Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-11-23
DEPEW ON IMPERIALISM.
HOW HE RSSAlLED M'KlNLnY'S PRES.
ENT POLICY IN 1893.


and of the Awful Consequences to
Us-Means Capitalization.
In the Chicago Times Herald ON May
%, 1898, Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew
had the following interview, obtained
and signed by George Grantham Balm
and copyrighted:
When 1 asked Mr.. Depew what he
thought should be done with the Phil
ipptne Islands he drew in his breath
and said "That's pretty big ques-
tion." Then he pushed back his chair
from his desk and swung around until
he half faced me.
IF we should keep the Philippine
Islands," said Mr.. Depew, 1--WE would
reverse the traditions of this Govern
ment from its foundation. We would
open up new line of policy.
Let us see what that would mean.
In the first place it would mean the
establishment of military govern
ment over possibly ten millions of peo-
pie 6O00 miles away from us; it would
mean the increase of our navy to the
proportion of the navies of Europe"
Not to the proportion of England's IS
navy" | suggested.
ITO the navy of France and Ger
many" said Mr.. Depew. "It would
mean the increase of our army to 150,-
OO0-more likely to 100000 men. 1t
would mean the increase Of our annual
expenditures to double what they are
now. 1t would mean that the United
States Government would be brought
in closer contact with the people than
ever before in the history of this coun-
try.
I'VE have known that there Is a
Federal Government only as represent
ing our flag, our nationality and glo-
rious traditions, but we have not felt
the burden of its support or been con-
fronted with the possibility of the pay
nent of an enormous annual military
tax, except during the Civil War. In
Europe, where great armies and navies
are maintained, the people are taxed
directly for their maintenance. Our
revenues have been obtained hereto
fore by indirect taxation, with the eX-
ception of slight tax on whisky.
But with the increase of our eXpen-
ditures by 100 per cent. the taxes to
support the Government would be felt
in our homes and in our offices. We
would feel them in both the necessa-
ries and luXuries of life-in our houses,
in our tools, in our food in our cloth
ing, in our carriages and in our wag-
Ons, in our checks and notes and bonds
and transfers of property-in every
transaction of our everyday business
life. For if we are to maintain great
armies and navies like the powers of
Europe We must raise the revenue for
them by the means mentioned, and
also by a stamp tax that will face us
at every turn.
These conditions are contrary to
our present form of government. To-
day we know that the customs collec-
tor exists He sits in his office at the
custom house and few of us ever think
of him-fewer still have ever seen him
or felt the taxes collected through him.
Under the new regime tax collectors
would necessarily be excise men with
offices everywhere. They would be
known not only in New York and the
other great centres of commerce, but
In every town, village and hamlet in
the United States. Our people respond
with patriotic alacrity to every bur-
den, sacrifice or tax for the successful
carrying on of war. Whether they
would with equal cheerfulness do the
same for the new policy of the colo
NAL empire furnishes food for consid-
Grafton.
What also does worldwide policy
mean to us? 1t means a Capitalization
whicn would change materially the re-
lations of the United States to the
Federal Government. The control of
these populous colonies would be CEN
tired at Washington, and we should
have Capitalization of power far be-
yond what the old Federalists ever
dreamed Of You cannot have empire
without all its attributes, and that
means practical revolution of our
form of government and an abandon
ment of the beliefs which the fathers
held when they established this Gov
ernment in 17T6."
asked Mr.. Depew if it was not pos
slble to derive from these proposed col
onies revenue greater than the addi-
tional expenditure which their posses
sion would involve.
How said Mr.. Depew, "by taxa
ton? Every time you attempt to col
lect a tax from these people they
would rise, and you would have to call
on your military force to suppress
them. And suppress them for what ?
For doing what John Hancock did =?
3rhey might quote against us our i'm
mortal declaration that taxation with
out representation is tyranny"