delusion that to be imperial it must
carry with it the placing OF an emperor
on the throne in the United States; but
that is not true. We may go on for q
century elecTing president and his rel
alive position Of emperor Of the Philip
pines would not be affected by the result
OF course the Inconsistency Of such 1
condition might be plain; but tina
would not alter the fact. As 8 matter o
fact it is not the purpose OF the Ameri
can people-no matter what the uiterio
object OF the wealthy trust leaders ma!
be-to establish an emperor as ruler
but in The hurTah for territorial exten
sion many OF them are being swept aloni
with the current as it flows from tn
fountain head, unconscious al the dan
ger. Most Of its advocates are please'
TO call it expansion; but occasionall.
one of the leaders comes boldly out an'
pays il is imperialism, and that it j
proposed to govern the Philippines be
cause the Filipinos cannot govern them
selves and we need the islands for pur
poses of commercial expansion. TheI
there is another class OF expansionist
who wish to apply their sectarian creed
to the islands and believe it their mission
to carry their religion to the inhabitants
because there is but one religion ther,
now" - an individual recently ex
pressed himself to rs, land those peopl'
need outstanding and eivilizing"
FREE government cannot be extended Il
those people so long as they are governed
without their consent or without beinj
allowed TO partici pate in the acts OF per
petuating that government by their SUI
frages, and no one will admit that theI
can be given those rights-rights tina
are impossible on account Of geograph
zeal location, environment. and for otheI
good reasons.
The argument that the Louisiana pur.
chase did not result in the loss OF free
government is very true; yet there 10 q
vast difference between contiguous ter.
rtory whose scattered people would be
easily assimilated and become part Of
our composite population, and finally
enter the sisterhood Of states, and the
Philippines whose people can never be
come assimilated or Join in the acts Of
government as states. II these things
are facts expansion as applied TO the
Philippines means purely and simply
what-imperialism. 1t is not word jng-
lug out OF it.