Washington sentinel., 1900-09-22
"There is no
rs ibis ;mneriaI,sm." ="
imperialism? declares tIe

lmpeI lStlS
1nneriaIism1 declares tue
President in his
letter OF acceptance. "This talk
about imperialism is the veriest
moonshine, the mere coinage OF
partisan brains," asserts Mr..
Schurman, who was the president
OF the first commission Mr.. Nc
Kinley sent to Manila. The talk
of imperialism and militarism is
the rankest nonsense" maintains
Senator Lodge, OF Massachusetts,.
From President down to the hum
blest spellbinder and organ grinder
the Republicans are kept busy
protesting that an evil which does
exist in a palpable form really has
no existence. Their denials are
based upon the assumption that
the American people are so dull
wittcd that they are unable to un-
derstand the difference between
republican government and the
kind OF government which has
been established in Porto Rico and
which is ultimately to be forced
upon the FilIpinos.
The Republican leaders are anx
ious, and very naturally so, to
create the impression that the pol
icy Of this Government in Porto
Rico and the Philippines does not
involve anv departure from the
principles upon which the Ameri-
can Republic was founded. They
will not succeed, however, either
by the apologize methods adopted
by Mr.. Mckinley in his letter OF
acceptance or by the fiat denials
Of Mr.. Schurman, Senator LodPe
and other imperialists who think
the American people can be
bluffed by such tactics. If there
were no such thing as imperialism,
why should the Porto Ricans be
virtually Subjects" OF the United
States, why should tariff duties be
imposed upon the produSts OF the
island, and why should they be
denied the privilege OF free trade
with the island OF which they are
a part1 Why should their status
in such matters be different from
that Of the inhabitants Of other
territory OF the United States-oi
Arizona and New Mexico, for in
stance7 Why should the Govern
ment at Washington impose edu-
cational and property restrictions
upon suffrage in Porto Rico2 Why
should the Porto Ri;ans be subject
to our immigration laws and
treated as aliens9
If this is not imperialism, what
is it1 We have fastened American
sovereignty upon Porto Rico; we
intend to hold The island perma-
nently as territory OF the Unite d
States; we have taken charge of
the government of the island, plac-
ing it IN the hands OF officials ap-
pointed by the President. Such
representation as the Porto Ricans
are graciously permitted to enjoy
in their government can be oil little
advantage to them. The actual
ruler OF the island is the Civil Gov
ernor appointed by President Nc
KinleY. The members OF the Gov
ernor's council, his cabinet, are
also appointed by the President,
and governor and council together
constitute an OligarchY sustained
by the Government OF the United
States-an oligsrchV beneath
whose sway the Porto Ricans, even
with their elective Assembly, are
absolutely helpless. Certainly
this is not a republican form of
government; it is not government
by consent; it is not a government
founded upon the principle that
there must be no taxation without
representation. 1t is the rule oil
might, the holding of a weak peo-
pie as Subjects" the establish
ment Of an imperial system. II
places the United States on the
same plane as the land grabbing
nations of Europe; 1t is an en-
phatic and unconditional denial oil
every principle for which our fore.
fathers contended, and for which
they fought to the bitter end.
The late General u. S. Grant, in
his Personal Memoirs" strongly
condemned the war with Mexico
and the methods by which the an