The Republican., 1900-09-20
EXPANSION.


Vice President was made public to-
night. 1t is addressed to Senator
Wolcott, chairman of the Committee
of Notification. He attacks the Kan
sas City platform because,in his opin-
ion, ut stands for reaction and disor-
der; for an upsetting of our financial
system which would mean not only
great suffering but the abandonment
of the Nations good faith, and for a
policy abroad which would imply the
dishonor of the flag and an unworthy
surrender of our National rights. Its
success would mean unspeakable hu-
initiation to men proud of their coun-
try, jealous of their country's good
name and desirous of securing the
welfare of their fellow citizens. There
fore" he adds, 1--WE have right to
appeal to all good men, North and
South, East and West, whatever their
politics may have been in the past,
to stand with us, because we stand
for the prosperity OF the country and
for the renown of the American flag"
The first great duty now before
the voters of the country, he says, is
to secure good government at home.
Unparalleled prosperity has attended
the Administration Of the last four
years. A continuance of such condi
tions is in the highest degree desira-
BILE. And to that end sound financial
policy is essential.
Regarding another topic of much
popular interest at the present time
he says:
The problem (of trusts is an exceed
ingly difficult one, and the difficulty
is immensely aggregated both by
honest but wrongheaded attacks on
our whole industrial system in the
effort to remove some of the evils con-
nected with it, and by the mischiev-
GUS advice of men who either think
crookedly or who advance remedies
knowing them to be ineffective, but
deeming that they may by darkening
counsel achieve for themselves spur
ious reputation for wisdom. No good
whatever is subserved by indiscrimi-
nate denunciation of corporations
generally, and of all forms of indus
trial combination in particular; and
when this public denunciation is ac-
companied by private membership in
the great corporations denounced the
, effect is, of course, to give an air of
insincerity to the whole movement.
Nevertheless there are real abuses,
and there is ample reason for striving
to remedy these abuses. A crude or
ill considered effort to remedy them
would either be absolutely without
effect or else would simply do dam
age.
The first thing to do is to find out
the facts; and for this purpose public
ity as to capitalization, profits and
all else of Importance to the public is
the most useful measure. The mere
fact of this publicity would in itself
remedy certain evils, and as to the
others il would in some cases point
out the remedies, and would at least
enable us to tell whether or not GER
tain proposed remedies would be use
full. The State acting in its collective
capacity would thus first find out the
facts, and then be able to take such
measures as wisdom dictated. Much
can be done by taxation. Even more
can be done by regulation, by close
supervision and the unsparing excl
sion of all unhealthy, destructive and
anti-social elements. The saperate
State governments can do a great
deal, and where they decline to coop
crate the National Government must
step in.
Next after good government at
home the maintenance of National
honor abroad is the issue of greatest
Importance. The American people
owe duty to the world. This results
rom the Nations growth. When
independence was declared the west
ern limit of the country was the Allie
ghany range. But even during the
Revolution Kentucky, Tennessee and
Illinois were being occupied. Then
came the great Louisiana purchase
by Jefferson in 1903. At this time
the President sent soldiers to preserve
order in the territory, just as Mr.. Nc
Kinley has sent troops to the Philip
pines. The acquisition of Florida,
with the consequent Indian wars, is
next recounted. After this the Gov
ernor discusses the annexation of
Texas, California, Arizona, Nevada,
and parts of Colorado and Utah, the
Alaska purchase, and Hawaii's desire
to come under the American flag.
Speaking of Alaska Governor Roose-
velt says:
For thirty years the United States
authorities, military and civil, exer-
cised the supreme authority in a
tract of land many times larger than
the Philippines, in which it did not
seem likely that there would ever be
any considerable body of white in
habitants.
The simple truth is that there is
nothing even remotely resembling
imperialism" or "militarism' in
volved in the present development of
that policy of expansion which has
been part of the history of America
from the day when she became ma
ton. The words mean absolutely
nothing as applied to our present
policy in the Philippines; for this
policy is only imperialistic in the