The Portland daily press., 1900-01-31


Inhabited by people Of our own race, .
people fres and self-governing, and With
EQUAL rights with the people In tho orfgt-
nal states In the making Of laws for che
control Of state and federal governments.
"This In each instance was legitimate
expansion. II was legitimate and hsr-
Eonious growth. IL was not revolntion-
airy change. IL subverted none OF cur In
stiuuons. 10 id no violencs TO our p oil
tiosl principles. 1t destroyed none Of our
political deals.
what shall be said Of an EXPANSION
which Is simply an expansion OF terri
extension Of our political system, our
political principles and our political
idealsf What shall be said OF an exp an
sion by the acquisition Of territory where
10 Is not intended that there can ever CO
ststehooif
$40 hold them as Q subje,s colony
makes necessarily revolotlon IN our sys-
tenn Of government which should not be
aided BY any one who 10 loyal to the prin-
ciples upon which that system IL founded.
1.-THE advocates of the permanent
retention Of the PHILIPPINES do not like TO
hsar the term 'vassal.' Nevertheless one
who 10 subject of governments In which
be has no voioe, who only has such liberty
as the government may grant him. and
which itsslf may be taken from him at
the will OF the government, isa vsseal.
A I'd that 10 the only political relation
the Filipino can ever bear to the United
States. The advocates Of permanent re-
tention do not like the term imperialism.
Nevertheless, wherever republic owns
outlying provinces 70 Be held perm.nsns-
mitted AZ part Of the republic In the
control and adm inistration Of the govern
meut Of that Republic IL 10 that extent
Imperial. And II held 'permanently, that
Is the only relation which the Philippins
Islapds can ever bear to the United
Statss.
Ia the nature of things there can be NO
imperial republic. Under suoh govern
ment the form Of . republic may BE- pre-
served, but under II the spirit OF Repuh-
licanism must die. ain NOS pleading
the cause Of the Filipino, l am pleading
the cauGe Of Americans that their gov
ernment may not be converted from re-
public composed Of free ststes Into an
Imperial government holding vassal and
subjsot foolonies, ruled ana oontroled
necessarily BY q standing army In their
midst. II our fres Republic 10 10 be con-
vertt Into this imperial government u 10
not those who are to be held and ruled a.
vassais In subject colonies who will. be
the principal sufferers.
The first feature In which this revelu-
ton will definitely manifest itself to the
injury OF our people. will b in the i'm
Inedi ate growth Of militaris N. II IL
shall be finally determined to hold the
Philippine islands, 1t Il. n safe prediction
that In less than IS months from this
date the regular army Of the United
States will be 10000 men. And the
monstrous will In o. short time be
increased to zoo. 900.
There can be no greater danger to re-
publican government, there can DO NO
greater menacs to personal liberty and
free institutions, thar q great standi ng
army In time Of peace. II Is THE mailed
hand Of every tyraut; 10 y the voraoious
consumer Of the hard tribute wrung from
the industries OF ths land; IL IL the op-
pressor and the burden Of the great mass
Of the people. want NO territory per-
manently annexed to the United States
In which the oonitiors ara suoh that IL 10
conceded faot bsyond the pos
that not only for q while, but for
all time, the authority OF the United
States must and can be maintained only
through the power OF . great standing
army, enforcing the submission and
obedience Of an unwilling people.
Another certain consequences OF this
revolution In the principles and structure
Of our government will be the liability
and probability OF disastrous wars In
which we have not hitherto stood In
danger. We will necessarily become com
plioated In the contentious and compsti-
lions and rivalries of the European gov
ernments, and from these complications
there will be constant danger that wars
will be- thrust upon rs which We cannot
honorably decline. Tbs Philippine Is
lands will be our weak spot. and that
will be the point Of attack BY our enc
m les because 1t is the weak spot.
Again. with our navy necessarily oon-
oentrated in the Pacific ocean, our long
sea-coAst of the A tlanto and on the gulf
must depend upon its land defsnses to
repel the attacks Of the enemy's ships.
And II tn 10 distant imperial ooloniza-
ton scheme Is to be permanently adhered
to our seacoAst must remain In an unds-
Tended condition. II these hundreds Of
millions of dollars are to BE- expended on
account of the Philippines 10 will be im-
possible to provide the money to defray
ment, and also necessary to properly for
tify our long stretch Of seao0asb.
II our navy, small as 1t 10, were In
Atlantic waters, 1t could DO depended
upon in large measure to defend our
coasts. But with our army and navy In
the Philippines. and with our long sea-
const comparatively undefendsd by FORTH.
cations, what q plight we would D, In II
We should become involved In war with
a European power.
Unless met by superior power, thsre
Is no halt to the imperial tread once 1t
starts upon Its oonqusring and Its de-
spelling march. Until 1t meets with dis
sstsr It can only be stayed BY the com
mAnd of the people, and then only when
such command is Givea before. In the
decay of free intitutions, they lose their
power to DOM mand. The thirst for en-
pire 10 like the desire for human blood
which stirred 70 an unqueuchabls and
m adjoining thirst In the veins OF every
man who tastes 1t. 1t was long stop
into the middle Of the sea to take Hawaii
IL was much longer step across the
midst of all the oceans to take the Phil
ippines. From there across to the Coati-
nsnt of Asia Is . much shorter step.
Thus from step TO step tho march Of
Q npirs wii:so on, and q necessarily insvi-
table consequence will be- growing,
standing army not Of 10). 900 or OF a00, 600,
but Of 400. eco or half . million men, and
an annual expenditure drawn from the
taxes paid by the people. the magnitude