The evening times., 1900-10-02
THE CURSE OF IMPERIALISM.
Comparisons Between the Expan
sion of JEFFERSON and Mckinley.

si0n of Jefferson and Mckinley
All territory contiguous to the United
States, and purchased by this Govern
ment, since 1903, says ex-Chief Justice E.
v Long of New Mexico, in an article in
the October Issue of Arena" was ac-
quired in the interest of peace and Sc
curity of the hatfon
He says: 1'Th each instance, by solemn
treaty stipulation. the highest pledge a
nation can give. is the guaranty TO the
inhabitants of the ceded territory, former
subjects of the eeding nations, and 10 those
who might thereafter occupy those new
possessions that they were from the be-
ginning and should continue to be eiei-
zens of the tinted States. and should have
the right to be admitted into the Union
as States on terms of perfect equality
with the others OF the Republic. These
identical provisions Incorporated into the
several treaties are not accidental. but
evidence of fixed and settled government
tai policy. This is expansion. justifiabie,
beneficial, and necessary, in harmony
with the spirit of our institutions and
conveying to new people the protection OF
our Constitution and the blessings OF self-
government. This expansion Is far dlI-
ferent from Imperialism of the colonial
- S~fO
European powers by force Of arms ard ad-
! vocated by some statesmen of this coun-
try in recent years.
The expansion of jefferson and his
compeers was extension OF American ciu-
zenship, constitutional rights and prtFl-
leges, and the guaranty of future state
hood to the inhabitants of an adjacent re-
gion and in harmony with the principles
of the Declaration of Independence. Such
expa nsion was the result OF the natural
spread of the republic and the republican
system over territory intended by nature
to be q part OF the United states, and
which it was then evident must soon be
populated by emigration from the states
of farmers, mechanics, business men, and
laborers who had imbibed the spirit OF
our institutions and who had become Ia
niliar with the principles and operation
of our Government by residence IN the
! States and by the exercise OF the rights
/ OF citizenship.
! LAS the tide of emigration should hoa
westward it would carry our institutions
{ by an irresistible and natural process oyer
| the plains and valleys and into the noun
| tain regions of the new country, and found
States of homogeneous people, already
/ learned in statecraft and capable OF self
+ government. 1t would extend our com
rneree and develop our harbors il the Gull
I nd on the Pacific and open the way IL
F; these new pOsSSSEEDES tuI lai SS titieS f'oFD
ulated from the States. open the line for
: great waterway from the lakes Of the
North TO New Orleans link the coasts oi
: the Atlantic and Pacific by ties OF common
/ interest traffic and commerce. and tuT'
niSh millions in men and money for the
common defence of the greatest Repabilt
! of any age.
/ such is the glorious and natural ex-
: pansion inauguFated and maintained by
/ Jefferson, Monroe, Polk and their com
patriots: and it is far different from tht
( imperialistic system. recently called es-
! pansion which seeks to seize S,00o,Ov0 Of
people by force. and to that end create {
i large standing army and spend millions II
naval equipments to maintain military rule
against the will of the people in distani
! lands inaccessible to those In need o.
! homes and valuable manly for the field
il would AFFORD for an army of spoilsmer
! to prey upon the industries Of the native
people. The expansion of Jefferson and
{ the earlier days is something quite differ
ent from and far better than this.
THE expansion of the past is natura
! growth; Imperialism is an excrescence up
/ on the body polite Il is an attempt II
/ force upon an. unwilling people instltu
! items which they do not understand, fol
ach they do not ask. and for which the!
are not suited. 1t is the exploitation o
! distant possessions for the benefit o
I those VINO G2aI IN FRANCHISES Auu 6lO
I rich by speculation and who expect Il
+ grow rich from the property that can 5'
acquired and the money that can be wrun,
/ out of an alien people by taxation. suel
] a system calls for the creation of larg'
war fleets, the maintenance OF large ar
| mics, hostile occupation of the country
and in time OF war distant and inaccessj
BILE territory TO defend. Ii is an attemp
/ to force upon republican form Of gov
j ernment policies which have long been il
favor with kings, emperors. czars, ant
foreign potentates- 1t affords no add
/ tional homes for the poor and middi
! classes who, with scant means upon whicl
TO exist in this country, can neither eni
! crate to nor live with their families il
tropical regions.
The expansion of the past constitute
the brightest pages in the history of ou
Republic. The proposed imperialism @
the present and future if carried into eff
feet will mark departure from Republi
+ can principles and systems and constitute
. the first pages in the history of the nev
{ empire