The Portland daily press., 1900-08-24

do in the matter except to furnish az
army sufficient to hold the Fllipinos in
subsection while they were being de-
Ve.oped.
''At the present rate we will spend an
nually upon the army approximately hall
as much as we spend for education in the
United States and this immense sum is
wrung from the taxpayers by a system OF
taxation which oyerburden the poor man
and under tax the rich man
In the presence of such an
issue as militarism 1t is Inn
possible that any Populist should hesitate
as to his duty. But even the menace of
militarism is but part of the question
OF Imperialism. The policy contemplated
by the Republican party nullifles every
principle set forth in the Declaration of
Independence, strike blow at popular
government and robs the nation of its
moral prestige. Already the more adj
Yanced supporters of the colonial idea
point to the economy of a system of gov
eminent when trusts all power to an
executive and does away with the neces-
sity for legislation. The Army and Navy
Journal In its issue OF Aug ust 4, COM
mends the English system and declares
that as result OF this system fifth of
the worlds area, containing fifth of its
population, is ruled with an admins
trative economy which is an administra-
tive marvel and adds:
lone million two hundred thousand
dollars spent in London is the price ofEad-
ministrative order over a colonial rule
whose total budgets aggregate 81, 724, 854,
$685. or fifty per cent more than our total
of federal, state, county and village ex-
penditure for every possible purpose for
which taxes are levied. In contrast to the
results of this system of executive adj
ministration the fact is cited that the
American Congress has spent an entire
winter wrestling with the tariff, the tax
alton, the administration and the person
al rights of tWo little islands. The Eng
fish executive is an imperial executive.
The British Parliament is an English
legislature To the same system we are
coming by the decree of circumstances as
inevitable as that of fate. If this be i'm
perialism, make the most of it. So far
as citizenship is concerned, the British
empire is one, but beyond the limits of the
united kingdom the citizen lives under a
rule essentially monarohial and not re-
stricted by the constitutional limitations
Of the parliamentary system.
''Thus does imperialism bear out its
supporters back toward the dark ages.
There is no middle ground between the
American policy and the European poll
cy. II this nation remains true to It's
principles, It's traditions and its history, it
cannot hold colonies. If it enters upon
colonial career, it must repudiate the doc
trine that governments derive their just
powers from the consent of the governed.
''When such an issue is raised there can
be only two parties-the party whatever
its name may be, which believes in re-
public, and party, whatever it's name,
which believes in an emf ire and the in
fuence of every citizen IS, consciously OF
unconsciously, Intentionally or uninten-
thrown upon one side or the
other.
where the divine right of kings is
the monarch can grant differ
emit degrees of liberty. to different sub
jects. The people of England can be
ruled In one way, the people of Canada
in another, the people of Ireland in an
other, while the people of India may be
according to still different
forms.
"But there can be no variety in re-
public The doctrine OF a republic differs
from the doctrine of monarchy as the
day differs from the night and betw cen
the two doctrines there is and ever must
be, an irrepressible conflict. Queen Vic
tOrta has recognized this necessary antag.
onism between the Democratic and i'm
perial form OF government. In prorogu
ing Parliament few days ago she said
Believing that the continued pol1ti cal
of the republics would be a
constant danger to the peace of South
Africa authorized the annexation of
thu Orange Free State
"A republic is always a menace to a
monarchy, just as truth is always a men
ace to error. Self-government being the
natural government must necessarily
create dissatisfaction among the subjects
or those governments which build upon
some other foundations than the consent
of the governed. What the Orange Free
State and Transyaal republics are to
South Africa our republic is to the world
and only our increasing strength and
the wide Atlantic have protected us from
the inextinguishabIe hostility which
ever exists between those who support
throne and those who recognize the cit
liens as the sovereign.
Every step taken toward imperialism
by this nation meets with prompt en-
enlargement from Europe, Lincoln
pointed out the interest which Euro
pean nations have in the abandonment
here of the doctrine of equal rights. He
said; The principles of Jefferson are
the dafin ltinrls and a-zl,r,,c. IL