The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-26
THE GRIM HUMoR OF 1T.

The humors of the position into which
the imperialist brethren have forced
themselves are daily making themselves
additionally plain. Even the grim process
of robbery and spoliation about to be in
augurated on the defenseless people of
Puerto Rico is bringing the absurdtties OF
American Imperialism into the fore
ground.
While the senate is engaged in estab-
fishing the need of free trade in Ha.
been struggling against heavy seas to
show that free trade with Puerto Rico
would be a most violent blow to domestic
manufacture and to the suffering agri-
culturalists of the country. All is game
which comes to the imperialist net. Willis
we set steel traps in our islands in the At
lantic, we catch our bird in the Pacific
by gently dropping salt on his tail.
What an ennobling spectacle it will be
to hear grave and reverend imperialist
senators like our own Messrs. Nelson
tutional arguments on the Hawaii meas
ure establishing the right of the people OF
one of our Possessions to be admit.
ted to the Union, and to enjoy all the
advantages of the constitutional system
of free trade between all portions of the
United States, including Alaska, and, the
following week, showing with equally
convincing force that so far as the Puer-
to Ricans are concerned we can, under the
constitution, there inaugurate all sorts
of political abominatfon such as the sup.
and of free press, and make them con-
| tribute to the sustainment Of our sWad-
ding industrial infants by imposing on
| their products any protection we
| please, without regard even to the. ia
vcred nation clause! And this is sit
uation, not the product of fancy or OF
unfair party political discussion, but iiv-
! ing, red-handed reality.
| 1t is all a part of the system of be
| OH the authority OF our Sunday o-to-
meeting president. For did he not pre-
| face his statement that We might Work
our sweet will on the Puerto Ricans by
the declaration that his policy Is a dis
tinctively benevolent" one? 1t may bs
an extremely benevolent .uea that the
descendants of the slayers of Capt. Cook,
of the cannibals of the Sandwich Islands,
are perfectly qualified to become citizens
of the United States, while the descend
ants of Columbus and Ponce de Leon and
their followers are to be treated as ma
tienal waits and strays, unauaihed ana
united even for civil liberty, but the
beneyolence of such a view is OF ABOUT
the same moral order as is the religion
which has our president and the members
of his cabinet photographed as they
emerge from the White house, and then
has the photographs published through.
out the press of the country as depicting
these gentlemen on their way to churcn
While the Filipino insurgents hold. our
army of occupation at bay, We at one ana
the same time declare them to be out.
side the usages of war, mere guerriiias
that may be shot OF hanged when caught,
and then busy ourselves in the forma-
ton of another peace commission to send
to their land!
What wonder is it under such cireun'
stances that the entire civilized world
looks upon us as a nation of benevolent
nirates. who preach freedom or firearms,
as may best suit our schemes OF pfunder
and oppression of weaker peoples?