Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-08-10
Expansion and imperialism.


The Minneapolis Journal, seeking
for some point in the democratic ar
NOR against which to hurl its lanceS,
says:
Colonel Bryan promises to devote the
major portion of his coming accept
ance grafton to imperialism, which
being interpreted means expansion,
which Mr.. Bryan and his party oppoS-
eS on the ground that the acquisition
of territory with water betwcenitand
and the United States sounds the
death knell of the republic and has
already placed Americans under a ty-
rannical imperial government upheld
by 100000 bayonetS welded by excel
lent citizens of the United States,
whose population is something near
S0,000,000.
OF course the Minneapolis Journal is
wrong, everlastingly and etcrnally
wrong, in its definition and in it's dec
lara ton of dcmocracy's attitude on
the paramount issue. Democracy has
never opposed expansion. 1t does not
oppose expansion. But it does oppose
Imperialism. There is vast differ
ence between expansion as favored by
the democratic party and the imperial
policy'of the republican party. Every
foot of the great territory added TO
the United States by democratic eX-
panSion is now under the American
flag. under the constitution and under
the laws of the United States. Every
citizen of the territory included in the
expanded limits brought about by
democratic craftsmanship is citizen
of the United States and guaranteed
all the rights, privileges and immuni-
ties guaranteed to othcrcitizemso OF the
United States. Trade and commerce
is free and unrestricted between the
territory added to the Uuited States
by expansion as advocated by democ-
racy and the original states The tr'a
ty cnlarging the boundaries 81 a, To
include new territory, coming within
the jurisdiction of the United States
by reason Of the democratic policy of
expansion guaranteed the people of
new territory that they might achieve
statehood for their territories and full
citizenship for themselves. Against
such policy of expansion democracy
has never been arraigned. On the con-
trary it has always favored it. But
the democratic party is now, and al
ways has been, opposed to the annex
alton of territory to be governed out
side of the constitution and in direct
disregard of the fundamental princi-
pies of the republic. Democracy does
not oppose the retention of the Phili-
ppines because water separates them
from the United States, but because
their people can not be amalgamated
with our own, and because to retain
them means a Subversion of republic
can principles by the taking up of the
European form of colonial rule. De-
mocracy opposes the annexation ofany
territory that cannot be guaranteed
statehood. 1t opposes policy which
means taxation withoutrepresetat
violation of the constitution and aping
of European forms.
The republican organs will not gain
by deliberate Misrepresentation of the
democratic position. The time has gone
by when the people may be deceived
by brazen falsehood and cheap clap
trap. Will any republican organ as
sert that it is in favor of applying the
same rules, laws and rights to the an
nneXed territory of the Philippines
that were applied to the territory an
neXed under democratic administra-
| tion?-Omaha World-Herald.