Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-03-02
w. M. CARLISLE
Expansion.

Expansion.
The following is the address deliver
ed by Miss Ella Fensler before the
high school last Friday. That she has
succeeded capably in handlin5
one side of a question which now oc
cnpies the minds of the people of the
United States, is evinced by the fol-
lowing:
We see before us nation of enter
prise and capital flowing forth in every
direction to every corner of the earth.
One whose progress has outstripped
that of the rest of the world, in every
line except that of aceanic shipping
One whose government is placed be
fore other nations as u model and
teacher and whose citizens have made
it such nation.
But how long has this. our nation,
been gaining such power? When we
look back over our history, we find
that only since the eighteenth century
have we lived as sue., a power. And
so great has naen the progress since
then, that nov we are among the first
nations of the whole world
| We have been called the Greeks of
modern times. We learned from the
history of Greece. 'sThe danger of dis
union and domestic strife and of in
diligence in the greed and list OF en-
Il nir 1,n f3an Oc
has passed. Today we see before us.
"The dangers of the greed of empire"
under the conditions met in the past
by other nations; that of acquiring ter
ritory for the sake of increasing their
own national treasury
Our desire is not this, but the civili-
zation, enlightenment aud freedom of
an oppressed nation.
With each addition of territory, the
nation has met the new tasks presen t.
ed in 8 way most worthy of praise.
The effect of this on the national char
acter can readily be seen in the activ-
ity provided in the individual and in
society.
Y In adding California, statesmen hesl-
tated to venture on what proved the
most important step in the career of
the nation. But, as has been well
said, In no case, save possibly Alaska,
has the acquisition of territory failed
to benefit the inhabitants of the terri
tory acquired, the mati' II that acquired
it, and tn. WORT! y: large"
When VIC made the Louisiana pur-
chase we found Tie reed of steam
boats. in adding California, the need
If railroads and telegraph. and in an.
nexing Hawaii, tbs. need uf the navy
And who Supplied our needs? The
American c;tiz N.
Fifty years agn TIL. e'st"r, and Yves
tern boundaries of the e. s, were from
ten hundred to eleven hundred hours
apart, las, week they we're ore hun.
nred and fifteen hours apart. TGda-
they are ninety five. san Francisco is
only one-tenth as fir from New York
as it was half a century ago. Wash
ington may touch ever, capital in
sixty minutes by te egraph and in six
days by mail.
With such resources as these to call
on, why need we fear for the ability to
! go still farther? Why place the limits
, of this power at the eastern and wes-
!, tern boundaries of u. S.
D AS Lincoln, the greatest American
of his time, as the most genuine type
of true Americanism, said our govern
ment is Government of the people,
, by the people for the people," 1t has
been the noblest ambition of all true
Americans to carry this government
to the highest degree of perfection, in
justice, in assured peace, in the secur-
lty of human rights, in progressive
civilization, TO solve the problems of
self government and make this rspub.
, lie the example and guiding star OF
mankind. Under such government
we have made of our progress.
Now at the end of the nineteenth
century, we have assumed heavy re-
sponsibility, heavy alike to the people
: Of the islands we liberated and to the
civilized world
I The problem is not, How can we es
cape national responsibilities? Nor
How can we use other communities t.
build up our own? But, how can W,
fulfill our obligations to people weaker
than ourselves and dependent on vi
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