The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-01-06

and to r%elinguish all our right to
govern them after we have assisted
them in establishing a government
OF their own, DIS Vas the principal
issue on which we based our inter-
vention in behalf OF Cuba, then may
every true American well feel proud
OF his country aud of the statesmen
at the helm DIT the present time.
And then those grand and eternal
principles will speak in language
anew to the decaying m%onarchies of
the old world, and when the stars
and stripes are ''hauled down" from
these islands by u own consent, in
the interest of humanity, it will in
The future sail the seas with greater
safety than if backed by powerful
navies. 1t will then represent sa-
cred honor, human freedom aud lib
erty, and a respect for mankind
which must inspire the respect of
not on y the rulers of nations, but
the great hody Of common people,
against whom nc army or navy can
successfully battle.
But if, by our ''do|lar-mark"
statesmen, in the face of all our
past pr%etensions, the views of our
greatest statesmen since the fOun-
datlon OF the government, and the
solemn declaration OF our president
and congress at the time Of interven
tiun-we are TO allow the intoxica-
ton Of victory to turn us from our
time-honored course to that of
greed, avarice and Imperialism and
thereby violate the vital principle
Of our govcrnment-"that govern
ments derive their just powers from
the consent of the governed'-and
attempt to hold and govern these
islands against the will and consent
of the 5000. 900 people who have
Inhabited them since before the
light Of history and perhaps be
forced to subdue them with our ar
my and navy, then, 1 say, we have
reached the zenith Of our true great
ness. The Goddess of Liberty
should be taken down and buried.
as all that it stands for in this coun-
try is dead. Every true American
who understands the principles up
on which u fathers established
this nation will blush for shame; be
will understand that we have reach
ed the turning point, and feel that
the old ship of state is headed
straight for the breakers. National
honor will be gene. We will no
longer be looked upon as the cham
pion of human rights, bat as "a new
and, powerful spoils-hunter who has
entered the o test for il portion of
the substance Of human toll, to be
mulcted from the weaker and infer
iOr nations and ignorant races of
the earth. But says one, cit IS
the same policy pursued by US in
the acquisition of Florida, Louisi-
an, Texas and Alaska" I deny it.
There is no analogy between them.
This was adjacent territory, wholly
or nearly unp,pulated, except Tex.
as, which was admitted at the re-
Tquegl> Of its own people; and Alaska,
whichis~aot adjacent territory, l
contend thatisisyet to be deter
mined whether or not the purchase
was a wise one We have been@tn
constant turmoil with Great Britain
over the seal and other controver-
sizes eyer since.
The Phil. ppines have a population
of 81 to every square mile, being
greater than that of the state of ILL.,
IuSIoS oO OtlClC 10 III E llluCu lOOll lOI
our surplus population.
Jefferson and all of our statesmen
down TO Blaine drew the line On the
extension of territory at that point
where such extension requires a ma
Wy for its protection. l fear the
mistake will be made, as we are
passing through a wealth crazy pe~-
iod, and it will simply be carrying
beyond national lines tn at principle
which places wealth above human
ity, and which every student Of our
time knows, has taken firm hold
within our borders. 1t will be, as
has been well said, a reversal of u
old theory IF ..Riuht makes mirht -