Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-09-14
GO SLOW. MIR. PRESIDENT.
The Radical Departure of the AID
minisfratiOn May Have Sc
ri0us Results.

President McKinley's expansion pol
icy is said to favor the permanent hold.
ing of the Philippines and their gov
eminent by three American commits
sioners, to supplant the military gov
eminent when the Aguinaldo rebellion
shall have been crushed.
It is reported from Washington that
the president will urge this policy upon
congress, and use all the influence at
his command to bring about its adop-
ton. In view of his recent strong
declarations in favor of establishing
American supremacy in the Philippines
there is no reason to doubt the accu-
racy of this latest outlining of his
plans.
Whether the people of the United
States will support the president in this
radical departure from well-grounded
American principles is the greatest is
sue of foreign policy presented since
those which led to the war of 1912. It
is upon adherence to the Monroe doc
trine that the United States govern
ment logically bases its claim to SUI
premaey in this hemisphere-keeping
hands off the old world and requiring
the powers of the old world to keep
hands off the new.
The people of this country recognize
the fact that the problem of the perma-
nent disposition of the Philippines is
seriously perpleXing and that it de-
mands the most earnest elaboration be-
fore conclusive action is taken. They
hope, however, that the settlement of
he aes&< S<o fIxy
American basis. They know that from
the moment the United States takes
formal and final possession of the
Philippines new epoch begins for this
country, and they are apprehensive as
to the developments of that epoch as
bearing upon American principles and
institutions and the welfare of the
country.
1t must be acknowledged by unpreju-
diced thinkers that there is a menace
attaching to permanent American SOW
ereignty in the far east. It necessarily
means the maintaining of a big army
and the inevitable fostering of spirit
of militarism. 1t nullifies the Monroe
doctrine and opens the way for further
colonial acquisition beyond the limits
of the western hemisphere. 1t vastly
increases the chances of war with the
great powers of Europe and renders i'm
perative a constant state of prepared
ness for such wars. It changes COM
pletely the attitude in which this gov
eminent has stood before the world
throughout all its previous history.
If we are to remain liberty-loving
and notwithstanding republic, legiti-
mately supreme in one-half of the
worlds territory, will it be wise to take
the risks inseparable from the perma-
nent holding of the Philippines? Is it
right to do so? Is it safe for American
institutions? viii it not be better to at
least make an effort toward giving the
Filipinos chance to demonstrate their
capacity for government? The peo-
pie of the United States are not partisan
in contemplating this problem. They
are looking at it through American
eyes. 1t will be well for the president
to consider their attitude before sur
rendering American principles to the
rapacity of land-grabbing syndicates,
whose Americanism is limited to a wor-
ship of the eagle on the face of the
American dollar-St. Louis Republic.