The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-10-17
MAILS ARE
TAMPERED WITH.
Actual Facts Stifled, Criticism
Suppressed.
SUCH oUTRAGEs, BISHOP POTTER
Says show that Imperialism Already Eek
lists in America, Whatever May be
the Destiny of Possible
Possessions.

st. Paul, Minn., Oct. 1.-THE nine
teenth congress of the Protestant Epis-
copal church opened its sessions in
this city Tuesday with large attend
ance of churchmen from all parts of the
United States. Holy communion was
celebrated in the morning at Christ
church. Bishops Whipple and Gilbert, OF
Minnesota, officiating. Following the
communion service Bishop White, of
Michigan City, Ind, delivered an ad-
dress. This evening the regular servi-
ces of the congress- began. Bishop Whip
pie the venerable and famous North
western missionary, who was rendered
such a notable series of receptions in
Great Britain, last year, and who is now
the senior bishop of the American
Church, presided, q position he will
hold at all the sessions during the week.
Bishop Whipple briefly welcomed the
congress to this city and state. The
topic for the hour was Does National
Expansion Involve Imperialism" and
the speakers were leaders in the church
whom all wished to hear. Bishop Henry
C. Potter of New York, opened the
formal discussion in the affirmative.
POWERFUL ARGUMENTS.
In the course of his addres Bishop
Potter said:
"The hands on the clock Of history
do not usually go backward, and moth
ing is antecedently speaking, more i'm
probable than that a nation which has
delivered itself from the rule of kings,
and the rights of the few against the
disabilities of the many, will, being,
moreover, a people that has adopted the
vnyf
to a system which takes away that
privilege and RENTS the government to
the will of an individual, which is sub
stantially the imperial idea.
But, whatever may be improbable,
nothing is more entirely possible than
that nation which still reserves the
forms of Democratic government may
in time subordinate them to methods of
it's administration, which, sooner or
later, will bring the substance Of i'm
perialism along with them"
Setting aside what had happened or
would happen he sought to show how
this might come about by assuming a
situation which he thought conceivable.
A foreign power had acquired a great
group of islands, of which practically
it knew nothing. Some of them, how
ever, had been maintaining a long and
heroic struggle for freedom and had
fondly hoped that their purchase by a
republic would be simply the prelude
to the achievement Of that Continuing
he said:
:. AN ARBITRARY POLICY.
Now, it would seem at least reason
able that the conquering or purchasing
republic should inaugurate its relations
to it's new possessions by some confer
ence with it's dominant peoples. But
no. It's first word is subsection, it's
first demand surrender; it's first, second
and third conditions are: We will
recognize nobody, we alone will dictate
all the terms The policy does not
work happily. These pestiferous wards
of the nation will not lay down their
arms, and these alien communities, in
stead of hailing the Stars and Stripes
with a wild delight are actually in
solent enough to intimate that they
would rather salute a flag of their own.
Let us suppose, however, that the time
comes when this foreign republic has
crushed out the last ember of rebellion
and stifled every faintest hope of pro-
test. The old revolutionary idea sur
wives, the old passion for freedom wakes
anew, and so the new possessions must
be vigorously governed, there must be
hosts of troops and scores Of governors,
and the organization of armies and
staffs and military courts for nobody
knows just how many islands.
TOO BUSY WITH POLITICS.
"How are these governments to be
constituted? How is the chief ruler OF
the distant republic, in which, as ii
happens, there really despotic power
to attend to all these matters? He hap
pens usually, with us, to have task
on hand-that of securing his own re-
election, which, naturally, absorbs a
large share of his time; how can he
be expected to neglect it for the care OF
some wretched island-mainly peopled
as he is told (though unfortunately fol
him incorrectly, with lot of ignorant
little 'niggers? Or rather, If he must
give those some sort of attention, how
can he make their conquest and govern.
ment means of strengthening him
self with his party, aid binding new ad'
herents to a great and spontaneous
movement for his reelection? There
are a good many people, he knows
whose fidelity to the party is purely 6
commercial question. There is the sug
ar interest and the tobacco interest, and
the kite-hying interest-by which
mean every conceivable adventurer whC
stands out with his particular scheme
in the Philippines-only waiting for thu
opportunity to exploit them. And he
and such as he, for that is the mos
serious aspect of our whole situation
promulgates the policies Of a nation
Every now and then in our political his
tory occurs incidents which at the frs
blush is most perplexing for weeks anC
months.
"There has been deepening in the pub
lie mind some strong convictions whicl
find its expression in so many way
and by so many voices that 1t SEEM
to be in it's grave significance unmis
taxable.
IMPENDING DANGERS.
"Just at this point, however, ther
appears some leading state and politl
cal convention in which, not unnatural
ly we should expect this profound AM