The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-27
THE ISSUE OF IMPERIALISM.


BY Permission of Golfers Weekly.
The important issue in the coming
presidential campaign will be imperial
Ism. The administration and its sup
porters intend that the government Of
the republic shall rule over Hawaii, Por-
TO Rico and the Philippines; that this
rule is to be practically absolute any
modification of absolutism being a favor
granted to the people and not a right ap-
pertaining to them; that in respect of
them congress is not bound to obey the
constitution, but may rule the Hawaiinas,
the Porto Ricans and the FilipinOs hide
pendent of all restraints and limitations.
For example: under the imperialistic the
DRY of government congress may deny
to the dependencies the right of trial by
jury, or the rights of freedom Of speech
and of the press, as it has denied them
the right of uniform taxation, which
is prescribed by the constitution. The
right of citizenship has already been
denied to the Porto Ricans, and, under
the same system, will be denied to the
people of the Philippines.
Subjects and dependents of an empire
are nevertheless its citizens, but citizen
ship of the republic carries certain con-
stitutional rights and the recognition Of
..EzenshiI necessarily implies that the
Feople enjoying 1t also enjoy the protec-
ton of the constitution. 1t is going to be
impossible TO set up a republican empire
under the fundamental law, which must
therefore, be violated if our government
is TO be only our servant, the servant
of democracy, but also the irrespon-
Bible master over other peoples. Two SOW
eregndes will then exist side by SIDE
IN this Countrywide sovereign people, VINO
in their constitution, have set UP a gov
eminent of limited powers, and a SOW
ereign government, which no one will
consequently, exercise double and antag-
onistic functions In domestic affairs, it
have established This government WILL
will serve; in colonial affairs, 1t will rule
If the exercise of its latter functions
does not react upon and gradually rev.
Olutionize the former, we are about to
see a new wonder of the world, a won
der as marvellous and incomprehensible
as would have been the patriotic self-re-
straint of the Pretorians, after they had
once tasted the joys of setting up and
pulling down emperors. Whatever may
be the merits of this question, however,
II cannot be disputed that the rule Of
home government over dependencies, or
colonies, or possessions, whatever they
may be called, is the rule of empire, and
-Inat the pOlCy OF IHOSO WHO advocate
such q rule is the policy of Imperialism.
Therefore the campaign issue is properly
called imperialism, and will continue to
be so called with that frequently I'M
erring instinct of the people to fix upon
the right name.
Tho growth and development Of the
imperialist idea was slow and hesitating.
Tho situation having FIRST appealed sue
cessfully to the minds of politicians,
much care was taken to bring the popular
mind gradually 10 the entertainment of
the idea. in the hope that familiarity
would induce assent. In the resolutions
which directed the president to order
Spain out of Cuba, and which, therefore,
led Immediately 10 the war, congress de
clared that the Cuban people are, and
Of right ought to be- free and independ-
ent" The very phraseology shows how
unquestioned was the spirit and how i'm
pressve was the very language of the
Declaration Of Independence in April,
Lass. 4 little more than two years ago.