The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-31

spirit Of his dreams Of nation confined to its
old limits lie began to that the American
people were in favor Of an enlargement Of their
borders. Therefore, while he was still opposed
to what he still pleased to call imperialism,
he drew this distinction in a speech at Sayau.
nah, July l3, 1S9S: Jefferson has been quoted
in support Of imperialism, but our opponents
must distinguish between imperialism and cx'
pansion. They must also distinguish between ex.
pansion in the Western hemisphere and an ex.
pansion that involves us in the quarrcls Of Eu-
rope and the Orient. They must still further
distinguish between expansion which secures
contiguous territory for future settlement and
expansion which secures us alien races for fu'
ture subjugaton."
On June 1ith, he was opposed to the seizure
Of the first piece OF land within our reach ;he
had no taste whatever for land covetousncss; he
was as much opposed to the annexation Of terri.
tory on this continent as on any other continent.
But on July 18th, he thought it all right to
annex territory this continent, no matter
whether contiguous or not; he was opposed only
to the annexation of territory in another hcmis-
pherc. But as time passed, convincing him that
he was still behind the American people, he
continued to modify his views On January 10,
1900, in an interview at Minneapolis, he threw
aside the distinction that he had made at Sa.
vsnnah and came out virtually as a fullhedgcd
impcralSt. His exact words follows: IL
am a firm believer in the enlargement and eX-
tension Of the limits Of the republic. I don't
mean by that the extension by the addition Of
contiguous territory nor to limit myself to that.
Wherever there is a people intelligent enough TO
form part of this republic, it is my belief that
they should be taken in. Wherever there is a
people who are capable Of having a voice and a
representation in this government, there the
limits Of the republic may be extended The
Filipnos are not such people The Democratic
party has ever favored the extension of the lin
its Of this republic, but it has never advocated
the acquisition Of subject territory, to be held
under colonial government"
Here we have the advocacy Of expansion that
shall include territory in any part Of the world
| It may include also people that are aliens. The
only restriction is that these people shall moi
be subjected to coercion, and that they shall b,
fitted for self government. But this is precisely
| the position OF the Republican party. They arr
not in favor Of the coercion Of any people; thel
| are only in favor Of the suppression OF a minor
ity that tries to ovcrrule the will Of the grea
majority, as in the Philippine islands; they arr
not in favor Of the incorporation OF a peOpl,
that are fit for sclfgovernment; but as suoI
a. fit, then all the blessings Of free gov
| eminent shall be granted ON the Philip
| pine question, the Philadelphia platform says
"Our authority could not be less than our re
| sponsbity, and wherever sovereign rights wer
extended, it became the high duty Of the gov
ernment TO maintain its authority, ia put dowI
| armed insurrection, and TO confer the blcssinI
of liberty and civilization upon all the rescued
| peoples The largest measures Of s.lf-goycru
nent consistent with their welfare shall be 81
cured TO them by law"
| What more could Bryan, II elected, doS II i
true that he might withdraw the United state
! forces and leave the Filpros TO their own de
vices. But neither he TOr the Democratic plat
| form favors that course in many words. Il
view Of that fact, what could be more absur
| than the suppostion that Bryan is any more Z
an anti.impcraliSt than any one else that has
| without his shuiTling, advocated expansion,