The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-08

Canada or the nations of Europe in order
to trade with them. Trade cannot be per-
manently profitable unless it is voluntary.
When trade is secured by force, the cost OF
securing 1t and retaining it must be taken
out of the profits, and the profits are never
/ large enough TO cover the expense Such
a system would never be defended but for
/ the fact that the expense is borne by all
the people, while the profits are enjoyed by
! the few.
Evils of Imperialism.
Imperialism would be profitable to the
/ Army contractors; it would be profitable to
/ the shipowners, who would carry live SOL
: diers to the Philippines and bring dead SOL
diers back; it would be profitable TO those
/ who would seize upon the franchises, and
( it would be profitable to the officials whose
salaries would be fixed here and paid over
j there; but to the farmer, TO the laboring
man, and to the vast majority of those en-
gagged in other occupations. it would bring
j expenditure without return and risk with
/ out reward
! Farmers and laboring men have. as a
/ rule, small incomes, and under systems
! which place the tax upon consumption. pay
more than their fair share of the expen es
! or Government. Thus the very people who
/ receive the least benefit from Imperialism
! Will be injured most by the military bur-
| dens which accompany it
| In addition to the evils which he and
! the farmer share in common the laboTing
man will be the first to suffer if Orien, al
subjects seek work in the United States;
the first TO suffer if American capital
/ leaves our shores to employ Oriental la
Dor in the Philippines to supply the trade
of China and Japan; the first to suffer
from the violence which the military spirit
arouses and the first to suffer when the
methods of Imperialism are applied 10 our
own government.
1T is not strange, therefore, that the
labor organizations have been quick to note
the approach or these dangers and prompt
to protest against both militarism and i'm
perialism-
The pecuniary argument, though more
effective with certain classes, is not likely
to be used so often or presented with so
much emphasis as the religious argument
II what has been termed the 'gunpoWder
gospel were urged against the Filipiaos
only, it would be a sufficient answer to say
that a majority CT the FiIipinos are now
members of one branch Of the Chris;ia
church; but the principle involved is one
of much wider application and challenges
serious consideration.
The religious argument varies in posi-
tfveness from passive belief that Provi-
dence delivered the Fil.pinos into our hands
for their own good and our glory, to the
exultation of the minister who said that
we ought to thrash the natives (Fiipinos)
until they understand who we are and
that every bullet sent, every cannon shot
and very flag waved means righteousness
The ''Gunpoyder Gospel
We cannot approve of this doctrine in
one place unless we are willing to apply it
everywhere. If there is poison in the
blood OF the hand it will ultimately reach
the heart. 1t is equally true that forcible
Christianity. If planted under the Ameri-
can flag in the far-away Orient will sooner
or later be transplanTed upon American
soil If true Christianity consists in carry
ing out in our daily lives the teachings of
Christ, who VIII say that we are command
ed to civiliZe with dynamite and proselyte
with the sword. He who would declare the
Divine viii must prove his authority either
by Holy Writ or by evidence of special
dispensation. The command, Go ye into
all the world and preach the gospel to
every creature has no Calling gun attach
ment
When Jesus visited a village of Samaria
and the people refused to receive Him.
some OF the disciples suggested that fsz
should be called down from Heaven
avenge the insult; but the Master rebuk e5
them and said: 'Ye know not what man
Her of spirit ye are of; for the Son of Man
IS not come TO destroy mems lives, but TO
save them Suppose he had said: We
will thrash them until they under tand
who we are how different would have been
the history of Christianity! Compare. if
you viii. the staggering, bullying, brutal
doctrine of imperialism with the Golden
Rule and the commandment Thou shalt
love thy neighbor as myself
Love. not force. was the weapon of the
Nazarene; sacrifice for others, not the ex-
ploitation of them was His method Of
reaching the human heart A missiona Y
recently told NE that the Stars and Strfres |
once saved his life because his assailant /
recognized our flag as a flag that had no !
blood upon il Let it be known that our |
missionaries are seeking souls instead of |
sovereignty; let it be known that instead t
OF being the advance guard OF conquering /
armies. they are going forth to help and [
to uplift having their Ioins grit about |
with truth and their feet shod with the !
preparation OF the Gospel of Peace, wearing |
the breastplate of righteousness, and car !
rying the sword of the Spirit; let it be
known that they are the citizens of a ma
ton which respects the rights of the citi-
zens OF other nations as carefully as ii pro-
tects the rights of its own citizens, and the
welcome given TO our missionaries will be
more cordial than the welcome xtended to
he missionaries Of any other nation
Inc argument, made by some that it
" '@ HiioI tuildte toF the nation that II had
anything TO do with the Philippine Islands
out that the naval victory at Manila made
he permanent acquisition of those islands
necessary, IS also unsound. We Won |
naval victory at Santiago, but that did not
compel US to hold Cuba. The shedding of
American blood in the Philippine Islands
ices not make it imperative that we
should retain possession forever; American
blood was shed at San Juan Hill and Ell
Caney, and yet the President has prom
sed the Cubans independence,
The fact that the American flag floats
1ver Manila doas not compel US TO exer-
Use perpetual sovereignty over the ISL
lnds; that flag waves over Havana today.
1ut the President has promised to haul it
Town when the flag of the Cuban Republic
IS ready TO rise in its place Better a
thousand times that our flag in the Orient
give way TO a flag representing the idea of
sef-government than that the flag of this
Republic should become the flag of an en-
pre.
An Easy, Honorable Solution.
There is an easy honest, honorable So
tuition of the Philippine question. 1t is set
forth in the Democratic platform and it is
with confidence to the American
people. This plan I unreservedly endorse.
# elected, l shall convene Congress in ex-
-raordinary session as soon as l am inau-
5urated, and recommend an immediate
declaration of the nations purpose; first.
o establish stable form of government
n the Philippine Islands, just as We are
low establishing a stable form of govern
nent in the Island of Cuba; second TO give
to the Filipinos, just as We