Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-09-09
Irsh such relationship as was best for
our interests and for their own.
Expansion unsar All PARTIES.

lsn hucn relationship as was DeSt Iof
our interests and for their own.
Expansion undhr All PARTIES
This acquisition of territory and the
establishment of our authority over 1t
at our own discretion has. gone on un-
der administrations of all parties,
Democratic, Whig and Republican;
and though the application and en-
forcement of our authority were made
upon precisely the same principles as
now, nobody ever before urged the
charge of imperialism" II we have
Imperialism now, we have had imper-
lalism in ali our other expansions from
Jefferson's Louisiana purchase in 1903.
If it be Imperialism to hold the peo-
pie of acquired territory in different
relation toward the government from
that held by our own people, until they
are prepared to assume the same rela-
tion, then every single expansion of
our domain has been marked by i'm
perialism.
If 1t be Imperialism to exercise our
sovereignty without stopping to ask
the consent of the people over whom
1t is extended, then again our history
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-govern-
ment we have given them self-govern-
ment. Until they have become fitted
for self-rule, we have provided such
government as the conditions de.
manded
| Our rule has been enforced in har-
mony with the spirit of American in
stitutions, and founded upon the ele-
mentary principles of liberty, justice
and right. 1t may, therefore, be re-
peated that there is no such thing as
imperialism under the American flag
as distinguished from expansion. Ex-
pansion is fact; Imperialism is fic-
ton. Expansion means a distinct,
comprehensive reality; Imperialism is
only misapplied name of an imag-
| mary bubble. The substance of ex
pansion cannot be confounded with the
vaporing of Imperialism.
Expansion Not Sought
The administration has not favored
expansion for expansions sake. Ex-
| cept 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. The expansion
has come as the unavoidable result of
the Spanish war. 1t was the, universal
demand of the American people that
Spanish power should be expelled from
the western hemisphere. The fate of
the war brought the same destruction
of Spanish power in the Philippines.
Since it was overthrown by American
arms, the American nation became re-
take its place.
We had extinguished Spanish au-
thority; we could not permit anarchy;
we could not throw the Philippines in
to the turmoil of foreign contention;
the only thing left was to accept the
this responsibility we are fulfilling the
highest national obligation of human
ity and civilization, and to call the
performance of that duty imperialism
is simply an attempt to mislead the
people with an opprobrious term. Ours
is a government of the people, by the
people, and for the people. Imperial
ism is autocratic rule without law and
against the public will.
Broke the Yoke of imperialism.
President Mckinley has himself
pricked the bubble in a suggestive and
striking sentence. In his speech of
acceptance at Canton he said THE
Republican party was dedicated to
freedom "A years ago. 1t has been the
party of liberty and emancipation from
that hour; not of protesting but of
performance. Il broke the shackles of
100000 slaves and made them free,
and to the party of Lincoln has come
another supreme opportunity which it
has bravely met in the liberation of
1o,enQ, 900 of the human race from the
yoke of imperialism" There is the
whole truth in nutshell. The ad-
ministration has broken the yoke of
imperialism. not established 1t. 1t has
freed the Philippines from Imperialism.
not subjected them to it, 1t has re-
lieved them from oppression without
law and given them liberty under law.
The party that came into being TO
mako liberty the rllIe of law will navar
.countenance Imperialism without law.
.............'. '.s.s.sss.''..',