Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1900-03-31
New Times Bring New Problems

teristics of conservative natures to
regard all change with iorebodlng \
if not with positive fear. What .
they have been accustomed 10 from
time immemori8l must be right;
innovations. even Wn.u adapted to
meet conditions that have not eX,
listed before, mus, be wrong, This
country is entering upon new
era; its relations with other coun-
tries have already changed. This
is partly the result @! the recent F.
war with Spain; il is more largely .
the result OF forces ifat have been
developing within, unseen though
they may have been In;. this
war gave them the opportunity TO
assert themselves, The aCq1isi-
ton of our new inSulaT possessions,
with the conse qucrCes that have
flowed from that acquisition, have
seemed to many nothing short OF
revolutionary. Taken by them
selves they might justify this view,
regarded in the broader light OF
what has gone before and what is
to follow, they become a part Of
a legitimate development. The
achievement OF the twentieth cen
fury is to be the spreading of ciyi-
lization to the iarthermost part OF
the earth. The United States must
take the part in this work that its
position demands
This is the broader view of the
question; it is the rule by which
policies and actions must be meas.
ured. But effective activity must
be regulated by apply ing this rule
to the details as they present them
selves. The detail now bel Jre the
people of this country is connected
with the government Of these new
insular possessions. AS to their
acquisition there can now be DC
dispute. Discussion is now idle
for ii is an accomplished fact and
removed beyond the bounds Of de-
bate. The islands belong to tn,
United States to do with as it will
to be governed as to this coun,r,
seems just and wise. The ques
ton now to be solved is, how
shall they be governed and tw,
alternatives present themselves
Shall they be treated as the sue
cessive acquisitions from France
Spain aud Mexico were-carve'
into territories to be erected int
states when the people have be
come capable OF assuming the du
ties of statehood? Or, shall the
be treated as colonies, granted sue
measures of local self governmet
as they are capable of assuming
but deprived a voice in the condu'
OF national affairs? THIS is Ii
question that must now be decide
in accordance with the best int
ests of these insular possession
as we'll as the best interests Of Il
people of this country.
The conditions of this profile
differ from those that presentt
them selves in connection with Il
earlier acquisitions, The latt
were all OF contiguous teriito
with sparse ulation, and we
built up by the immigrants fro
the Older parts of the countr
familiar with American institutio
and American modes OF though
The power vested in the feder
government to do with them as
would was as unlimited as i, is I
day. 1t was inherent in that SO
ereignty without which nation
existence is impossible. Unt
the conditions that then exist
the policy that was adopted a
the form of government chos
were the best that could have be
devised. The material and con-
tions existed for v,lofing tn,
into states that should form a |
mogenous part OF the Union, I
day the situation is changed. 7
islands are separated from us
many miles OF ocean; the peo
are wholly ignorant of AmeriC
institutions and thought, III ny
them ignorant OF the rudimer
of education familiar to the CT
dren in the grammar schools of t
country. Climatic conditions
such that Americans will not ma
their homes upon these islands
cnff1ria numbers 10 OvarcOua