The Atlanta constitution., 1900-08-27

sinnaIIv DESTROYS M field of wheat is not
nearly SO dangerous an enemy 10 the
farmer as large standing army; my vnnts wnisn
invades every field or INDUSTRY anu eAac.S
toll from every crop. ,.,
IL one hundred thousand men are WITH
drawn from the ranks OF the producers
and nlaced as a burden on the backs
of those who remain, 1t must mean
longer hours, harder work ana greater
Tarmnr while he pavs more than his
share of the expense or the army, nus no
part in army contracts or in ueVeiopns
companies. and his sons are less likely
TO fill the life positions in the army than
| the sons of those who. by reason or
wealth or political prominence. exert In
nuence at Washington.
The Menace of Militarism.
Soon after the republican leaders began
TO suggest the proprietv of colonial
policy the papers published an interview
given out from San Francisco by for
egn consul residing at Manila. lie de-
clared that the people OF the United
States owed il to themselves. to other
| nations and to the Filipinos TO hold the
Philippine islands permanently. At the
| conclusion of the Interview there ap-
| peared the very significant statement
| that the gentleman was visiting the
! United States for the purpose OF organiZ-
| ing a company for the development or
| the Philippine islands. A few days later.
/
| Interview in which he explained that
| the company which he intended to or
| ganize would establish banks at Manila
| and at other places throughout tho
! islands, and build electric light plants.
water plants, street car lines. railroads,
| factories etc. it seemed that the plan
OF his syndicate was TO do all the devel-
| oping ana leave the rest of the Ameri-
| can people nothing to do in the matter
except to furnish an army sufficient to
! hold the Filipinos in subsection while
they we're being developed.
! At the present rate we VIII spend an
/ nually upon the army approximately half
| rs much as we spend for education in the
/ United States. and this immense sum Is
wrung from the tax payers by systems OF
/ taxation which overburden the poor man
| and undertax the rich man.
| In the presence of such an issue as MIL
! itarism. II is impossible that any populist
| should hesitate as to his duty.
But even the menace OF mllitarlsm Is
| but n Dart of the question of imperialism.
! The policy contemplated by the republi-
can party nuities every principle set
! forth i'm the declaration OF independence,
| strikes n blow at popular government
| and robs the nation Of it's moral prestige
] Already the more advanced supporters
| of the colonial idea point to the econ
omy OF a system of government which
entrusts all powers to an executive ana
does away with the necessity Tor ltSls!a-
! ton The Army and Navy Journal, in us
issue Of August ith. conlmends the Eng
lish system and declares that as result
of this system a nth of the worlds
area. containing fifth OF It's population,
is ruled with an admlllStrdtlVe econ11
my which is an administrative marvel,
and adds:
"One million two hundred thousand dol
lars spent in London IS the price OF a1-
ministrative order over colonial rule
whose total budget aggregated $l.4.31i,-
SOC or 50 per cent more than our total
Of federal, state county and village ex-
ponditure for every possible purpose Tor
which taxes are levied. In contrast TO
the results of this system of executive
administration the fact Is cited that the
American congress has spent an entire
winter wrestling with the tnriff, the tax
alton. the administration and the per-
sonal rights Of two little islands. The
English executive IS an imperial exec
utive The British parliament Is an
English legislature. To the same sys-
TEN we are coming bv the decree OF cir
cumstances as inevitable as that of fate
II this be imperialism, make the most
of It, So far as citizenship is concerned,
the British cmnire is one. but beyond the
limits of the United KINGDOM the citizen
lives under n rule essentially monarchtal
and not restricted by the constitutional
limitations Of the parliamentary system.
No Middle Ground.
Thus does Imperialism bear out It's sup
porters. backward turning toward the
dark ages There Is no middle ground
between the American policy and the
European policy. If this nation remains
true TO its principles. its traditions and
it's history, It cannot hold colonies. III
IL enters upon a colonial career. 1t must
repudate the doctrine that governments
derive their just powers from the con-
sent of the governed.
When such an issue is raised thcre
can be only two parties-the party. what
ever it's name may be, which believes in
the republic. and a party, whatever its
name which believes in an empire, and
the influence of every citizen Is, con-
sciously or unconsciously, Intentionally
or unintentionally, thrown upon one side
or the other.
Where the divine right of kings is rec
ognized. the monarch can grant different
degrees Of liberty to different subjects.
The people Of England can be ruled IN
one way the people of Canada in anoth-
cr. the people of Ireland in another. while
the people Of India may be governed ac-
Cording to still different forms. But there
can DC no variety in a republic. Inc
doctrine of a republic differs from the
doctrine of 4 monarchy as the Gay an
fcrs from the night, and between tne Two
doctrines there is, and ever must De, an
irrepressible conflict.
essary antagOnism between the demo-
Gratis ana the imperial form or governs
ment In the prorogulnB OF parhaiheh'
''BeIieving that the continued political
independence of the republics would pe
constant danger TO the peace OF South
Africa, | authorized the ahhVAduoh Oi
the Orange Free state.
A republic is always menace 10
monarchy. lust as truth is always mem
ace 10 error Sclf-goVernment being the
| natural government, must necessarily
create dissatisfaction among the SUBJECTS
/ of those governments which build upon
some other foundation than the consent
of the governed. What the Orange Free
Stata and Transvaal republics are TO
south Africa our republic is to the
world. and only our increasing strength
and the wide Atlantic have protected us
| from the ineXtinguishable hostility which
must ever exist between those VINO sup
| nort throne and those who recognize
! the citizen as the sovereign. and every
! eteD taken toward Imperialism by this
government meets with prompt encour-
| arement from Europe. Lincoln pointed
fo the interest which European nations
have In the abandonment here of the
doctrines of equa rights. He said:
''The principles OF Jefferson are the
definitions and aXioms of free society
And yet they are denied and evaded with
no small show of success. One dashing-
lv calls them glittcrng generalities. An
other bIuntly calls them selflevident Hes
And others insidiously argue that they
anDlv to superior races. These express
sions differing I'm form, are Identical In
object and effect-the supplanting of the
nrinciples of free governments and re-