The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-30
FOOD FOR IMPERIALIsTs.
Feelings OF Anger, Disgust and
Alarm in the Old World.

To the Editor of the Globe:
moi having seen in the Globe the
foflow1ng utterances from William n
Stead, one of Europe's greatest thinkers.
and from Prof. Sumner, of Yale, [ pre-
sent them for the ediAcation of our i'm
pertalistic friends. They will furnish
good food for reflection for all. Mr.
Stead wrote from Rome, under date of
Nov. q, 1898, saying:
The answer to the question. What
does the old world think of the new
world? has never been made with great
er emphasis than in the Eternaf CITY.
The oldest old world regards the newest
new with feelings of anger, disgust and
alarm almost too great for words The
sentiment of indignation differs in in
tens1ty, but it is universal There is no
sympathy for the United States either
among whites or blacks; in fact, dislike
OF the American seizure of the Philip
pines, and conviction that the humane
enthusiasm that made the war possible
was mere mask of cant, assumed in
order to facilitate conquest, are almost
the only sentiments shared in common
by the rival camps of the Quiririal and
the Vatican
The friends Of America wiring their
hands in unaffected grief over the fall of
the United States. under the temptation
OF the lust of territorial expansion Her
enemies shoot out the lip, and Shrek in
der1sion over what they regard as the
unmistakable demonstration that the de-
mand for the Philippines affords of
American cupidity. American bad faith,
ana American ambition. The i'm
mense majority of Europeans are, of
course, absolutely ignorant of what has
happened Intent on their daily toll
they neither know nor care what occurs
IN other hemispheres. But the Europeans
bn
may be described as the public opinion
OF the old world, are practically of one
mind on the matter There is in
every country a minority of thoughtful
men, who, having all their lives been
the staunchest friends of the American
commonwealth, are now COMPOUNDED and
utterly put to shame at what is univer-
sally regarded as the apostacy of the
United States, the abandonment of her
national policy, and the adoption of the
worldpolicy of conquest.
Nhen L listened, as nave been listen
ing for months past, to the alternate
taunts and lamentations of the foes and
friends of America, the Babel of voices
seemed at last TO merge into one scornful
chorus of welcome to Uncle Sam.
Hell from beneath is moved to thee
to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth
up the dead for thee. even all the chief
ones of the earth: it hath raised up from
their thrones all the nations All they
Shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou
also become weak as we? Arr thou be-
come like unto Us? How art thou fallen
from heaven, o Lucifer, son of the morn
ingn
You may argue, protest and rage as
you please; the old world has made up
it's mind on the subject, and nothing that
can be said by the United States will al
ter its judgment. The American govern
ment has come out of it's ring fence. It
has thrown it's hat into the arena of the
world. 1t is launched on a career of con-
quest that will be the more predatory be-
cause it is masked by humanitarianism
The commonwealth, they hold, has sue
cumbed to the malady that has so long
plagued the old world. A bright hope for
the human race was eXtinguisheG when
the one non-military power, which es-
cheWed all schemes. of aggression and an
neAation, enrolled itself among the herd
of conquering states. So men talk every
where in Europe. Whether they regard
the old American idea with sympathy or
contempt, they all agree IN believing that
it has been abandoned forever. The an
nexation of the Philippine islands may
seem but a small thing. but it is deci-
SiVe"
Thus speaks Mr. Stead. And, mark; he
does not give his own opinion, but tells
city of Rome, and in Europe as well. Now
we will let Prof. Sumner speak. He
SAYS:
1.-The Americans have been committed
from the outset to the doctrine that all
men are equal. We have elevated it into
an absolute doctrine as a part of the the
DRY of our social and political fabric It
has always been a domestic dogma in
spite of its absolute form, and as do
nestle dogma it has always stood in glar-
ing contradiction to the facts about In
dams and negroes, and to our legislation |
about Chinese. In its absolute form it
must, of course apply TO kanakas Ma |
lays, Tagals and Chinese, just as much
as to Yankees, Germans and Irish 1t IS
an astonishing event that We have lived |
to see Americans arms carry this dOmes- |
tie dogma out where it must be tested in
its application to uncivilized and half-civ- |
iiZed peoples. At the first touch of the |
test we throw the doctrine away and |
adopt the Spanish doctrine. We are told !
by all the imperialists that these people |
are not fit for liberty and self-gOvern- /
ment; that it is rebellion for them to re-
sist our beneficence; that we must send !
fleets and armies to kill them, and ad- |
minister it ourselves; that we may buy |
them or sell them as we please, and dis |
pose of their trade for our own advan- |
tage. What is that but the policy eff Spain
to her dependencies? What can we eX-
pect as a consequence Of it? Nothing, I
but that it will bring us where Spain is
now"
This prediction of Mr.. Sumner is sus- !
tanned by all past history, especially that |
of the republic of Rome And if eXpan-
sicnists were not intoxicated with the .
glory of conquest, they could see and be- |
lieve that there is nothing but ruin be-
fore this nation and the world as well.
III. F. Phelps.
St Paul, Aug. 80.