The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1899-05-13
UNDEMOCRA1IC IDEAS.

Professor Bernard Moses, of the
California State university, is perhaps
one OF the most radical imperialists
that appears before the public as a
lecturer on the subject of Imperialism,
and he takes hold of the question in
real Johnny Bull style, though his
reasoning, however faulty, is admirable
for its boldness. Recently he delivered
lecture in Los Angeles from which
the following extract is taken:
''As regards our principles, the war
has effected revolution so funda-
mental that as yet we are unwilling to
acknowledge it. We are not willing
to say that it has set aside in our minds
the doctrine that governments derive
their just powers from the consent OF
the governed At the same time,
when we face the problem of controll-
ing certain populations that have been
brought under our authority. we are
fully resolved to ct up and maintain
government whether the governed
consent or not; and in this We are
changing in some measure, the basis
of political philosophy. We are com.
ing to recognize that if government
secures the well being of the governed,
in the most perfect attainable form,
it has in that fact the ground and jus
tiiication of its existence. This is The
basis on which will rest the govern
ment we shall set up in the West In
dias and the PHILIPPINES. This change
in our point of view is the immediate
and necessary result of the war. When
we see Havana, Manil. or Santiago
wisely ard economically governed un-
der the str ong hand of appointed au-
thority, We shall be disposed to ask
ourselves, again if results are not, after
all, good criterion on which to es-
innate the work of a government.
And if we get better results in these
island cities than in San Francisco or
New York, as il will be easy to do,
this fact itself will call in question the
policy of strictly democratic rule in
our great centers of population"
When Prof. Moses assumes to state
that opinions have changed as to
governments deriving their power
from the consent of the governed" " he
assumes to speak for limited mum Der
only, and certainly not for the whole
people. for il such change his taken
place then we are nolonger fiG TO main
tain 4 democracy, but are ready to be-
come monarchy. The foundation of
our government rests upon that prin-
ciple, and if we have discarded it then
the foundation of the republic has
fallen. This we are not ready to ad-
nit.
Again Prof. Moses has the wrong
idea of our duties toward the people
who occupy the islands formerly held
by Spain. We are not their keeper.
Whether we can better their condi-
ton is not question to be considered.
This government is not world wide
philanthropist. that it mu st start ON a
tour of couquestIaround the globe, and
whenever government is found that
is not so good As ours, lake possession
of it and make it a depen dency of the
United States. Spain, France and
Great Britain undertook that some
2A0 years ago. and they were consider
ed tyrants. If Prof. Morse is right,
that we are justified in taking charge
of the Philippines because We can give
them II better government than they
can give themselves, then we would be
excusable for landing our armies in
China and taking charge of national
affairs. And since we have the best
government on earth, we should con-
tlnue our expansion until we bad
gObbled up all the nations of both
hemispheres. Imperialism is undemo-
cratic; it is foreign to American prin-
ciples, and cannot be justified except
upon the plea that we are mighty and
able to govern other people, therefore
we should.