The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-08-11

can do whatever II desires to DO. but It
must accept responsibility for what 1t does.
people can amend the constitution. I re-
peat. the nation can do whatever 1t desires
to do. but 1t cannot avoid the natural and
young man upon reaching his majority
the teachings Of his parents; he can ram
consider sacred: he a disobey the laws
laws Of God. He can stamp failure upon
his life and make his very existence a curse
to his fellow men, and he can bring his
father and mother in sorrow to the grave
but he g cannot mn ann1, the sentence zen n ,1 The
nation. 1t Is of age, and 1t can do what 1t
p~leases: 1t can spur the traditions Of the
past y &c can ! fepudiate the PRINCIPLES upon
instead Of reason; 1t can substitute might
for right. It can onque weaker people;
1t c a syp aoa t thsi tb Lands 6so n~RFprSS ps e s. their
repeal the moral law or escape the punish
ment decreed for the violation OF human
rights.
Would we tread in the path. of tyranny.
MOI reckon the tyrant's cost? =
Who taketh another's liberty,
His freedom is also lost.
Would we win as the strong have ever won,
Make ready to pay the debt.
For the God who refgned over Babylon
Is the God who is ~reigning yet"
Some argue that American rule In the
education Of The F%ilipinos. Be not s' der
ceived:. II we expect to maintain a colon
ial policy We shall not find 1t to our ad-
Gated Filiplnos are now in revolt against
us, and the most ignorant ones nave made
the least resistance to our domination. II
we are to govern them without their con-
sent and give them no voice in determining
the taxes which they must pay, we dare not
educate them, lest they learn to read the
stitution of the United States and mock
us for our Inconsistency.
The principal arguments. however, ad-
vanced by those who enter upon a defense
First, That we must improve the present
opportunity to become a world " and
enter into International politics.
Second. That our commercial interests in
the Philippine islands and in the orient
make It necessary for US to hold the is
Third, That the spread of the Christian
religion will be facilitated by a colonial
Fourth. That there is no honorable re-
treat from the position which the nation
The first argument is addressed to the
TONS pocketbook. The third is intended
the partisan.
rowt of n Principle.
1t is a sufficient answer to the nrst areu-
ment TO say that for more than a century
this nation has been a world power. For
ten decades IT has been the most potent
been a world power, but II has done more
to affect the politics of the human race
than all the other nations of the world
combined. Because our declaration of in
dependence was promulgated, others have
been promulgated. Because the patriots
Of 1!76 fought for liberty others nave
fought for it; because our constitution
WAS A0ODte0. other constitutions hoxrA
been adopted. The growth of the princi-
pie OF self-goyernment. planted on Amer
lcan SOIL, has been the overshadowing
1t has made this nation conspicuous
among the nations and given 1t a place
In history such as no other nation has
check the onward march of this idea. /
am not. willing that this nation snail cast
aside the ~omnipotent weapon of truth to
seize again the weapon of physical war
fare. / would not exchange the glory of
this republic for the glory of all the en-
began.
TIL permanent chairman of the last re-
publican national convention presented
the ~pecuniary argument in all its bold
I'VE make no hypocriticaI pretenses of
being Interested in the Philippines solely
on account of others. While we regard
the welfare of these people as a sacred
trust. we regard the welfare of the Amer
lean people first. We see our duty to our
selves as we'll as to others. We believe
In trade expansion. BY every legitimate
and constitution. we mean to stimulate
the OF trade n open
new markets.
This is the commercial argument. II
Is based upon the theory that war can
be rightly waged for ~pecuniary advan-
tage. and that 1t is profitable to purchase
MED both Of these propositions. When
Lord Howe asserted that the acts of par
Lament. which brought on the revolution,
y WeTe necessary sy to prevent nte American trade
Franklin replied:
ITO me it seems that neither the OBJ
tanning nor retaining Of any trade. how
valuable soever. Is ar object for which
men may justly spill each others blood
that the true and sure means of extend
ing and securing m are the good
ness and ~cheapness of commodities and
that the profits of no trade can ever be
equal to the expense OF compelling II and
holding II by fleets and armies. 1 con
both unjust and unwise."
place the philosophy Of Franklin
against the sordid doctrine of those who
American soldier and justify a war OF
conques upon the ground that II will pay.
The democratic party Is in favor of the
expansion of trades. 1t would extend our
trade by every legitimate and peaceful
means; but 1t Is not willing to make mer-
chandise of human blood.
But a wal OF conquest is as unwiSe as
II Is unrighteous. A harbor and coaling
station in the Philippines would answer
every trade and military necessity and
such a concession could have been secured
at any time without difficulty.
1t is not necessary to own people In or
der to trade with them. We carry on
trade to-day with every part of the world,
and our commerce has expanded more
rapidly than the of any Euro
pean empire. We do not own Japan or
China, but we trade with their people. We
have not absorbed the republics Of Gem
trail n South America. but we trade
with them. 1t has not been necessary to
have any political connections with Cam
ada or the nations of Europe in order to
trade with them. Trade cannot be per-
manently profitable unless It is vofun-
tary. When trade Is secured by force, the
cost Of securing 1t and retaining 1t must
be taken out of the profits, and the profits
are never large enough to cover the ex-
pense. Such a system would never be de-
Tended but for the fact that the expense
Is borne by all the people, while the prof
its are enjoyed by the few.
Evils of Imperialism.
Imperialism would be profitable to the
army contractors: It would be profitable
to the s~hipowners, who would carry live
soldiers to the Philippines and bring dead
soldiers back; 1t would be profitable TO