The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-08-25
THE DANGER OF IMPERIALISM.


| No wonder Gcrman-Americans are
opposed to McKinley's imperial policy.
They know from experience that mill
| tarism is an accompaniment of i'm
perialism. They left their own father
land to escape militarism and the bur-
dens it entails, and they naturally are
opposed to it's Introduction in the land
of their adoption. Therefore, they will
nip it in the bud and help to hurl from
power the party that is carrying on Il
war of conquest after the manner of
monarchical countries. The Germans
are liberty-loving people who feared
big standing army in the fatherland
and would have got rid of it if they
could before emigrating hither. They
know that once militarism is estab-
lished in the United States the people
will be powerless to get rid of it with
out Il revolution, which may prove
abortive
n writer in the Irish World shows
how difficult it would be to prevent n
monarchy in the United States once
the president had command of large
standing army, not Of volunteers but
of regulars. Governor Lind, of Min
nesota, declared in the hearing OF
President Mckinley in Minneapolis
that in wars of conquest the American
volunteers could not be trusted be-
cause "thcy carry conscience as well
as Il gun" Hireling soldiers would
take the place of the volunteers and
shoot down American citizens the
same as they do Filipinos and Chinese
if ordered to do so. The writer re-
ferred to says in our esteemed con-
temporary:
"There are but four conditions nee,
essary to transform this republic into
an empire. Everything depends on
the combination of these-the man, the
hour, the money and the physical
force. The last is to be found in an
enlarged regular army. The money
can be supplied by the bankers, the
trusts, and the millionaire. The ia
vorable hour will be found before
1904. And the man is William Nc
Kinlcy. 1t is foolishness to say that
the peacc-loving citizens of America
will rush to arms and risk their lives
when the soldiers and the sinews of
war are altogether ut the disposal of
imperialists.
"Three hundred millions or more
might be subscribed by the parties
named as Il fund to sustain the empire.
to pay the soldiers, to subsidize the
press, to bride the politicians, to cool
the hot heads and to carry on the gov
eminent until the new order should
be established. Then the taxpayers
will repay the money loaned in Amer
lea and England for the purposes of
the impcrialists. The cOnspiratOrs are
very practical men, and they will pro.
coed in IL common sense way.
Eve may not have an emperor, and
yet have an empire. The title of the
chief executive matters little, but his
legal powers matter much n sub
servicnt congress may accomplish
virtual revolution by it's enactments.
Pit millions of money against con-
gressiOnal virtue and | fear the mil
lions will conquer. l fear it, because |
saw what the GrosvcnOrs, Lodges and
Wolcotts were willing to do in the
the vast sums that our rich men
spend in England, and especially to
buy titled husbands for their daugh-
ters, and L naturally conclude that
they would be very much like the
dukes. counts and barons themselves
Our president now has more power
than the ear. and perhaps he would
not be averse to an imperial title, with
the power to confer titles on Others
and orders, ribbons and other gew-
gaws."
Some may smile ut the pessimistic
views expressed by the writer, but
they deserve deep consideration from
every patriotic citizen who believes
that this republic is now controlled by
an olgarchy OF wealth. The only way
to prevent the republic from becom-
ing an empire is to defeat the candi-
date of the plutocracy who is slaugh
tcrins inoffcnsivc people in the
Orient because they have de-
sired to govern themselves in the
American way and have opposed flor.
clLlc annexation" which President
Mckinley stigmatiZcd as "criminM
aggression" The question to be de-
cided in November is whether this
republic is to last for the benefit or
humanity at large, or whether it will
assume imperial sway and make col
onists or subjects of any people
against their consent for the sole pur.
pose of enabling class of men to
prey upon them as the British preyed
upon the American colonists in the
days of George Ill.
ENCIANN IS E0R M,KTNT EY