The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-26
Public ortnion should Rule.

TO the Editor of the Globe:
The course which our government will
pursue in regard to this Chinese trouble
will be largely determined during the
presidential campaign by the trend cf
public sentiment on the subject. To look
at this matter from standpoint of JUS
tice and common sense, it cannot be dis
puted that the so-called Christian ma
lions of Europe have been the immediate
cause Of the furious uprising of the
Chinese people How can any just or
fair-minded man blame the people of
China for their indignant opposition to
the possible seizure of their harbors and
their territorX?,, England in 1874 seized a
Chinese port al the close; of the. opium
war: Russia grabbed.a large slice of
China without shadow of right: Ger
many. on pretense of indemnifying her
self for the Saying of two of her mis-
sionaTies, men who by the law of Ger
many could not be allowed on German
soil, also took a large tract of territory
1t is really sad that the Chinese cam
not be brought to see the eXcellencie5 of
Christian morals and government. as ex-
hiblted in action by the European ma.
tons in their dealings with the Asiatic
peoples.
For instance. is it strange that they
cannot see the great benefits OF the
opium trade that England forced upon
them al the muzzle of the cannon in
1901, a traffic which is demoralizing the
Chinese mentally, morally and physically
Tor one in every four of the men Of China
today is a victim of the opium habit Vt
must be their willful blindness that pre-
vents them from seeing how this traffic
not only does good by putting money IL.
the purse of the righteous English trad
er, but by decimating and destroying the
MOI = hot fIoXr
place TO a higher civilization. perhaps
the highest civilization of all, the ''di-
vine Apglo-SaXon civiliza ton" who
knows?- They have an object lesson az
to what Christian power can do for a
heather Asiatic nation when they behold
the condition of India Today. where sixty
millions of people are dying of famine
because a Christian" nation has robbed
them, debauChed them. and legisIated
their industries out of existence that she
might add to her already enormous heaps
of blood-stained gold ~
AS the o b e has Illus lated in a.
late issue there is certainly a yellow
devil at the bottom of this Chinese trol1-
ole; but instead of the powers sweeping
this yellow devil off the face of the ear tn
they bow down and worship it with all
their soul and strength; in its service
they allow no principle of honor, Justice
or honesty, no sentiment of humanity no
command of an adjust all-seeing God r.
stand in the way; for the service that
they give to this yellow devil'' called
gold IS as cruel, as all-deVouring as the
grave itself What shall be the attitude
of our own country in this Chinese diff
Guilty is a question, that comes home II
every citizen in the land? OF course If
would be too bad to balk the holv and
apostolic zeal of our benevolent assim-
Hators" and strenuous Teddies' to lift
up and elevate the poor, blinded heather
at the point of the bayonet into the he
nign light of Christian civilization. hnt
then, again, it might be we'll, since such
philanthropic emotions are said To Ia
very trying on the nervous system 70
give the foresaid ''assimiiators and Ted
dies" and ourselves a rest, and nut In
their place men who will be more likely
to carry on our government in accord
ance with those truly Christian princi
pies of freedom and justice which the
illustr1ous founders of our republic pro-
claimed to the world at the risk of their
lives, and amid the SCOTS and the sneers
of Europe's governing classes; let us de-
Voutly hope that America is still devoted
to those principles of justice and liberty
that she. has been for hundred yea RS
preaching TO the world, and that after
the peoples voice has been heard those
principles shall. under the blessings of
Divine Providence, take on a new lease
Of life Patrick McSherrv
Slayton, MINI.
Combinations of Capital.
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