Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-03-10
ONE IMPERIAL END, ALWAYS.

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT has more
than once urged that the present sit
uation Is not one that has been forced,
in the natural order of events, upon
this administration to deal with, as
best 1t can. under the duress of cir
cumstances that were not and are not.
under it's control; but that. on the con-
trary, this administration plotted and
managed, deliberately, to bring about
this state OF things. so as to find in It
pretexts and excuses for the new de-
partures and policies it meditated.
To limited extent the Springfield
(Mass.) Republican has recently ex-
pressed similar views. saying:
From the day when war with Spain
seemed inevitable certain powerful ma
terialistic forces around the admins
tration. well represented by such men
as Hanna and Elkins, evidently de-
termincd to turn q war for humanity
into commercial profit. The admins
tration has been their pliable instru,
ment, for at no time has il ATTEMPTED
10 shape things contrary to the we'll
known 1mperlalist programme To
those forces annexation seemed pre-
Il
ippines, because annexation would more
securely faSten their grip upon the COW
eted territory, and thus more easily
open the way to n share in the possible
partition of China"
And commenting on what the Re-
publican here says. the Richmond Dis
patch declares:
The Republican hits the nail SQUARE
ly upon the head in what 1t SAYS about
the materialistic forces that have CON
trolled the President. Truly has the
administration been the plant tool of
such men as Hanna and Elkins. and
truly through It's policy from first to
last may be seen the trail of the i'm
perialistic serpent Nor is the Repub-
lican singular in its conclusion that II
Is purposed that the serpent shall. IL
possible, embrace more in its coils in
the far East. than the Philippines
Harper's Weekly fully comedies with
It's Springfield contemporary regarding
the scope of the Presidents ambition
After announcing that the Philippines
are to be kept. Harper's declares that
IL believes that their retention Is an
important feature Of the Presidents
new policy. in order that his country
may seize its share of China when the
partition comes"
Can Republic thus become imperial
ist!c. with safety to its free instItu
tions2 We have but one lamp bv
which our feet are guided, and that
lamp Is the lamp OF experience, as Pa
trick Henry once said in the famous
speech he made in old St. Johns
Church at Richmond. Fortunately. in
THIS matter. our lamp is furnished us
py history. from the experience of
others; and of all the many ancient
Republics (some OF them greater and
freer than our Union), all fell victims
or sacrifices, to the full spirit of i'm
perial expansion. either by evil instruc
tons abroad, returning home to plague
the inventors. by subvcrting RepublI-
canism or Democracy to monarchy and
tyranny OF home generation: or nv
foreign wars with other rival Repnb-
lies, or other nations, engaged in the
same imperial business of expansion
conquest. forcible annexation, crimlna,
aggression, subjugation and foreign
misrule.
This is the logical result that should
be foreseen from the first entrance of
any Republic on an imperial career.
and the deduction. in advance. of reas-
on Is established by the unanimous re,
suits OF all experience. Must we have
our own experience before we will
learn truth so plain.
IT.