The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-03-02
A Grand Speech OH Imperialism and
Americanism.
THE GREAT LEADERS, TALK
Next Presidential Candidate Followed Bailey
at Banquet Of Democratic Leaders
on Washington's Birthday.

When the advocates of imperialism
find it impossible to reconcile q
colonial policy with the principles of
our government or the canons of
morality; when they are unable to
defend it upon the ground of religious
duty or pecuniary profit, they fall
back in despair upon the assertion
that it is destiny. Suppose it does
violate the constitution, they say,
"suppose it does break all the com
mandments; suppose it does entail
upon the nation an incalculable ex-
penditure of blood and money; it is
destiny and we must submit. !"
The people have not voted for i'm
perialism; no national convention
has declared for it; no congress has
passed upon it. To whom, then,
has the future been revealed? Whence
this voice of authority? We can all
prophesy, but our prophesies are
merely guesses, colored by our hopes
and surroundings. Mans opinion of
what is to be is half wish and half
environment Avarice paints destiny
with dollar mark in front of it, mil
itarsm equips it with sword He
is the best prophet who, recognizing
the omnipotence of truth, cpmpre-
hends most clearly the great forces
which are working out the progress,
not of one party, not of one nation,
but of the human race.
WHAT HISTORY SHOWS.
History is replele with predictions
which once wore the hue of destiny
but which failed of fulfillment because
those who uttered Them saw too
small an arc of the circle of events.
When Pharaoh pursued tie fleeing
Israelites to the edge of the Red Sea
he WAS confident their bondage would
be renewed and that they would again
make bricks without straw, but destiny
was not revealed until Moses and his
followers reached the further shore
dry shod and the waves rolled over
the horses and chariots of the Egyp-
tian.
When Belshazzer, on the last night
of his reign, lead his thousand lords
into the Babylonian banquet hall and
sat down to a table glittering witt
vessels of silver and gold, he fell
sure of his kingdom for many years
to come, but destiny was not revealed
until the hand wrote upon the wal
those awe inspiring words, "Mene
Meme, Tekel Upharsin. "
When Aoderrahman swept north
ward with his conquering hosts hli
Imagination saw the Crescent trium
phant throughout the world, hu
destiny was not revealed until Charlie
Marte raised the cross about the bat
tlefield of the Tours and saved Europ
from the sword of Mohammedanism
When Napoleon emerged victorious
from Marengo, from Ulm and from
Austerilz he thought himself tn
child of destiny, but destiny was no
revealed until Blucher's forces joinet
the army Of Wellington and the van
pulsed Corsican began his melanchol.
march to St. Helena.
When the red-coats of George til
Third routed the New Englanders d
Lexington and Bunker Hill, ther
rose before the British sovereign Wis
ions of colonies taxed without repre-
sentation and drained of their wealt
by foreign made laws, but destin
was not revealed until the surrende
of CORVALLIS completed the wor
begun at Independence Hall an
: ushered into existence governmer
y deriving its just powers from tue cor
sent of the governed.
n ANOTHER CRISIS REACHED.
We have reached another crisis
The ancient doctrine of imperialism
m banished from our land more than
N century ago has recrossed the Alanti
III and challenged democracy to mort;
a. combat upon American soil Whethe
y the Spanish war shall be known
V history as war for liberty or as
l. war of conquest; whether the prime
pt Piles of self government shall /
strengthened or abandoned; whetht
~ =, Heterogeneous empire-these que
ID tions must be answered by the Ame
ican people-when they speak an
y, not till then will destiny be revealed
Destiny is not a matter of chanc
u it is matter Of choice; it is not
$. thing to be waited for, it thing
be achieved. No one can see the Ell
y, from the beginning, but everyoI