Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-04-20
IMPERIALISM AND PORTO RICO
Issues Based Upon Constitutional and
Human Grounds That VIII
Help Democrats.

A few weeks ago it would have re-
quired the gift of a second sight to dis
cover that out of the seemingly simple
matter of the fiscal government of Por-
to Rico would spring an issue that
would, for time at any rate, split the
republican party in twain and cause
more discussion, more dissension with
in the party ranks than has been wit
messed since the days when the presi-
dent stroye to prevent war with Spain
for the liberati ton of Cuba. In a sense the
Porto Rico tariff will be leading issue
of the campaign. It's Importance pro-
ceeds, however, not wholly from the
immediate issue Involved in congress
that of raising revenue from and for
the Porto Ricans-but rather from the
fact that it is one incident, and glar-
ing one, in what the democrats believe
to be the steady progress of this admin
istratioh away from republican princi-
pies toward the establishment of en-
pire. 1t is one chapter in the fast grow
ing history Of imperialism in America,
and that issue-the issue of imperial
ism-will beyond doubt be one of the
most vital issues Of the campaign. It is
peculiarly fitting that a democratic
convention, held on the anniversary of
the adoption of the Declaration of In
dependence, should stand as the oppon-
ent of plan to tax dependency with
out granting it representation in the
taxing body-and that's the plan which
the republican house of representa-
tives now proposes and which the pres
ident, after some vacillation, has eN-
pressed his willingness to accept.
But the whole programme of imperi-
alism is an antagonism to those ideas,
which were enunciated in the immor-
tai declaration, and which are the
foundation of our national existence.
So obvious is this that the more logical,
though less polite, defenders of impe-
rialism have been compelled to throw
overheard both the Declaration of In
dependence and the constitution, de-
claring the one a mere collection of fine
sounding but Impractical phrases and
the other to have been outgrown. The
democratic party will stand as the de-
fender of the constitution, the unfalter-
ing champion of every word and phrase
in Thomas Jefferson's declaration of
defiance to that British power under
States is expected to nestle for protec-
ton.
Nor is this issue of anti-imperialism
a constitutional one alone. It is broad
ly human, eminently moral issue.
The anti-imperialist sympathizes with
the Beers in their struggle for national
independence against a robber mon
archy, but he finds an imperiaEst adj
ministration turning cold shoulder to
the South African republics and cod
ding Great Britain. The anti-imperial-
list does not believe that the way to
make the United States respected and
popular in the east is to shoot down re-
morselessly men who are struggling
for the liberties which they were led to
believe we had come thither o help them
secure. He thinks there is a, better fu-
ture for the flower of our young man
hood than to be used as food for pow
der or. sacrificed to the deadly eli
mate of a distant tropical archipela-
go. He holds that imperialism and
militarism 60 hand in hand, and be-
1ieves with the fathers of the republic
that a great standing army is a men,
ace to the people. He knows that a
policy of despotism pursued toward
foreign peoples will in due time be
employed by our governing classes
for the subjugation of our own peo-
pie, and he points to the year of mill
tary despotism and martial law in the
Occur d'Alene as an early proof of this
fact. %
For these reasons anti-imperialism
will be an issue in the coming campaign
that will not down. Among all it wit
doubtless 1ead.-Wi1lis j. Abbott, in
Chicago Times-Herald. o