The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-12
SPIRIT ? OF The PRESS.

WHAT IMPERIALISM REALLY MEANS
Baltimore Sun.
Now that the policy of the Mckinley
administration with regard to our newly
acquired possessions has been definitely
fixed by it's attitude on the Puerto Rican
Tariff bill, the country can see how radi-
cal a departure it is from the principles
which have hitherto governed all our ac-
questions of territory. Republican lead
ers admit that Puerto Rico is to be dealt
with not on exceptional grounds intended
to be applied to that island only, but as
deliberate precedent to be applied later to
the Philippines. The frankly avOwed pur-
pose of the Republican party is to commit
the United States to the new and absolute
ly revolutionary policy of acquiring new
territory, vast in area and population,
to which the flag is to be carried without
the Constitution We are henceforward to
buy with our money and conquer with our
armies and navies any number of islands
in Asiatic of other waters, peopled, as
Mr. GroSevnor says, by half-dreSsed vaga
bends" or, in the language of Speaker
Henderson by million of savages."
These bought and conquered people we
are to hold not as fellow citizens, with
rights of representation in our govern
ment, but as vassals. subjects of our
power, but not sharers in our liberties.
And upon these vassal millions we are to
impose such laws and levy such taxes as
we see fit, and compel them to obey and
pay them by the same rule of the strong
est under which India is ruled by Great
Britain, Algeria by France and the
Khanates of Central Asia by Russia.
This is, as we have said. an absolutely
revolutionary policy. If it receives the
sanction of the American people at the
nejxt national election it is no eXaggera
tion to say that the republic, so Ear at
least as it's foreign policy is concerned,
will be transformed into an empire. From
the day the Constitution was adopted
down to 1899 there never was an Ameri-
can party nor an American statesman
from whose utterances or writings the
faintest support can be drawn for the
proposition that this republic can acquire
territory to be held and governed on the
basis and by the methods of the imperial
governments of Europe: There is long
line of decisions, beginning with Chief
Justice Marshall and coming down to the
latest dicta of our highest national tri-
the Constitution was never until now in
terpreted to permit the acquisi-
ton of new territory unless
from the very moment it was ac-
quired the provisions of the Constitution,
its guarantees, it's immunities and its
projections, were extended to the inhabi-
tants thereof.
1t was Chief Justice Marshall who ruled
that under Article 1, Section s. of the
Constitution no territory over which the
flag Of the United States floats could be ex-
cluded from the explicit provision that
''all duties, imposts and exercises shall be
unifrom throughout the United States.
There is no greater name than MARSHALL s
among the expounders of the Constitution
and from the decision TO which we refer
it is timely to quote these words: The
eighth section of the first article gives
Congress the power TO lay and collect
taxes, duties imposts and exercises for the
purposes hereinafter mentioned. This
grant is general without limitation as tc
place. 1t consequently extends TO al
places over which the government ex-
tends. If this could be doubted the doub
is removed by the subsequent words
which. modify the grant. These words
are: But all duties, imposts and exer-