Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-01-23
FREELAND, PA, JANUARY %, 1899
Fallacies That Have Been Seen.

n large DOTllOu VI lIe NtChll HHNH
cia letter Of Henry Clews is devoted to
advocacy of Imperialism Mr.. Clews is
an enthusiast, usually "bull' on the
market, and as such may be forgiven
for some of the bulls in his logic.
Selling the catch phrases of manifest
destiny and ''the policy which circum-
stances have forced upon us"-which
serve so many Of the imperiaist school
to hide their paucity of argument-Mr.
ClewS proceeds to use the unfortunate
example of imperial Rome to illustrate
the power to which the United States
may attain,
The mere mention Of Rome as the
type, is enough to condemn the whole
proposition for expansion. The Roman
republic grew to power through agencies
similar to those which have operated to
make the great American republic; it
sacrificed its manhood to the lust for
power and wealth when it entered upon
career of conquest it developed its
social eXcesses upon Il system of sub
lection aud enslayement Of alien peoples;
it became an empire because the repub-
lie could not endure one part free and
ten parts Slave-as Lincoln said this
republic could not endure half slave
and half free''-and Rome fell by the
weight of its own corruption, sank
below the level of its conquered
serfS.
Mr.. Clews is equally unfortunate in
other portions Of his rhapsody. For eX-
ample, when, after picturing an Ameri-
can imperial power like unto that Of
Rome. he declares that it will maintain
the ''open door" in the Orient with the
assistance of England Who would
ever have thought of imperial Rome
having assistance from anybody in
maintaining anything, Rome ruled the
whole world, aud the Clews conception
Of American imperialism implies the
irresponsible conflict and final conquest,
oven of Great Britain. But Mr.. ClewS
is not more inconsistent or illogical than
his fellow eXpansonistS. They fall
naturally into such blunders because
their whole proposition is illogical-au
error of Judgment.
Recent examples of this inconsistency
arc presented in pretentions papers in
the Engineering Mdgagjae by Captain Al
fred T. Mahan and Engineer Charles Il.
Goings. an associate editor of the maya
zinc. Captain Mahan asserts the sound
principle that experience is the best
teacher and the equally reasonable
dictnm that one man may excel in ont
thing. Yet he argues that the United
States should, without obtaining eX
perience, occupy the field in which
Great Britain has been conspicously sue
cessful only after some centuries oi
experiment, marked by grievous fail
ures, instead Of leaving that field tt
Great Britain.
MIR. Goings sensibly proves the asser
tion that the engineer is less perpleXet
by physical difficulties than by changing
economic legislation and policies o
goyernments-that tho engineers pros
perity is dependent upon the confidence
Of capital in the permanence of condi
lions Then he goes on to argue tina
the engineer the pioneer developer, vii
profit from tho most radical change o
national policy ever proposed in thi
country. Mr.. Goings becomes confuse
between the expansion Of American in
lluence. as an industrial power, and til
policy of transmarine territorial eNpan
sion, which is foreign to the American
system, and threatens the future growt
OF our industrial supremacy.
II may be conceded that the posses
siou Of foreign Notwithstanding th'
implied efforts to control their people
and develop their natural resources-of
ferS an attractive prospect to the nava
or military expert and the eXplotin!
engineer. 1t certainly means employ
meut for them. But aside from the
selfish interest, they should be capabl
uf taking a broader patriotic view
That which gives employment to ther
brings nothing but uncertainty to eStat
lished industries, aifrights conservatiy
capital, and imposes burden Of taxa
tion upon the domestic labor Of the eN
plotting nation.
In regard to the interests of commis
sion brokers, any impending nationa
movement may be "a good enough Nor
gan for a temporary "bull' or bear
,u,,,,trrn 70 II ann ha rnodn to corva H.