Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-05-17
Imperialism and Mans
Labor.
BY BouRKE COCHRAN.

BY BOURKE COCHRAN.
Imperialism has come to be word of
great Significance, and am asked to
state concfsely and exactly what it
means for American labor. / cannot
do better than refer to q speech which
l delivered to the students of the Uni
versity of Michigan in February, 1899
before Imperialism had become, IS it IS
to-day, the dominant issue of our poll
tics, and the gravest danger, in my
Judgment, that has ever threatened
our republican form of government.
AS said then, it is necessary to
distinguish between Expansion" and
sImperialism." Expansion has always
Isignified the extension of our institu-
tions through the enlargement of our
frontiers. Imperialism is not the
diffusion of American constitutional
ism over new lands, but the establish
ment in conquered territory by this
Government of another government,
radically irreconcilable to the spirit of
our own constitution and essentially
hostile tot Expansion, then, may be
defined as the peaceful development
of our political sys EN- through an in
crease III the area of the United States
and imperialism as the forcible exer-
else BY our Government in other cOun.
tries of powers denied to it at home.
The marvellous growth of commerce
between the States of the Union is
due to its absolute freedom from arti-
fic.l restrictions The inclusion of
Canada in tins ftee-trade area would
stimulate production beyond our pow.
ers to conceive.
Exactly opposite results would tie
produced by imperialistic conquest.
The forcible annexation of Canada
would hs an act of Imperialism. as ,ln-
profitable il would be unjustitiable,
and NJ c.la,nitiOnS as it would be
|crtminal.
A conquered country is alwavs dis
c ,ntented and therefore, dis'oyal I,
would be impossible to intrust thu
rights Of statehood to disaffected
people. Our authority over then
could he maintained only by force
that is to say by q standing army ait
, military rule. Aside from its inheren
hostility to free institutions. q stand
ing army is q crushing burden on tn
neck of the laborer. The first essentl
a, of high wages is abundance of com
mod,ties, and Il standing army is An
insuperable obsticle to extensive pro
iduction. Every dollar of surplus pro
! duct or capital INVESTED in implemen,'
in machinery, In buildings, is fruit
full dollar. Commodities used in pro
dnction multiply themselves eve
while they they perish. Ever dollar e
tends for munitions of war is steril
8 dollar. II is not used for the purpos
Of production. but for the purpose o
= destruction. 1t is wasted as complet
ly as If it were thrown into the sea.
81 | oppose this novel, un-America,
{ |policy of imperialism because til
grounds on which its advoctes SUI
port it are peurile, inconsistent an
dishonest; because it involves the ex
. lstence of u standing army TO menac
liberty and to Cypress labor by dimin
a ishing wages: because it is coward
8 to invade the rights of the weak Will
respecting the strong; because it woul
% divorce the American flag and tn
American Constitution by yendil
the one where the other cannot go; b
cause it is a policy of inooncieyeab
folly from material point of view.
favor the traditional American p
icy of expansion because ! want tn
Republic to continue in the pat
which leads to higher achievements {
psace and progress; because l wal
this country to remain the land whel
the patriotic wOrkingman who pr
luces is more honored than the pal
lighting man who destroys, where tt
laborer's overalls e. joy equal digni,
with the soldiers uniform, where
iinner.pail is more highly esteem'
than knspsack, where q spade
deemed more valuable than q muskt
\ hospital than q battery aschool thu
a fortress; where the enduring sto
is Justice is pursued aud the vainglo
of conquest desplsed; where the fl
VI which typihes liberty and the constit
ok ton which secures it, enshrined in Il
OF hearts, sustained by the arms, glorifi
nd by the memories of q free people, sh
remain invincible, indestructible,
sepsrable, forever and forever.
%, kodoI Dyspepsia Cur,
''Olgests what you eat"
Science has found that rheumatic
T.. ...,.,o.,A he, 81 oniA Hho h1rF