The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-30
NO EXPANSION
BY THE SWORD
Expansion Desirable Only by
Peaceful Methods.
BISHOP McCABE
TALKS SENSE
VOICES SPIRIT OF CHRISTIANITY
AS TO COLONIES.
ANNEXATION WOULD BRING MANY EVILS
All the Stock Arguments of the lmperiaIs's
Are Powerless to Shake the Conviction that
No People Ought to be Governed
Without Their Consent.
(Pittsburg DISPATCH

"tu'Uut IHclT VOnSent'
(Pittsburg Dispatch)
Bishop G. G. McCabe, head and front
of the Methodist Episcopal Church of
America, and whose individual influence
is probably greater than that of any
other ecclesiastic in the United States,
is strongly opposed to Imperialism. The
Bishop is in Pittsburg to dedicate the
new Methodist church in New Kensing-
ton to-day. Said the Bishop yesterday
to Dispatch man:
You can quote me as being a deter
mined enemy of imperialism. 1t is a
policy not adapted to the spirit of our
institutions, besides running counter to
the spirit of the Christian religion. I'M
perialism, as l understand it, means the
taking of something that belongs to
somebody else by force Of arms. 1t
means, in brief, the gobbling, conquering,
annexing-Or by whatever other term it
may please you to call it--of territory
that belongs to another people, and the
ruling of it without their consent
All the stock arguments of the inn
perialists, regarding the benefits which
the victims Of their policy are supposed
to get in exchange for the loss of their
nationality, are powerless to shake the
conviction OF true believers in Il re-
publican form Of government that con-
quest is wrong .intrinsically, because it
involves the governing of the conquered
without their consent.
SHOULD GOVERN THEMSELVES.
ut is hardly necessary to add that de-
mOcracy means self-government by the
people, and this grand Republic of ours
has demonstrated to the world that I'M
der democratic rule nation may achieve
lasting greatness; in other words, that
their own affairs.
s'Now consider the present situation
in the Philippines. The United States
Of America, one of the purest democrat
cies known in history, has carried death
and destruction into those far-away is
lands, and for what? Why, for the sake
of conquest, pure and simple. Thou
sands Of lives are being sacrificed; DESC
lation follows in the wake of the torch
and the cannon, and this is the way we
expect to civilize the natives.
"Still, do not say that the Govern
ment should back down now. Things
have gone too far for that. We canpot
afford, with the eyes of the world upon
us, to hold out the olive branch until
the Philippines lay down their arms.
To sue for peace at this stage of the
contest would be equivalent to the admis-
sion that we are beaten.
Il do say that a great mistake was
made at the beginning. Our soldiers
should never have set foot ON the soil
Of Puerto Rico or the Philippines. That
was not necessary to conquer Spain. We
started out to free Cuba, the greatest
and most glorious task free people
could set for themselves. That task ac-
cOmplished, our mission was DONE Not
step farther should we have gone.
WHAT NIGHT HAVE BEEN DONE.
but how about Puerto Rico and the
Philippines, also grooming under the
yoke of Spain? We could have issued
a proclamation to their peoples, advising
them to set up government of their
own, assuring them at the same time of
the protection of the United States.
Spain would have acquiesced. There
was no other course left to her after the
of Cervera's fieet at Santiago.
But, had she been foolish enough to OBJ
pose our wishes concerning Puerto Rico
and the Philippines, then we could have
aided the natives by force of arms if ne
cessary, and on the same principle on
which we fought Spain in Cuba
sTake Aguinaldo. He is a leader of
~ -
shadow of doubt. Backed up by the
United States, morally and physically,
the Philippines could easily have driven
the Spaniards out Of the islands and
have organized government of their
own. Instead of that they first had to
fight the Spaniards, and now they are
fighting with our troops, because they
love their country the same as we do
ours. and they want to be free. Trey
do not want people who are strangers
to their manners and customs to die
tate to them what sort of a government
they are to have, or how it is to BE- CON
Quoted. Now, we are compelled by CIR
to set up government for
them at the cost of much blood ard
treasure.
> "If any of our new possessions should
be permanently annexed to this country
in the future, in my opinion, holds great
disasters in store for MS. Annex Cuba.
Puerto Rico or the Philippines and they
must be considered as STATES or terrific
ries. the same as if they adjo:ned our
own land
IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
Snow in a close Presidential election,
or. as a matter Of TACT, in ANY presi-
Dental election, the votes OF til" na-
ives Of these islands would decide the
contest. It is my firm convlctiol that
such a state Of affairs would bring on
a civil war.
'The minority party w9ald claim that