The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-02
POLYGAMY VS.. WAR.

OF all recent contributions to the liter
allure of polygamy. Including that Of our
own distinguished townsman, Mr.. Nc
Partland, it must be said that that of
Prof Schurman. reproduced within
day or two in these columns. is beyond
all comparison the. most important.
1t offers a signal Illustration of the
wondrous progress which this people is
making in certain given directions when
the polygamous relation finds among our
most prominent men in public and private
life such stout advocates. We are a
Christian people. AS a nation we are, in
deed, trimming over with Christianity,
and are naturally solicitous that other
and less happily situated races shall have
the benefit of, the overflow. 1t is in the
propagation of the Christian civilization
that we have found our way as a con-
quering power into the waters of the
Eastern archipelago. To those peoples
who, like the Tagals, have found them
selves in touch in a more or less super
fetal way with Christian teachings, we,
of course bring the additional blessing Of
free government.
Until Prof. Schurman enlightened his
countrymen in his most recent declara-
ton on the subject of the polygamous
races of the Philippines, the idea was
prevalent that the Maxim gun was an in
dispensable fundamentally in the great
~
face to face with the awful alternative
Of dispensing with rapid-fire ordnance or
rule of moral and religious conduct
among our colonial subjects.
If his countrymen were not so igno-
rant on the subject of slavery and pOlyg-
amy as those DOMESTIC institutions pre-
vail within the dominions of our re-
spected suzerain authority, the sultan of
Sulu. their carryiIIg-on would be positive
ly criminal Butawhy the great imperial
list professor, should in such a situation
Insist on removing his countrymens igno-
rance on the subject, when by enlighten-
ment they become criminal, is something
which even imperialistfe logic fails to
compass.
1t is not so long since great numbers
of militant Christians were intent on
constitutional amendment which would
embody the idea of the Deity In our politi-
cal system. But so rapid has been the
movement of events that we have pro-
crossed many a constitutional league
God of the Mahommedan, as we'll as of
the Christian, and If we are now to Of
fer constitutional warrant for the polyg-
amous system, may 1t not be that we are
merely serving Him according to the
broader and more thoroughly enlightened
understanding which we have reached
since the dawn of American Imperialism?
This view we earnestly commend to the
good Christian people of Ohio, Massachu-
sets, Pennsylvania. Maryland and
Nebraska who are wont to vote
the Republican ticket. Let them
reflect that the strenuous life of
bfotner roosevelt may be lived, and
at the same time freedom be purchased
within the American imperial doninions
at the insignificant sum of $50 per capita;
while the ladies of the harem are In
preparation for the grave political and
social obligations which must come to
them by reason of the Incorporation of
the territory OF their ruler as an integral
part of the great free. Christian republic
of the West. ----.... ....~
Prof. Schurman is right. War is an
awful thing, whatever strange sounds
the great political caliope, Gov Roosevelt,
may emit. Let US by all means end slav-
cry by purchase and -subsidize polygamy,
rather than abolish either by the I'M
Christian method of war