The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-17
TEXT BOOK FOR Campaign.
ISSUE OF KANSAS
CITY PLATFORM DIssECTED.


Special Dispatch to the Post-InteIligencer
WASHINGTON, Sept. l6-The Repub-
lican campaign text book just issued in
this city takes up the declaration Of the
Kansas City platform that 1.-THE para
mount issue of the campaign is impe-
riaiism." II shows very clearly that this
declaration was a concession to the rul-
ing spirits Of the Democratic convention
TO a defeated faction After Bryan and
his fellow champions OF free silver forced
specific reiteration of the is TO ! plank.
they ''salved" the defeat OF the conserv-
alive element in the party by this cry OF
Imperialism.
Under a Republican form OF govern
ment." says the text book, there is and
can be no such thing as Imperialism.
THE Democratic convention did not dare
TO array itself against expansion. II wen
knew two things-first, that the expan-
sion which has come as the fruit OF the
Spanish war was the inevitable necessity
of its conditions, and, second. that the
great body OF the American people rec
ognized this truth and accept the present
results as unavoidable and settled. The
convention, therefore took good care not
TO declare itself against this popular senti-
ment, and in place of II undertook TO
make fictitious issue. But there Is no
such thing as imperialism distin-
guished from expansion. This is proven
situation.
what is imperialism so-cailed? What
do the creators OF this fiction mean by IL?
imperlalism Is sovereign rule without
law. 1t is the government of a people by
personal Will Law comes to the people
through their representatives Where law
rules Imperialism does not and cannot
exist. The president of the United States
has no power and exercises none except
by virtue of law. When he exercises the
war power he does II under law. When
he exercises the power 10 suppress fnsur-
/ rection against the authority OF the
United States he does 1t by command of
law.
There Ii No Imperialism.
APPLY these fundamental truths to the
present situation 1t cannot be pretended
| Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico, having passed
beyond the necessity and the peril of
! military government. is governed by a law
or congress passed for that purpose. This
law prescribes its form Of government,
establishes its governor and other ad-
illustrative officers. creates legislative
BODY 10 represent the people, and provides
for the complete machinery of civil gov
eminent The president himself exercises
no authority in Puerto Rico except as
Imperialism there.
How about the Philippines? 1t is equal
~ true that the president exercises no
authority in the Philippines except by vir-
tue of law. The power under which he Is
suppressing insurrection is conferred by
the constitution, which is the highest law.
int power uilutT WHICH ne tStdnlSneS
military government, or creates tempo
rary civil authority pending the action of
congress. Is conferred by law. He would
violate law IL he did not use his power
TO suppress fnsurrection That is II he
| failed to do just what he is doing now,
he would set up his own will against the
command OF law, and to set up individual
will without law or against law is i'm
perialism. The very course proposed by
those who profess adherence of i'm
perialism would itself be Imperialism.
while the aC.fpp xth trh bax
imperialism Is itself obedience to law
Conditions In Philippines.
The existing conditions In the Philip
pines viii be changed when the insurrec-
ton shall be fully suppressed and when
congress shall determine. Congress did
not pass "a law for the government OF the
Philippines, as IL did for Puerto Rico, be-
cause the Philippines were not ripe for It.
/ The insurrection must first he suppressed
and the authority OF the United states
fully recognized Congress did not act
/ on the subject because the president was
exercising the war power. and It wanted
him to continue exercising IL until It's
purpose was accomplished. The very fact
that congress did not act was equivalent
10 a declaration that the existing law
under which the president is proceeding
Is required for this emergency and that
tho time had not yet come for further
law, The essential fact is that every step
which the president has taken Is In con-
formity. with law. recognized and APP
proved by congress in session at the time.
such thing as imperialism.
Former Experiences In Expansion.
This lesson Is confirmed and made
complete by review of our history We
I have had repeated expansions We have
{ from time to time acquired new territory
I and new peoples. In every case our gov
/ eminent has dealt with the new terri
! tory and its inhabitants. We are now
long course 81 history has prepared the
way and determined the general chart
Tor what we are now doing. When
Thomas jefferson the author Of the Dec
laratt0n Of Independence and the first
I Democrats president. made the Louis
= lana purchase, he exercised American
I authority exactly as President Mckinley
I has exercised " over Puerto RirO and
! the Philippines except as the insurrec-
4 tion In the latter archipelago has required
: special treatment. Mr.. Jefferson and the
congress OF hts day provided local gov
j ernment Tor Louisiana which represented
I American authority. They created
/ governor and council. They established
/ all the administrative machinery, They
4 defined and appointed AL the officers
They did al this wholly hy virtue ~ the
national power and without stopping 20
{ ask the consent % the people over whom
3 this government was extended.
An Old story.
The same course was repeated when
she Florida ccSslou was made and Il has
I been repeated In every subsequent acau!.
siuon % territory Not only have We ex-
many cases we have FOR reasons We
I deemed sufficient. kept them in depend
Z ent condition for more than half q cau-
fury. New McXiaQ came 10 us from the
Mexican war, and Il ls sim IN trrritori-
s al condition Alaska WAS purchased from
Russia IN 1881. and Il was only last winter
I that the law MAS passed which gave IA
3 a substantial civil government From the
beginning ~ our government 80 have
had Indian tribes within our domain. We
have recognized that they we're not rApa-
IA or ma - q IL
rnent a. our own people and we have
kept them IN a separate and dependent
position We have not allowed one In
dian tribe 10 rule over another, and have
. not permitted Them 20 establish c5nfsd-
. eracg among themselves We have he'd
that they were under our dominion and
that it Nas our province 10 establish slicb
Relationship ~ was BEST far oar Inter
ests ard Tor thesv nwn.
Expansion Not soaght or Desired.
The administration has not favored