The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-01-13
Change of Policy.


follows:
Change of Policy.
at is difficult to overestimate the in
1uence which such change in our
national policy would produce on the
charac er of our people. Our opponents
ask, is our nation not great enough to
do what England, Germany and Hol-
land are doing| They inquire, Can
we not govern colonies as well as they?'
Whether we can govern colonies as
well as other countries is not material l.;
the real question is, Whether we can in
one hemisphere dey elop the theory that
governments derive their just power
from the consent of the governed, and
at the same time inaugurate, support
and defend in the other hemisphere a
government which derives its authority
entirely from superior force. And ii
these two ideas of government can not
live together, which one shall we
choose? TO defend forcible annexation
on the ground that we are carrying out
religious duty is worse than absurd.
The Bible teaches us that it is more
blessed to give than to receive, while
the colonial policy is based upon the
doctrine that it is more blessed to take
than to leave. am afraid that the i'm
perialists have confused their beati-
tudes. l once heard of men who mixed
up the parable of the good Samaritan
with the parable of the sower, and in
attempting to repeat the former, said
"A man went from Jerusalem to Jeri-
cho, and as he went he fell among
thorns and the thOrns sprang up and
choked him.
ave entered the Spanish war as peace
makers. Imperialists have an indis-
tinct recollection that blessing has
been promised to the peacemakers and
also to the meek, but their desire for
more territory has perverted their
memories so that, as they recall the
makers, for they shall inherit the
EARTH
Annexation.
Annexation can not he defended up
on the ground that we shall find a
pecuniary profit in the policy. The ad'
vantage which may come to few in
dividuals who hold the offices, or who
secure valuable franchises, can not
properly be weighed against the money
expended in governing the Philippines
because the money expended will be
paid by those who paw the taxes. We
are not yet in position to determine
whether the people of the United States
as whole will bring back from the
Philippines as much as they send there
There is an old saying that it is not
profitable to buy law suit. Our nation
may learn by experience that it is not
wise to purchase the right to conquer a
people. Spain, under compulsion, gives
us quit claim to the Philippines in re-
turn for $20,000,000 but she does not
agree TO warrant and defend our title
as against the Philippines. TO buy
land is one thing; to buy people is an
other. Land is inanimate and makes nc
resistance to transfer of title; the peo-
pie are animate and sometimes desire a
voice in their own affairs. But whether
measured by dollars and cents, the con
quest of the Philippines would prove
profitable or expensive, it will certain
| ly prove embarrassing to those who
still hold to the doctrines which under
lie a republic. Military rule is antago
nistic to our theory of government
| The arguments which are used to defend
it in the Philippines may be used to eX
cuse it in the United States. Under
military rule much must be left to the
discretion of the military Governor, and
this can only be justified upon the
theory that the Governor knows more
than the people whom he governs, is
better acquainted with their needs thar
they are themselves, is entirely in sym
pathy with them and is thoroughly
honest and unselfish in his desire to dc
them good. Snch combination of wis
dom, integrity and love is difficult tC
find, and the Republican party will en-
ter upon a hard task when it starts on
to select suitable military Governors fol
our remote possession. Even If th'
party has absolute confidence in it,
great political manager, Senator Hanna
it must remember that the people o
/ al. l., l.. II la1 ~, 70 II
the United States Senate and that infe
rior men must be entrusted with tn,
distribution of justice and benevolenc,
among the nations darkskinned sub
jects in the Pacific.
The Colonial Policy.
"If we enter upon a colonial policy
we must expect to hear the command
'Siience,' issuing with increasing EN-
phasis from the imperialists. Whel
! the discussion of fundamental princi
pies is attempted in the United States
il a member of Congress attempts L
criticise any injustice perpetrated by
government official against helples
people, he will be warned to keep silen
lest his criticism encourages resistanc
to American authority in the Orient
II an orator on the Fourth of Jul.
dares to speak of inalienable rights o
refers with commendation to the man
neT in which our forefathers resistel
taxation without representation, he vii
be warned to keep silent lest his uttel
ances excite rebellion among distan
subjects. If we adopt colonial polio
and pursue the course which excite
the Revolution of 1915, we must muffi
the tones of the old liberty bell an
commune in whispers when we prais
the patriotism of our forefathers.
"We can not afford to destroy tn
Declaration OF Independence; we ca
not afford to erase from our COnstltr
tions, State and National, the Bill 9
Rights; we have not time To examine tn
Libraries of the nation and purge ther
of the essays, the speeches and tn
books that defend the doctrine that la'
is the capitalization of public opinion
rather than an emanation from physic
-But even if we could destroy ever