Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-08-31

| less danger ana less disturbance u
the country than the vital doctrines
upon which free government rests.
J In the early sixties, when we wer'
engaged in a contest which was to de
termine whether we should have ONT
republic. or two, questions Of finance
were lost sight OF. Silver was at {
premium over gold, and both gold ant
silver were at premium over green
backs and bank notes, but the people
could not afford to divide over the
money question In the presence of 8
greater issue. And so today we are
engaged In a controversy which will
determine whether we are to have 9
republic in which the government de-
rives Its just powers from the con-
sent of the governed, or an empire In
which brute force is the only recog-
nized source of power.
In a government where the people
rule, every wrong can be righted and
every evil remedied, but when once
the doctrine Of self-government is i'm
paired and might is substituted for
right there is no certainty that any
question will be settled correctly.
A colonial policy would so occupy
|
the nations foreign policy that do
nestle questions would be neglected
who will haul down the flag?" or
Stand by the president" would be
the prompt response to every criti-
cism of the administration, and cor
ruption and special privilege would
thrive under the cover of patriot
ism.
1t is not strange that the populists
should oppose militarism and impe-
rialism, for both are antsgonistic to
the principles which the populists ap-
ply to other questions. Looking at
questions from the standpoint of the
producer Of wealth, rather than from
the standpoint Of the Spectator. the
populist recognizes in militarism a
constant and increasing burden. The
army worm, which occasionally de-
| stroys a field of wheat, Is not nearly
so dangerous an enemy to the farmer
as large standing army, which in
vades every field of industry and ex-
acts toll from every crop.
II 100000 men are withdrawn from
the ranks of the producers and placed
as burden upon the backs of those
who remain, it must mean longer
hours, harder work and greater sac
rifice for those who toll, and the
farmer, while he pays more than his
share Of the expenses of the army,
has no part in army contracts or in
developing companies, and his sons
are less likely to fill the life positions
in the army than the sons of those
who, by reason Of wealth or politi-
cal prominence, exert influence at
Washington.
Soon after the Republican leaders
began to suggest the propriety of
colonial policy, the papers published
an interview given out from San Fran
cisco by a foreign consul residing at
Manila. He declared that the people
of the United States owed it to them
Philippine Islands permanently. At
the conclusion of the interview there
appeared the very significant state
ment that the gentleman was visiting
the United States for the purpose OF
organizing a company for the devel-
opment of the Philippine Islands. A
few days later on his way east he
gave out another interview in which
he explained that the company which
he intended to organize would estab-
lish banks at Manila, and at other
places throughout the islands, and
build electric light plants, water
plants, street car lines, railroads, fac
tories, etc. 1t seemed that the plan
of his syndicate was to do all the
developing and leave the rest of the
American people nothing to do in the
matter except to furnish an army suf-
ficient to hold the Filipinos in sub
lection while they were being devel-
oped.
At the present rate we will spend
annually upon the army approximate
ly half as much as we spend for edu-
cation in the United States, and this
immense sum is wrung from the tax
payers by systems of taxation which
overburden the poor man and under
tax the rich man.
In the presence of such an issue as
militarism 1t is impossible that any
Popultst should hesitate as to his
duty.
But even Cue ucudCc Ol ulllllhi 1911
is but part Of the question of imper-
iallsm. The policy contemplated by
the Republican party nulifies every
principle set forth in the Declaration
of independence, strikes a blow at
popular government and robs the ma
ton of its moral prestige. Already
the more advanced supporters Of the
colonial idea point to the economy of
system of government which en-
trusts all power to an executive and
does away with the necessity for legls-
lation. The Army and Navy Journal,
in its issue Of August 4, commends
the English system and declares that
as a result Of this system a fifth of
the worlds area, containing a fifth
of it's population, is ruled with an ad-
ministrative economy which is an ad-
ministrative marvel, and adds:
zone million two hundred thousand
dollars spent in London is the price
of administrative order over colon
ial rule whose total budgets aggre-
gate $1,724,354,S96 or fifty per cent
more than our total of federal, state,
county and village expenditure for
every possible purpose, for which tax
es are levied. In contrast to the re-