Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-06-08
PRUDENT IMPERIALISM"


uaft peeU speaking WOruS uI trulH anu
soberness to the English Liberals on
the subject of British Imperialism.
Both men are imperiaists, in the sense
of recognizing the immense and inalien-
able obligations resting on the British
Empire as such; but both warn their
fellow Liberals and their fellow country
men against rash, madcap imperial
ism, which recks not cost or conse-
quences. No imperialism can long
count upon popular support, declares
Mr.. Bryce, which is not first of all
prudent" looking before and after,
maturely determining whether the
game be worth the candle. And Lord
Rosebery, speaking of the impetuous
Jingoes who want to push the Indian
frontier ever northward until armed
collision with Russia results, said in
happy phrase that. those vast and waste
regions are like cactus hedge, "abso-
lutely impertious for those who wish
to, enter within it. absolutely i'm
pervious for those who wish to get out
of it, but eminently undesirable il you
wish to make it seat to occupy.
Judged by this test of far-sighted
prudence, how does our iaunty dash
into Philippine imperialism look now?
Are We not uncommonly like people
sitting on a cactus hedge? Is there
not thorn or two even in the cushion
of the Presidential chair? We are
willing to grant, for the sake of argu-
ment. that the rosy official predictions
of speedy cessation of hostilities may
this time prove correct Washington
opinion has been steadily wrong about
tho situation in tho Philippines, and
government prophecies invariably falsi-
Ha1 oirna lnct ht.t
mind that now. Admit that the false
prophets are right Mt last, and what
on the best showing they themselves
can make, is the outlook? What will
be the arguments which the Hanna
Mckinley party, will have to meet in
the next campaign, and which. if they
| fail to meet them, will tumble their
cloud capped palace of Imperialism
| into hideous ruin?
First, the excessive and mounting
cost in money of this Philippine VEN
ture. We say nothing of the initial
outlay of 800, 900, 600, though we may
| yet hear an angry people crying, Oh,
Mckinley, oh, Reid, give us back our
millions!'' But the steady drain of
the archipelago on the nations treasure
is something which foresight would
have shrunk from in advance as after
| thought does when the mischief has
been done. If it took six years and
$50, 900, 600 to subdue 1,600 Seminoles
on our borders, how much and how
long will it take to put down 5000, 600
Filipinos 5000 miles away? About
$50, 600, 600 year is. we believe, the
present official estimate. We talk lightly
now OF such sum, but will the tax
| payers long do SO unless they see O
tangible return on the investment? Will
| Congress vote the money? If not, what
becomes of our imperialism? Prudent
imperialism would have counted the
cost thereof. and not have left it pos.
| sible for political opponents to 90 up
and down the land charging and prov
ing that the people are taxed only in
order that the proceeds may be flung
INTO tropic swamps and jungles.
! / A still sharper cactus spine, and one
from which our imperialists will find
it still harder to wriggle themselves
loose. lis the terrible sacrifice Of human
life which their needless rolicy has
deedlessly imposed. Leave the thous-
ands Of dead Filipinos out of the
reckoning; they are only ringers, ="
and no one but God cares about them.
But our own dead already number
more than 600, and this is only a rart
Of the tale. even IL the fighting ends
at once. Mr.. Kinnaird Rose, the war
correspondent. has been collecting the
figures of mortality after the battle,
in tropical campaigning, and his per-
centages show us what our volunteers
in hospital and on the way home have
to expect. A death rate of "a per 1000,
-shattering disease in the
cases of 400 per 1000, are what the
experience Of English troops in China
and Egypt and Abyssinia and the
Soudsn shows to be before us. Think
Of thousands of returned American vol
filth diseases of the Orient, acting ali
over the country as anti-imperialists
electioneering agents. Think of the
votes they and their relatives and the
relatives of the dead will turn against
the man whose mistaken policy was
the author of their miser:es.
Judge Gray, in his reluctant defence
OF the Philippine policy in Philadel
phia last night, spoke contemptuously
OF the political aspirations of the
Filipinos, and sneered at the idea OF
applying the doctrine of the consent Of
: the governed in their case. Govern
nlent, be said, is a practical affair, ant
: mot thing of phrases" No mistake
: could be greater. phrase which EN-.
bodies the dearest traditions and senti
ments of nation is mightier than law.
,, or constitutions Is Judge Gray, il
President Mckinley, willing to turf
over all the watchwords of liberty tt
Mr.. Bryan? Shall he, or some othe
agitator with great popular follow
ing, be permitted to traverse tn,
country next year, declaring that tn,
Administration has forsascn tn,
American principle Of government
. and that the rough riding down of th,
Filipinos is only the preliminary {,
/: the shooting down of American labor
f, ing men? The Filipino. delegate VIII,
/, said in Manila yesterday that Nc
Kinley's offers were all very fine, blu
: were, after all, in the teeth of al
, boasted American doctrine, used al
+ argument which it is easy to sneer a
in his mouth, but which, heard on tn
stump in every American State nex
year, made an instrument in the hand
of political passion and political am
bition, is capable of shaking thi
!, nation, and Of leaving the bewild.ret
= Mckinley at the bottom of gorgeou
J wreck.
= The simple truth is that American
= Imperialism, as a political issue mex
. year. will have to come down out o
the clouds and fight its battle on
= very prosaic and practical earth. AL
: of its constitutional and historical anS
glory crowned" arguments it may a
well throw away at once rs 30 mucl
rubbish. Some very simple and ster
questions will be put to 1t, and thes