New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1900-06-30
WILL THE PEOPLE CALL A HALT.

klnley, drunk with imperialism, is
determined to take a hand in the
China war. 1t will be gratifying
to his ambition to play an import
ant part in "world politics. and
the involving of the United States
in such war before the beginning
Of fall may save him from defeat
in the November election, for the
chances are the people will be crazed
by the war fever. Already word
comes from Washington that the
war department is preparing for any
eventuality that may arise out of
the Chinese situation and prepara-
tions are on scale of magnitude,
it is said, that would surprise the
public and be even of greater
interest to any foreign foe which the
United States may be called upon to
face within the next few weeks or
months and for that reason the
administration will not make public
the extent Of the preparations. I'M
perialism is running mad at Wash
ington and the Republic is trem-
bling on its foundations. The drift
to Imperialism has been steadily
gaining headway ever since the
beginning Of the war of conquest
in the Philippines and in the event
of war with foreign power over
China the empire will come. The
New York Herald, which for a time
supported the alleged expansion
policy of President Mckinley, has
seen a light and in it the dangers
threatening the country and which
will surely materialize unless the
people assert themselves and turn
the Republican party, with its i'm
perialist satraps, out of power next
November. The Herald says:
"After an existence of century
and a quarter as country where
the government derives it's author
ity solely from the consent of the
governed, the United States is
turning its back upon it's own his
tory and traditions. From a free
democracy it is in danger of be-
coming tyrannical, imperialistic
oligarchy. The adult Republic
seems to be entering it's second
childhood as baby empire.
GAS a sign that it has deserted
the principles Of individual freedom
upon which it was founded it is at
this present moment trying to cram
its rule, at the bayonet's point,
down the throats of the people
Filipinos, Cubans and Porto Ricans
who the Declaration of Independ-
ence says were created equal, with
certain unalienable rights among
which are life, liberty and the
pursuit Of happiness
GAS far as the Filipinos are con-
cerned the United States is doing it's
'damnedst' to ALLEVIATE all three of
these 'inalienable rights. Their
lives have been taken, they have
been robbed of their liberty, and
instead of pursuing happiness they
are being pursued like wild beasts
into the savage interior Of the
native islands; and all because they
believe, like the American colonists
of 1776, that they were justified in
trying "to institute new govern
ment" in conformity with their
legitimate desires and needs when
the old one imposed upon them by
Spain had become intolerable.
It is about time to face the situa-
ton squarely. The United States
cannot, will not, allow the war to
much longer.
"In the first place it does not
pay. Eight or nine hundred thou
sand dollars day for military and
naval expenditure is more than the
job of grating the American Con-
stitution upon the Philippine ISL
ands is worth. In the second place,
the national passion for freedom in
the United States is violently op-
posed to the forcible subjugation of
a people, be they Malay or Boer,
that have backbone enough to fight
for their independence"
Neolect ia the abort stem 40 many take