Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1900-04-20
WILL IT PAY?

Republicans refuse to argue the
ethical question involved in the Phil
ippine war. Their whole stock con-
sists in the statement that 1--WE have
bought the islands; they are ours and
we intend to hold them" When we
ask them if we can justly purchase
ten million people at So head, they
evade the question and say: eve
need the islands for our expanding
population" And this in face of the
fact that we have only twenty people
to the square mile while Luzon has
eighty to the square mile.
When we tell them that it is not
consistent with our Declaration of In
dependence to conquer people striv-
ing for self government, they tell us
that China is soon to be divided up
among the nations and that we need
the Philippines as basis of operations
to get our share of the Chinese trade.
In other words, the republicans have
adopted the old shareholders argument,
that there is no such thing as right OF
wrong-that it is merely question Of
"Will it Pay?" And having decided
that question in the affirmative, all
questions'of ethics are thrown to the
four winds of heaven.
Dreams of empire having dazzled the
minds of the McKinleyites, millions
upon millions Of taxes wrung from
American labor are to be thrown into
the maelstrom OF imperial adventure.
General Shafter says that a garrison
must be maintained in the Philippines
| forever. There Is untold distress in
Porto Rico and Hawaii as a result of
our benevolent assimilation Of those
islands. We sit over volcano in Cuba,
where we have no moral right to be;
and there are still infinite possibilities
of trouble involed in our secret alliance
with England and in our proposed
participation in the dismemberment OF
China. Whether the Nicaragua canal
shall serve as another Pandora's box
for us is matter of speculation, but
there can be no question but that the
jingoes are hunting for trouble and
will find it if they can. Yet all history
and all experience warns us against the
I course upon which President Mckinley
is leading us. Macaulay long ago pro.
! tested against the British policy of
empire and his words ought to have
weight with the Americans. He said:
1--WE venture to say that colonial en-
pire has been one Of the greatest curses
of modern Europe. What nation has it
ever strengthened? What nation has
it ever enriched? What have been its
fruits? Wars Of frequent occurrence
and immense COST fettered trade, lavish
expenditures, clashing jurisdiction, cor
ruption in governments, and indigence
among the people. What have Mexico
and Peru done for Spain, the Brazils for
Portugal, Batavia for Holland? Or,
if the experience OF others is lost upon
us, shall we not profit by our own?
What have we not sacrificed to our
1uldtuetlcu pe1ooAoA AoA oAoho0&AoAe'AoAo
dominion? When a colonial acquisi-
ton has been in prospect we have
thought no expenditure extravagant,
no interference perilous Gold has
been to us as dust and blood as water
Shall we never learn wisdom? Shall
we never cease to prosecute purpose
wilder than the widest dreams of
alchemy, with all the credulity and
all the profusion Of Sir Epicure Nam
mon? Those who maintain that set
Elements so remote conduct to the
military or maritime power of nations
fly in the face of history
But even from the dollar-and-cent
point Of view, let us see how we'll i'm
perialism will pay. We must take
into consideration all the factors en-
ployed in the business. 1t doubtless
paid DENLY and Schurman and the
other carpetbaggers who were sent
there at $50, 900 per year and expenses
to bring home a lying report Of affairs,
but how about the Taxpayers who
furnished the money? 1t doubtless
pays the 500 saloon keepers and the
brewers and distillers who have set
up their nefarious business there where
it was unknown before our benevolent
assimilation. It doubtless pays the
coffin makers who make the boxes to
bring home the dead bodies of our boys
who have fallen, but how has it paid
the mothers who mourn for the death
of their sons, who died not for their
country, but in criminal war waged
upon a brave and liberty-loving people
at the instigation of men who desire to
exploit the conquered people.
All will remember the tender letter
which President Lincoln wrote to
Mrs. Bixby, of Boston, who lost five
sons in the war for the preservation
of the Union. Below is the letter;
Executive Mansion, Washington, No
vember 31st, 1864.
To Mrs. Bixby. of Boston Mass.