The Red Cloud chief., 1900-10-19
A CENTUUY'S GROWTH
OF THE COUNTRY.
History Of National Expansion
from JeffersOn's Time.
The Life Of The Nation, Like That Of an
Individual, Depends Upon Its Ability
to Develop and Grow.

An intelligent youth, nrtcen years Olu,
who reads the daily papers, said to his
father. who Is n student Of politics:
Father. what Is the meaning of i'm.
pcrinlism' as used in the Democratic
platforms and by Democratic speakers,
particularly Mr.. Bryan; and what do
you mean by expansion"
The father answered: 'My boy. 'impe-
rialism,' correctly defined. means per.
tanning to an empire The use of il. MS
they intend it TO apply by the party you
! speak OF, is pure dc~magosy-a clap
trap effort to catch votes in the coming
election. These men have erected an air
castle and are pclting 1t with words. But
few of the men Of brains who use this
term. MS applied to the conditions in this
country. believe IL to he true or correct.
They have n mistaken idea that they
can scare the American people by pro-
claiming against n bugnboo of their own
creation. In this they are mistaken. The
American voter is quick To detect hum
bug and Is not easily scared even at the
threat of real evils. IL is possible that
some Of those men really believe what
they say on this subject. II they do,
they arc in the unfortunate position OF
those OF whom IL IL said, they believe
n lie to be damned for these men will
be politically damned Mt the election in
November. Outside Of these parties
there are some declaring against 'impc.
rialism' who are mislcd by diseased inn
aginations and who, while being honest,
are simply foolish
Well. father. what do you mean by
'cxpansionT"
II Use the word in its ordinary sense.
my boy, which is the enlargement of sur.
face"
"Ycs. I understand that, but this is q
political term as used now. Does it mean
the enlargement Of the surface of the
country"
Certainly. and but for expansion this
deed"
when did it begin to expand? Who
was the first cXpnnsionisti"
Look nj the map of the United States
and you will see that the colonies of
Great Britain which revolted in 1876
were Massachusetts, which included
HidliNs AN'N lldIhIlNHlIf, 'VIuttlltul
Rhode Island. New York. which with
New Hampshire included Vermont: New
Jersey. PENNSYLVANIA. Delaware. Mary
land, Virginia. which included Kentucky.
North Carolina. which claimed Tenncs.
see: South Carolina and Georgia. All
these colonies, with the outlying terri.
tories claimed by them. had only 4S2..3 q
square miles. with u population OF about
- MN nNn I.,, -. A..
George Washington. then n colonel Of
Virginia militia, was the first expansion
list. He aided In driving the French out
Of Fort Dulucsnc, where Pittsburg now
stands: helped in anncxing to Virginia
all the territory which now comprises
the States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Michigan and Wisconsin. There were
no white inhabitants save n few French
on the lakes and in Illinois. These
States cover 2S:.36l square miles, about
three-tifths Of the area OF the colonies.
At the taking Of the census Of 1890, ten
years ago. they had n population Of 3d.
i6l ,S46 and wealth valued at S15,041,-
G35,522. W~ashington's expansion proved
to be Il very valuable one"
who was the next expansionist, and
what did he doT'
Thomas Jefferson was the next. In
April, 1903, he purchased the territory
OF Louisiana from France. Look at that
large map. All the States and territories
which you see west OF the Mississippi
river to that irregular line which extends
from the Gulf of Mexico to the Cana.
dian border. near the Pacific ocean, were
included in this purchase. At the time
the purchase WAS made il was declared
valuclcss, and jefferson was denounced
rs bitterly by the opposition at that time
rs Mckinley Is now-in fact, more bit
tcrly. In 1910, the first census after the
purchase. the entire civilized population
was 1T,iOl. The area NJ this purchase
was 9Il,ST3 square miles. more than
double that of the original colonies, and
comprised what Is now the States OF
Louisiana, Arkansas. Missouri, Iowa,
Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Ne
braskn. Kansas, part of Colorado. nearly
all Of Wyoming. nearly all OF Montana,
the Indian Territory and the Territory OF
Oklahoma. In 1880 the population Of
these States was l2,053. sos and their
wealth was Sl1 ,595. 3D., $40. eleven bill.
ion five hundred aud nincty-fvc million
tire" hundred aud fifty two thousand
five hundred and forty dollars. These
States in lSJS furnished over One-half
the wheat and nearly onc-half the corn
crop of the country, and this year will
do still better. They have nearly one
third of the total railway mileage and
are great producers Of cattle. sheep,
hogs and horses. And yet their produc-
tive capacity is in its infancy. When
irrigation Is established. as it soon will
he, the products Of these States will be
doubled or tripled. And there is one ad.
vantage NJ this purchase that can never
bc estimated in money, which is the con.
troll of the Mississippi river. Jcfferson's
purchase has turned out TO bc Il good one,
Notwithstanding the bitter opposition e
its co~nsuElmatiOn."