The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-08-07
Hon. Thomas Patterson on Imperialism
Now and In lXN8.

the Rocky Mountain News, statesman,
orator, lawyer, capitalist, poor mans
champion, and guide, philosopher and
FRIEND to all the parties and factions
opposed to the reelection of President
Mckinley, delivered long speech at
the Bryan and Stevenson ratification
meeting in the Broadway theater last
evening in opposition to imperialism
and expansion. A comprehensive re-
port of his utterances Will be found in
another part of this paper, and we
hope that it will be carefully read by
the people of Colorado.
Without quoting part of it in this
article, we will say that it fully in
dorses the most extreme language of
the Kansas City platform in opposition
to the policy pursued by the Republi-
can party, under the able leadership
of President Mckinley, in the islands
which have come under the jurisdic-
ton of the United States in conse-
quence of the war with Spain, and
foretells an empire on the ruins of our
Republic if the Republicans win at the
polls in November.
And this carries us back 10 the posi-
News, with remarkable steadfasness
for him from the beginning of the
Spanish war until after. the ratification
of the treaty of Paris last year, ON this
n
in that long period without n fervid edi-
torial from Mr.. Patterson's own facile
pen in favor of expansion or in scorn of
those tisid souls who professed to see
the phantom of Imperialism in the log
ic of transpiring events.
We could fill every page of this issue
of the Republican with these expan-
sion editorials of Mr.. Patterscn's and
morrow's paper in the same way, but
we will spare our readers that inflic-
ton and simply lay before them one of
Mr.. Pattersou's best efforts, with the
absolute assurance that it is fair and
full embodiment of all the rest. The
editorial which we quote was publish
ed in the Rocky Mountain News on
June 26, 1898. seven weeks after Ad-
miral Dewey smashed the Spanish fleet
at Manila, and one week before Roose-
welt and his Rough Riders stormed and
captured San Juan hill, and we give it
in full without the slightest change or
omission in order that no pretense of
unfairness may be urged against us in
the matter. 1t reads as follows:
THE NATIONAL POLICY.
For veal or woe this nation is about
to enter upon the possession of terri
tories beyond the borders of the CONT
nent. In two months there has been
tremendous change in the currents of
American thought Before the boom of
we were immersed in our internal af-
fairs. We We're engaged in search for
the solution of certain grave internal
problems and were comparatively in
different to concerns beyond our bor-
ders. Those grave problems are still
with us and for them we must find n
right solution, whether the national
policy be one of expansion or of strict
secluslon within the boundaries which
have marked our limits since Texas
was admitted into the Union on the
south and Alaska was added on the
north. But along another line new
tasks and new problems confront u.s.
The old problems must not be neglect
ed, but we can no more push the new
problems aside than we can turn back
the sun or bid the tide 10 cease. A re-
cent writer well says: After all it is
temperament that tells, and not
laid down in farewell addresses or in
Utopian books. No national character
was ever shaped by formula or phil
osophy, for greater forces than these
lie beyond 1.-THE forces of Inheritance
and of events
sluggish lethargy is not in the blood
of this nation. To whatever source an
American owes his race origin, all
hhi'i iNhho oNt Ahti l'ih''i diithl UT
igin to energetic and progressive fore
fathers. The blood may be Anglo-Sax-
on. or Celtic, or Slavonic, or Semitic; it
may have been carried hither by the
Puritans of New England, or by the
Cavaliers of Maryland, or by the latest
steerage passenger on an Atlantic liner:
wheresoever it came from, it is blood
that dared to push out for something
better, blood that was courageous
enough TO cross the sea to seek n new
home and brighter fortune. The Amer
lean people are going to reach out for