The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-24


! slant and increasing burden. The army
worm which occasionally destroys a field
| of wheat is not nearly SO dangerous an
enemy to the farmer as a large standing
army, which invades every field of indus
try and exacts toll from every crop.
Cost of Great Army.
'rf 100000 men are withdrawn from the
ranks of the producers and placed as a
| burden on the backs of those who remain.
it must mean longer hours, harder work
and greater sacrifices for those who toll,
and the farmer, while he pays more than
| his share of the expenses of the army has
no part in army contracts or in develop
| ing companies and his sons are less likely
10 fill the life positions in the army than
the sons of those who, by reasons of
wealth or political prominence, exert IN
fuence al Washington.
Soon after the Republican leaders be-
gan to suggest the propriety of a colonial
policy, the papers published an interview
| given out from San Francisco by foreign
consul residing at Manila. He declared
that the people of the United States owed
| II to themselves, to other nations and to
the Filipinos TO hold the Philippine ISL
ands permanently. AT the conclusion of
the interview, there appeared the very sig
| nifcant statement that the gentleman was
visiting the United States for the purpose
OF organizing a company for the develop
ment of the Philippine Islands. A few
days later, on his way East he gave out
another interview in which he explained
that the company which he intended to
organize would establish banks at Manila,
and at other places throughout the ISL
ands and build electric light plants, wa
ter plants, street car lines, railroads, fac
tories, etc. ID seemed that the plan Of
his syndicate was TO do all the develop
| ing and leave the rest of the American
people nothing to do in the matter except
to furnish an army sufficient to hold the
| Fihpnos in subsection while they were
being developed.
AT the present rate, we will spend an
nualiy upon the army approximately half
as much as we spend for education in
the United States, and this immense sum
is wrung from the taxpayers by systems
| of taxa ton which overburden the poor
man and undertaX the rich man. In the
presence of such an issue as militarism,
it is impossible 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 con-
tcmplated by the Republican party multi
fes every principle set forth in the Dec
laTation of Independence, strikes a blow
a popular government, and robs the ma
ton of its moral prestige. Already the
more advanced supporters of the colonial
lNed point 10 Jle economy OF a system
OF government which entrusts all power
to an executive and does away with the
necessity for legislation. The Army aud
Navy Journal, in its issue of Aug. 4, COM
mends the English system, and declares
that as result of this system, a firth
of the worlds area. containing a fourth
of its population, is ruled with an adj
ministrative economy which is an admin
istretive marvel and adds:
" t(Ona million hundred thousand
dollars spent in London is the price of
administrative order over a colonial rule,
whose total budgets aggregate $1,724 354, sos.
or so per cent. more than our total Of
Federal, state, county and village eXpen-
ditures for every possible purposes for
which taxes are levied. In contrast to
the results of this system of executive
administration, the fact is cited that the
American Congress has spent an entire
winter wrestling with the tariff, the tax
alton, the administration, and the per-
sonal rights of two little islands. The
English executive is an imperial executive.
The British Parliament is an English
Legislature. That to the same system we
are coming by the decree of circumstance
is as inevitable as that of fate. If this
be imperialism. 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 UNI
der rule essentially monarchiaI. and not
restricted by the constitutional limits
of the parliamentary system.
War of Empire and Republic.
Thus does imperialism bear its sup
porters back toward the dark ages There
ii no middle ground between the Amer
lean policy and the European policy. If
this nation remains true to it's principles
Its traditions and its history. il cannot
hold colonies. If it enters upon a colonial
career, it must repudiate she doctrine 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. what
ever its name may be, which believes IN
a republic, and the party, whatever is
name which believes in an empire; and
the influence of every citizen is, con-
sciously or unconsciously Intentionally or
Fundamentally, thrown upon one side or
the other.
where the divine right of kings is
recognized, the monarch can grant differ
ent degrees of liberty 10 different sub
jects The people of England can be
ruled in one way the people of Canada
in another, the people of Ireland in au-
other, while the people of India may be
governed according to still different
forms But there can be no variety in
a republic. The doctrine of a republic diff
fers from a doctrine of a monarchy as
the day differs from the night and be-
tween the two doctrines there is and ever
must be an irrepressible conflict Queen
Victoria has recognized this necessary
antagonism between the democratic and
imperial form of government. In pro-
roguing Parliament a few days ago. she
said; Believing that the political indie
pendence of the republics would be a con-
slant danger to the peace of South AZ
RIGA I authorized the annexation of the
Orange Free State
"A republic is always a menace to
monarchy, just truth is always men
ace to error. Self-government being tho
| natural government, must necessarily
create dissatisfaction among The
subjects OF those governments which
build upon some other foundation
than the consent Of the governed. What
the Orange Free Slate and Transvaal 20
public are 10 South Africa. our republic
is TO the world. and only our increasing
strength and the wide Atlantic have pro-
| tected us from the inextinRuishable hos
| Unity which must ever exist between those
] who support throne and those who rccog-
nize the citizen as tho sovereign.
Europe Encourages imperialism.
Every step taken toward imperialism
! by this nation meets with prompt ana e.