Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-10-05
Depew's Denunciation of Imperialism.
New York World.

In the Chicago Times-IIerald on May
-, 1898, Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew
had the following interview, obtained
and signed by George Grantham Balm
ard copyrighted:
When I asked Mr.. Depew what he
thought should be done with the Phil
ippine Islands he drew In his breath and
said: That's a pretty big question"
Then he pushed back his chair from his
desk and swung around until he half
faced me.
"If we should keep the Philippine
Islands," said Mr.. Depew, tive would
reverse the traditions of this Govern
ment from its foundation. We would
open up a new line of policy.
"I.et US see what that would mean. la
the first place it would mean the estab.
lishment of military government over
possibly ten millions of people G000 miles
away from US; it would mean the in
crease of our navy 10 the proportion of
the navies of Europe"
Not TO the proportion Of England's
navy" ! sugges ted.
TO the navy of France and Germany"
said Mr.. Dcpew. lit would mean the
increase of our army to lj0,000-more
likely to 100000 men. Ii would mean
the Increase of our annual expenditures
10 double what they are now. IL would
mean that the United States govern
ment would be brought in closer contact
with the people than ever before in the
history of this country.
ave have known that there is a
Federal government only as represent
ing our flag, our nationality aud glori-
OIs traditions but we have not felt the
burden of its support or been confronted
with the possibility Of the payment of an
enormous annual military tax, except
during the Civil war. In Europe, where
great armies and navies are maintained,
the people are taXed directly for their
maintenance. Our revenues have been
obtained heretofore by indirect taxation,
with the exception of slight tax on
whiskey.
But with the increase of our eXpendi-
lures by 100 per cent the taxes to sup
port the government would be felt in
our homes and in our offices. We would
feel them in both the necessaries and
luxuries of life-in our houses, in our
tools, in our food. in our clothing, in our
carriages and in our wagons, in our
checks and notes and bonds and trans
fers of prOperty-in every transaction of
our everyday business life. For if we
are to maintain great armies and nayies
like the powers of Europe, we must raise
the revenue for them by the means men
toned, and also by "A stamp tax that will
face US at every turn.
"These conditions are contrary to our
present form Of government. To-day
we know that the customs collector eX-
lists. lie sits in his office at the custom
house and few of us ever think of HIM
fewer still have ever seen him or felt the
taxes collected through him. Under the
new regime tax collectors would neces-
sarily be excise men with offices every
where. They would be known not only
in New \ ork and the other great centres
of commerce, but in every town, village
and hamlet in the United States. Our
people respond with patriotic alacrity to
every burden, sacrifice or fax for the
successful carrying on of war. Whether
they would with equal cheerfulness do
the same for the new policy of the coll
onial empire furnishes food for consider
alton.
"What also does a world wide policy
mean TO US? 1t means a Capitalization
which would change materially the rela-
tions of the United States to the Federal
government. The control of these popu-
lOus colonies would be centered at Wash
ington, and we should have centraliza-
ton of power far beyond what the old
federalsts ever dreamed of. You can
not have empire without all its attrib-
utes, and that means a practical revolu-
ton of our form of government and an
abandonment of the beliefs which the
fathers held when they established this
government in l776."
| asked Mr.. Depew If it was not pos