The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-06

be citizens without endangering our
civilization; they cannot be subjects
without imperiling our form of govern
ment and as we are not willing to sur
render our civilization or to convert the
republic into an empire We favor an
immediate declaration of the. nations
purpose to give to the Filipinos, first. a
stable form of government; second in
dependence, and third, protection from
outside interference, such as has been
given for nearly a century to the re-
publics Of Central and South America.
Ihe greedy commercialism which die
F tated the Philippine policy of the Re
publican administration attempts to
justify it with the plea that it will pay,
but even this sordid and unworthy
plea fails when brought to the test of
facts. The war of criminal aggression
against the Filipinos, entailing an an
nua1 expense of many millions, has al
ready cost more than any possible
profit that could accrue from the en-
tire Philippine trade for years to come
Furthermore, when trade is extended
at the expense Of liberty, the price is
always too high.
We are not opposed to territorial ex-
pansion when it takes in desirable ter
ritory Which can be erected into states
in the Union, whose people are willing
and fit to become American citizens.
We favor:
Favor Trade Expansion.
Trade expansion by every peaceful
and legitimate means, but we are I'M
alterably opposed to the Selling or pur-
chasing of distant islands to be gov
erned outside the constitution, and
whose people can never become citi-
zens.
We are in favor of extending the re-
public's influence among the nations,
but believe that influence should be
extended, not by force and violence,
but through the persuasive power of
high and honorable example. The i'm
portance of other questions pending be-
fore the American people is in nowise
diminished, and the Democratic party
takes no backward step from its posi-
ton on them, but the burning issue of
imperialism growing out of the Spanish
war involves the very existence of the
republic and the destruction of our
free institutions. We regard it as the
paramount issue of the campaign.
The declaration in the Republican
platform adopted at the Philadelphia
convention held in June, 1900, that the
Republican party "Steadfastly adheres
to the policy announced in the Monroe
OOSNAAAlO ID lud1lI6Sliy l1SlncGr6 ana
deceptive. This profession is contra
dicted by the avowed policy of that
party in opposition to the spirit of the
Monroe doctrine to acquire and hold
sovereignty over large areas of terri
tory and large numbers of people in the
Eastern hemisphere.
We insist on the strict maintenance
of the Monroe doctrine and in all It's
integrity, both in letter and in spirit, as
necessary to prevent the extension Of
European authority on this continent
and as essential to our supremacy in
American affairs the same time we
declare that no American people shall
ever be held by force in unwilling sub
lection to European authority.
No MiIitarism Wanted.
We oppose militarism. It means con-
quest abroad and intimidation and op-
preston at home. It means the strong
arm which has ever been fatal to free
institutions. 1t is what millions of our
citizens have fed from in Europe, it
will impose upon our peace-loving peo-