The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1899-08-19
One Americans view.


Mr. Harlbert Fuller. a plain every
day citizen of Chicago, has said some
plain words abon; our attitude in the
Asiatie tropics and our unholy war of
conquest. His temperate and common
sense sentences run as follows:
"'NO man said Abraham Lincoln is
good enough TO govern another man
without the other mans consent
When the white man governs himself
that is self government: but when he
governs himself and also governs an
other. that is mere than sell. govern
ment-ihat is despoiism'
I'VE are told by the intelligent patri-
OF that Aguinaido is not true patriot
but merely a clever bandit Yet even
n child knows that this is the identical
a-cusation brought against every lead
er of a people struggling for independ.
ence. IL Agninaido were an am
would not the expansionists say the
sameY Spain always claimed that
Gomez and Garcia were merely unscrur-
ulous adventures. and that the real
Cubans were not In their ranks IT'S
an old trick. The most careless reader OF
history kows that the ranks OF a people
struggling for Independence are always
recruited from the ragtag aud bobtail
rather than from the upper crust. In
our own revolution the very best people
in New York, Philadelphia and other
cities were in favor Of England. So
also was the church almost TO a unit
aud II is significant TO note that today
the clergymen make sport OF the dec
laration OF indepdencc, such rs Henson.
are all of the orthodox pulpit, whereas
here in Chicago every preacher in the
liberal church is opposed TO the present
policy. But orthodoxy and tyranny
aud the very hes; people always go hand
ia hand, aud this the people are begin
ming 90 learn.
FINALLY. It is said by some that We
cannot retire with honor. Again VIC
see Uncle sam metamorphosed to lit
the roll of Don Quixote, A little over
year ago Spain pleaded that she could
not retire with honor from Cuba Today
American honor-may God forget it
is pleading the same Quixotic nonsense.
the while we continue TO follow the
crooked course of Spanish honor per.
blind TO our own diShonor. Alas, but
there is no solitary excuse America ur.
Hes today that has not been previously
pleaded by Spain and other tyrants
Meanwhile we have Thus,ianiz.d' aud
sent 10 the higher life 500 Filipiuos.
and heaven knows how many Ameri
cans, How much more does our honor
needp Yet IL we stop" says Henson
the Baptist. eve shall be the laughing
stock of the world" Aud there speaks
Sancho PanEa.
There is but one Tightcourse 10 take.
II we have one spark of true honor left
let us stop firing at once, There is no
possible excuse in waging offensive
warfare and devastating their land,
patriotism and orthodoxy TO TO the con
trary Notwithstanding. We are strong
aud they are weak; giant opposed to
a child. Our honor, such as it is, may
well stand truce. The bully gains
nanght save the well merited rebuke of
the historian by thrashing child into
crying for unconditional surrender.
And now let us declare, in no vague
uncertain terms, what we should have
declared months ago; namely, our pur.
pose to act merely as their protector,
against other greedy Foreigners and
while they set up their own govern
ment and take up their own burden
and work out their own salvation in.
dependent of jingling Kiplings and
other foolish or avaricious or well.
meaning white men. Aud let us do
this if possible before they are all Chris
tianiEed' to the tune of our marderous
commerce and conceit; though even
now n thousand years of right doing on
the part OF the United States will never
serve TO blot out of the history of this
blacklist year of despotism aud imper-
ialism. The thing that history viii