Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-08-02
JEFFERSON AND IMPERIALISM.
Grcnt Loader Not an Imrerialfst no
Claimed by the Republicans.

Claimed by the Republicans.
The absurd sophism by which the
republican leaders and newspapers
are trying 10 prove that the "expan-
SION of Jefferson and the "imperia1-
ism of Mckinley are identical is an
insult to the intelligence of the Amer
lean people and a SANDER upon the
lame of their greatest statesman.
The difference between the two, ex-
pansion and Imperialism, is set forth
In the Kansas City platform in the
clearest possible terms, and the great
leader of the democracy of today
takes occasion to refute completely
the baseless and false contention of
the imperialists concerning this para
mount question. In a letter to n New
York paper, published q few days ago,
MIR. Bryan says. The advocates of
Imperialism have sought to support
their position by appealing to the au-
thority of Jefferson. OF all the states
men who have ever lived Jefferson was
the one most hostile to the doctrines
embodied in the demand for a Euro
pean colonial policy"
MIR. Bryan then goes on to state
that Imperialism. as it now presents
itself, embraces four distinct PROPOSE
tons: THAT the acquisition of terri
tory by conquest is right; that the ac-
QUESTION OF remote territory is desira-
BILE; that the doctrine that govern
ments derive their Just powers from
the consent of the governed is, UNI
sound; and, lastly, that people can be
wisely governed by aliens"
He cites from u letter written by
.Tnffnrcnn ~ yyy;l1s,-, Gl,o,% -, 1SO1
showing that to all these propositions
racy was unalterably opposed. In
that letter appears this pussage: III
there be one principle more deeply
written than amy other in the mind
OF every American, it is that we should
have nothing to do with conquest"
MIR. Bryan likewise prove by ex-
cerpts from james q. Blaine's rcsolu-
tions, introduced at a conference of
the commissioners of all the American
republics in 1880. that the great re-
pu's.;can leader followed faithfully in
th,!Iootstcps of jefferson in opposing
the acquisition of territory by force.
jefferson was i'm favor of acquiring
Cuba, but by peaceful means; and, as
an evidence that he did not favor en-
pansion, wen by peaceful means, in
to remote territory, he wrote in a let
ter to President Madison in April,
1909, after giving his reasons for wish
ing to acquire that island as Il part
of u territory: 81 would immedi-
ately erect n column on the southern
most limit of Cuba and inscribe on it
a ne plus ultra as to us in that direc-
tion.'
The declaration of independence
fixes Jetferson's position ON the third
proposition which imperialism pre-
sents concerning the consent of the
governed as the prerequisite condition
to the right to govern.
On the fourth proposition. that
people a be wisely governed by
aliens MIR. Jefferson is shown to be as
explicit as on the others. In declining
an Invitation from Il French society.
which had been organized to settle
lands i'm the south, to formulate laws
for it's governance, Mr.. jefferson
wrote from Monticello in 1917: "Ev-
cry people have their own particular
habits, ways OF thinking, manners,
ETC., which have grown up with them
from their infancy, and are become
part of their nature, and to which
the regulations which are to make
them happy must be accommodated.
No member of a foreign country can
have u sufficient sympathy with
these"
The imperialists who invoke the
teachings of Jefferson in support of
their b~loodstained, un-American, un-
democratic and un%republican policy
are pulling down upon themselves a
mountain of REPUTATION and confusion.
, Kansas City Times.