Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-09-15
WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY.
The GIamor of Imperialism Does Not
MisIead the Level Headed
American.

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson has
returned from prolonged tour of the
west. and cheers the heart of the i'm
perialists by announcing that he did
not find an anti west of Chicago.
There is no explanation given OF how
he managed to pass through so many
western states without finding an
anti 'west of Chicago" because ex-
pressions of anti-imperialism from west
of Chicago have been heard clear to
the Atlantic coast. We do not for
moment doubt that the secretary's
statement is exact, and therefore it is
the more wonderful. 1t was remark
able feat.
That his experience was unique may
be judged from the results of an ex-
tensive inquiry by the Farm and Home,
an agricultural paper published at
Springfield, Mass, and Chicago, III. The
paper is circulated in the farming re-
gions of the west and south. On the
1st of May that journal propounded to
ats readers a series of ten questions, all
of them bearing on our new national
problems, except one as to whether
United States senators should be elect
ed by the people, asking them to put
~ published Il summary of the $1,000
replies which were received. Of this
large number about ten per cent. came
from New England, about 25 from the
middle states, nearly 40 from the CEN
trail west, and the rest almost equally
from the south and the Pacific coast.
The first question was: Should the Fill
ipinos be held in subsection to the
United States, or should they be allowed
to form an independent government"
The answers from each of the five sec
tons of the country were largely in IA
vor of independence, the totals footing
up 1880 for independence, to s,416 for
subsection. The majority was still
greater for Cuban ndependence-13,19 9,
as against 1862 for annexation. On the
other hand, a large proportion favor the
annexation of Porto Rico to the United
States-11 ,897, as against 1904 for its
independence and 1,746 for its anneXa-
ton to Cuba.
The greatest unanimity and emphasis
was noted on the comprehensive ques-
ton: I'm general, should the United
States adhere to or depart from its for
mer policy of non-interference with ma
tons beyond either ocean," There were
1854 replies in favor of adherence, as
against only 3,S87 in favor of the new
departure.
That, bear in mind, was a straw taken
in May, when every dispatch brought
the cheering news that the trouble in
the Philippines would be ended in few
days. 1t was months before the adj
mission was made that the Philippine
war was a really serious war; before the
protest of the correspondents was made
against censorship, showing that the
state of affairs was so bad in the Phil
ippines that it was feared to let the
American public know the truth; be-
fore the administration got rid of the
incompetent Alger and drafted the en-
ergetic Root into the cabinet; before it
was confessed that 100000 troops were
necessary to cope with Aguinaldo's
forces; before the organs Of imperial
ism began to admit that the course in
the Philippines was a mistake from the
beginning. Then the majority against
Imperialism was pretty large, although
the project had not yet lost it's orig
inal luster. What would the majority
be to-day when the bad mess that af-
fairs are in is becoming more and more
apparent? What viii it be next No
vember? What in November, 1900?
These are practical questions to those
whose only chart and compass is pop
ular approval The people who respond
to these questions are emphatically the
plain people, whose opinions after all
shape the course of the government.
The glitter of imperialism had not
drawn them away from the national
ideals in May, when the brilliancy of
the project was the greatest. Now,
when the project is being stripped of
its tawdry embellishments. and stands
in its repulsive nakedness as war of
subjugation, it is not likely to make
people abandon the constitution and
the Declaration of Independence. =
Utica Observer.
OPINIONS AND POINTERS.