The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-20
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS,
THEY DO PROTEST TOO MUCH.

THEY DO PROTEST TOO MUCH.
Baltimore Sum-
There is no Imperialism" declares
President Mckinley in his letter of ac
ceptance. This talk about Imperialism
is the veriest moonshine, the mere coin
age of partisan brains,' asserts Mr.
Schurman, who was the president of the
first commission Mr. Mckinley sent to
Manila. THE talk of Imperialism and
militarism is the rankest nonsense,
maintains Senator Lodge, of Massachu-
sets. From President down to the hum
blest spellbinder and organ grinder the
Republicans are kept busy protesting
that an evil which does exist in palpa-
BILE form really has no existence. Their
denials are based upon the assumption
that the American people are so dull
wittcd that they are unable to under
stand the difference between republican
government and the kind of government
which has been established in Porto
Rico and which is ultimately to be forced
upon the Filipinos.
The Republican leaders are anxious,
and very naturally so, to create the i'm
preston that the policy of this Govern
ment in Porto Rico and the Philippines
does not luNOlNS any uGpdI IOlG HUN liz
principles upon which the American Re-
public was founded. They will not sue
coed. however, either by the apologize
methods adopted by Mr.. Mckinley in his
letter of acceptance or by the fiat de-
malls of Mr.. Schurman, Senator Lodge
and other imperialists who think the
American people can be bluffed by such
tactics If there were no such thing as
imperialism, why should the Porto Ricans
be virtually subjects of the United
States, why should tariff duties be i'm
posed upon the products of the island,
and why should they be denied the priv
ilege of free trade with the country of
which they are a part? Why should
their status in such matters Oe different
from that of the inhabitants of other ter
ritory of the United States-of Arizona
and New Mexico, for instance? Why
should the Government at Washington
impose educational and property restric-
tions upon suffrage in Porto Rico? Why
should the Porto Ricans be subject to
our immigration laws and treated as al
lens?
If this is not Imperialism, what is it?
We have fastened American sovereignty
upon Porto Rico; we intend to kold the
island permanently as territory of the
United States; we have taken charge of
the government of the island, placing
it in the hands of officials appointed by
the President. Such representation as
the Porto Ricans are graciously permit
ted to enjoy in their government can be
of little advantage to them. The actual
ruler of the island is the Civil Governor
appointed by President Mckinley. The
members of the Governors council, his
cabinet, are also appointed by the Presi-
dent, and Governor and council together
constitute an oligarchy sustained by the
Government of the United States-an oil
garchy beneath whose sway the Porto
Ricans. even with their elective Assem-
bly,! are absolutely helpless. Certainly
this is not a republican form of govern
ment; it is not government by consent;
it is not a government founded upon
the principle that there must be no tax
atidn without representation. 1t is the
rule of might, the holding of weak peo-
pie as subjects, the establishment Of
an imperial system. 1t places the United
States on the same plane as the land
grabbing nations of Europe; it is an en-
phatic and unconditional denial of every
principle for which our forefathers con-
tended and for which they fought to the
bitter end.