The age-herald., 1900-08-09

ward the people of any nation. This sym pathy is due to the fact that, as stated in our platform, we believe in the principle of self-goyernment and reject, as did our fore fathers, the claims of monarchy. If this nation surrenders it's belief in the universal application of the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence 1t will lose the prestige and influence which it has en- joyed among the nations an exponent of popular government
 Imp arIaltsm and Expans on
 Our opponents, conscious of the weak ness Of their cause, seek to confuse imper- ialism with expansion and have even dared to claim Jefferson as a supporter of their policy. Jefferson spoke 80 freely and used language with such precision that no one can be ignorant of his views. On one oc- casion he declared If there be one prin- ciple more deeply rooted than any other in the mind of every American it is that we should have nothing 10 do with con quest" And again he said: Conquest is not in our principles; it is inconsistent with our government
 The forcibe annexation of territory to be governed by arbitrary power, differs as much from the acquisition of territory to be built up into states as a monarchy diff fers from a democracy. The Democratic party does not oppose expansion, when ex- pansion enlarges the area of the republic
 
 tied by American citizens adds to our population people who are willing to be- come citizens and are capable of discharg ing their duties as such. The acquisition of the Louisiana territory, Florida, Texas and other tracts which have been secured from time to time, enlarge the republic and the Constitution followed the flag into the new territory. It is now proposed to seize upon distant territory already more densely populated than our own country, and to force upon the people a government, for which there is no warrant in our constitu- tion or our laws Even the argument that this earth belongs to those who desire to cultivate it and have the physical power to acquire 1t cannot be invoked to jus tify the appropriation of the Philippine Islands by the United States If the is lands were uninhabited, American citizens would not be willing to go there and till the soil. The white race will not live so near the equator. Other nations have tried the colonies in the same latitude. The Netherlands have controlled Java for 300 years, and yet today there are less than 6O,000 people of European birth scattered among 25,O00,000 natives. After a century and half of English domination in India, less than one-twentieth of one per cent of the people of India are of English birth, and 1t requires an army of 10000 British soldiers to tam care of the tax collectors. Spain has asserted title to the Philippine ior tHIee ceHluTleS, ana yet, when our fleet entered Manila Bay, there were less than 10000 Spaniards residing in the Philippines.
 Colonial Poi cy
 A colonial policy means that we shall send to the Philippines a few traders a few task masters and few office holders and an army large enough to support the authority of small fraction of the people while they rule the natives.
 If we have an imperial policy we must have large standing army as its natural and necessary complement. The spirit which will justify the forcible annexation of the Philippine islands will justify the seizure of other islands and the domina- tion of other people, and with wars of con quest we can expect a certain, if not rapid, growth of our military establishment. That large permanent increase in our regular army is intended by the Republican lead CTS is not mere matter of conjecture, but a matter of fact In his message oi De- cember 5, 1898, the President asked for thority to increase the standing army to 100000 In 1896 the army contained about 25,000 men. Within two years the President asked for four times that many, and Re- publican House of Representatives com- l piled with the request alter the Spanish 1 treaty had been signed and no country was