Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-08-31
An OId Union soIdier.

Color Sergeant Gilbert II. Bates demon
strated his patriotic fervor many years ago
by carrying the American flag around the
world. He is veteran OF the civil war
and well known in every Grand Army
Post of the country. This old Union
soldier writes to Professor Charles Eliot
Norton from Say brook, Illinois, as follows
. have done no writing for publication
on the great question of the day since May
18th, but l have had aud am having con-
slderab personal correspondence on the
SUBJECT and am pleased to say antl-expan-
sion sentiment is coming to the front With
increasing speed and in increasing volume
in this part of the West. True, as the
ational elections are near at hand, party
loyalty and prejudice, aroused and guided
by party leaders in selfish and partisan
interests, may check its advance and main
tain this A new DEPARTURE but let us hope
not. AS you well know, the political
lut1re of the American citizen depends
upon himself; and never was this depend
ence so great, never was need so great for
intelligent consideration and courageous,
unprtj udiced and patriotic action. In fact,
political conditions and events Of the next
sixteen months will decide the future of
the republic, and the loyal, intelligent and
fearless action of a majority of its citizen
ship and it only can decide it rightly. And
/ earnestly hope that respect for the past
and anxiety for the future will bring this
character of majority on deck and that
love of country, of liberty and OF justice
will keep on deck until the old ship of
state is again securely moored in the haven
of peace and safety prepared for it by our
fathers and from which 1t was SO lately and
so unwisely forced by iingoism' and hys-
terical politics. AS l see it, the great
danger does not lie SO much in what the
advocates of expansion want to do as in
what the indifference of the people may
permit them to do. PROFESSIONALLY ex-
pansion along present lines and by present
methods means and is imperialism, while
the maintenance of imperialism, even
though only to moderate degree, means,
as is already demonstrated, not only politi-
cal Capitalization and the upiu restriction
of liberty, but also increased power TO and
the continued supremacy of the capitallstic
class, with its trusts, cOrrupting Influences
and disturbing agencies OF oppression. And,
therefore, as it seems to me, the right, best
and most effective, in fact only reliable
remedy for existing and threatened condi-
tions is to appeal to and arouse the people
to due realization of present and coming
evils and dangers of imperialism and it's
natural allies and prom ters- militarism
and greed. In this knowledge and interest
which its possession would arouse lies the
only saving element of our institutions it
saved and upheld them in the past, and its
proper utilization will strengthen and
maintain them 10 the future. It is said BY
high authority that the Government will
neither change nor halt in the enforce
ment of its Philippine policy. Should
this prove to be so and the people remain
Indifferent to it's results until shame of
dishonor and injustice and the burden of
It's cost in blood and treasure force them
to act, the final and deciding battles of the
Philippine war will be fought not in the
Philippine Islands, but in the United
States"