Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-23
ted. the protective principle In the re-
vision of the tariff that they ave at

NiSlou oL the tarlI tnat tney nave at
tempted.
But in the roundabout method herein
possible, it may have seemed to them
that they could hoodwink the American
sired by their European friends. though
it might be accompanied with increased
disaster to Ii own country.
The democratic convention did not dare
to array itself against expansion. 1t
well knew two things-first. that the ex-
pansion which has come as the fruit
of the Spanish war was the inevitable
necessity of its conditions. and. second,
that the great body of the American
people recognize this truth and accept
the present results as unavoidable and
settled. The convention. therefore. took
good care not to declare itself against
this popular sentiment. and in place of
it undertook to make a fictitious issue.
But there is no such thing as ''imperal-
ISM as distinguished from expansion.
This is proved by our past history and
by the present situation.
This acquisition of territory and the
establishment of our authority over it
at our own discretion has gone on under
administrations of all parties. Democrat
ic. whig and republican. and though the
application and enforcement of our au-
thority We're made upon precisely the
same principles as now. nobody ever be-
fore urged the rharc-a nf p,,,ar,,1;- ~, >,
If we have Imperialism now. We have
had imperialism in all our other expan-
sions from Jefferson's Lruisiana DIP
chase in 1908. If it be imperialism to hold
the people of acquired ter; itory in Il
different relation toward the government
from that held by our owu people, until
they are prepared TO assume the sane
relation then evrey single expansion of
our domain has been marked by impe-
rialism. If it be imperialism to exercise
our sovereignty without stoppins. l., ssk
the consent OF the peop'. over whom it
is extended. then again our history has
ieen stamped with imperialism from the
beginning. We have never asked the
consent of the new peoples over
whom our territory has spread.
We have proceeded in every case
to govern them .as we deemed
best for their interest and our own. As
soon as they have become fit for self
government we have given them s~lf-
government. tntif they have become
thus TIT for self-rule- we have provided
such government as the conditions de-
manded. All this was a rule OF law
scn!'Ltn4es of a special law for spe, ,al
cases, sometimes of a general poricv
widely applicable. Our rule has been
enforced in harmony with the PRINCIPLES
OF American institutions, and founded
upon the elementary standards of lib
erty, justice and right.
While ifis is true, it is also true that
the republican administration has not
favored expansion for ~expansion,s sake.
Except in the case of Hawaii. which had
itself long ago applied for annexation,
it did not Seek the territory which has
come under our flag. In this case Of Ha-
wall, 1T was the privilege of the repup-
ican party to redress q griayous wrong.
The democratic party has been ready to
brand the efforts of the government
to administer the trust given to it and
to maintain the dignity of American citi-
zenship, as 'imperialism,' but With all
its fecundity of yerbnsity, it has not
found a word to describe the action of
its own party in hauling down the flag
rf thn F,1ret ,,,+;.n 90. -,
order to restore the scepter of an effela
and useless monarchy. But such a WORD
is easily found. and the word is mon
archism," which fifty describes What the
democratic party has done, and is now
seeking to repeat.
The expansion has come as the I'M
avoidable result of the Spanish war. IT
was the universal demand of the Amer;-
can people, than Spanish power should be
expelled from the western hemisphere.
The fate of the war brought the same
destruction to the Spanish power in the
Philippines. Since it was overthrown by
American arms, the American nation
became responsible to the world for
what should take it's place. It has ex~
tinsuished Spanish authority. It could
not permit anarchy. We could not throw
the Philippines into the turmoil of for
eign contention. The only thing left was
to accept the responsibility ourselves. In
accepting this responsibility, We are ful-
filling the highest national obligation OF
humanity and civilization, and to CALI
the performance of that duty imperial
ism is simply to mislead the people with
an opprobrious term. Ours is a governs
ment of the people, by the people and for
the people. To charge Imperialism under
American institutions is an affront to the
intelligence and patriotism of the Ameri-
can people.
THE LEWIssOHNs.