The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-09-29
C~ONQUER!"G NATIONS.
History's Highway Strewn With
Their Wrecks.
PERIL0Us HOUR OF TEMPTATION.

I wv AOo- VI HAAL lS4Ns
Once Embarked Upon the Policy of
Land Grabbing, the United States
Must Maintain Il Mighty STANDING.
Army-IncrcuscI Taxation VIII Fall
Heaviest on the Poor.
President Mckinley is credited with
the intention OF having the people Of
Cuba vote on rle question of anneXa-
ton to the United States, an intention
which if harbOvcd is in conflict with
the solemn assurance given by the
congress to Cuba and the world and
Winch, considering that the island is
now under American military control,
cannot be executed in fairness to the
CubanS or with justice to ourselves.
General Gomez doubtless echoes the
sentiments Of patriotic CuDans when
he objects to annexation and insists
upon independence now, as he did be-
fore the war.
At a recent demonstration in his hon
or at Havana he said: Il still demand
the separation tn1t | asked before the
war. not only from Spain, bat from
any and all other nations. The destiny
OF Cuba is only independence. We
should give due thanks to the Ameri-
cans, whose progress and power in
spirc our admiration, but this does not
mean that we should resign ourselves
to Il tutclagc to be exercised over us.
Let us make the same statement to
the United States that the American
colonies made to England when they
d, clarcd in lIIG that the Americans
owned North American
IN the event that the impcrialists are
permitted to push the work of subiu-
eating the Filipinos to completion the
annexation Of Cuba, with or without
the consent Of the people, may be cX-
pcctel. Let the electorate once sane
ton the war to subject the natives Of
the Philippines to American authority
against their will and a precedent will
have been established which will be
used to Justify wars of aggression.
Fairly embarked upon the policy Of
land grabbing, we shall become Eng
lands rival in his form of robbery.
The policy will neccsSitatc Il powerful
navy. an alliance with Great Britain, 4
permanently large standing army,
enormous expenditures and Il continu-
ancc and an increase Of high taxation
that falls with heaviest weight upon
the poor. What we are doing in the
Philippines is not an augury of good
to Cuba. 1t does not promise that our
.l>l~, - ,l, ,l>. ..;JI T.. ->,-.J
kept. Nor does it bode good to our
selves. In destroying the liberties and
independence of other peoples we must
inevitably foster a sentiment and de-
velop a power and condition that in
time will destroy our own liberties and
independence.
Neither physical nor moral law may
be violated with impunity. Sooner or
later the man who tranSgresseS must
pay the penalty. This is the teaching
of all experience ana history. and what
is true of the individual man is true
of the collection of men termed q m,
ton. One no more than the other may
crush the weak. outrage justice and
escape unScAthed. We are confronted
with the responsibility Of choosing be,
tween might and right. of adhcring to
the principles and traditions Of the re,
public or departing from them. Of de-,
tcrmining whether we shall remain
honest or become and remain dishon.
est, Of degrading the republic to The
level of impcrialistic nations or main.
tanning it as a high moral example tC
all and as Il beacon Of hope to the lib
erty loving and oppressed Of every
land.
Temptations ono to nations as to in.
dividuals. This is the hour Of oUl
temptation as Il people. Each or most
Of Us know SomCthiug about the Gle
vation Of thought and purpose. 81,
strengthening CT character and The sat
isfact.on all plac!t.ity Of conscience
that result from 4 battle with tempta
ton dctclmincdly and nobly Tough
and won. Shall we experience and en-
JOY all this by self denial and resist
ance, or by hascly yielding shall we de
grade Il thought and purpose. lower
our moral tone, crush Jul conscience
and enter upon Il career OF degeneracy
which must terminate in ruin? The
highways Of history are strewn wit,
the wrecks OF conqucring nations. Shal
this fair republic flourish %perennially
by remaining content with the patri
mOny God has bestowed and with thu
equitable principles adherence to wheel
has given it Il degree of peace. growth
and prosperity unparalleled in human
annals. or by succulnbing to i~noDlt
greed shall it. too. become a wreck
sharing the fate of Babylon. A.sSyria
Persia. Rome and moribunu Spain?-
Dubuque Telegraph.