The Van Buren press., 1900-08-11


| at any time without difficulty.
1t is not necessary to own people IN or
der TO trade with them. We carry on
trade to-day with every part OF me WORTH
rapidly than the commerce of any Euro
pean empire. We do not own Japan or
| China but we trade with their people. we
| have not absorbed the republics OF Cen
trail and South America, but we trade
with them. II has not been necessary 10
have any political connections with can
ada or the nations of Europe in order 10
| trade with them. Trade cannot be per-
manently profitable unless it Is volun-
| tary When trade is secured by force, the
| cost of securing II and retaining IL must
| be taken out of the profits, and the prof1ts
| are never large enough to cover the eH-
pense Such system would never be de-
| Tended but for the fact that the expense
is borne by all the people, while the prof
its are enjoyed by the few
Evils of Imperialism.
Imperialism would be profitable TO the
army contractors; it would be pfohtapie
| 70 the shipowners, who would GARY nVe
| soldiers TO the Philippines and brl.S dead
| soldiers hack; 1t would be proht'. ne TO
| those who would seize upon the iran hises,
| and it would be profitable TO the omclals
whose salaries would be fixed here and
| paid over there; but to the farmer TO the
iaborng man and to the vast majority OF
those engaged in other occupations, 1t
would bring expenditure without return
and risk without reward,
Farmers and laboring men have as
rule, small incomes, and, under systems
which place the tax upon al consumption,
p pe5 $50 Of rovernment. Thus the very peo-
ppia wb ~ STeceive least benefit from i'm
perialism will be injured most by the mil
ltary burdens which accompany 1t.
In addition to the evils which he and the
farmer share in common, the laboring man
will be the first to suffer If oriental subjects
seek Mork III we Gni'eu o s. w ~ ~,
10 suie, ,, orianaad 1abor IN The
s,4ivS W etnpioy u, th I'D Of Thine
nm Ipn " th "Reps; 20 o,ffer from he
uitI ubich tba military shirt arnuses
Wa NJ Az s,fsnr u" ieI htbn methodS
a" gu r ome sra anniied r. orr own
ol ,rs,t are aPp''s' " ''' Wv"
Ell is NOT strange. therefore. that the labor
orpani1st lions have heen nnick 10 note The
9nnrnach Of these dangers and prompt to
nrotest against both militarism and i'm
periaiism'
effective with Certain classes, is not likely
TO be used SO often or presented with so
much emphasis as the religious argument
If what has been termed The "gunpowder
rospeT' We're urged against the Filipinos
only, II would be a sufficient answer to say
that a majority of the Flipinos are now
members of one branch of the Christian
church; but the principle involved is one
serious considerations
The religious argument varies in positive
ness from a passive belief that Providence
delivered the Filipinos into our hands, for
their good and our glory, to the exultation
of the minister who said that we ought to
thrash the natives (Filipinos) until they
understand who we are" and that every
bullet sent, every cannon shot and every
flag waved means righteousness.
Ma c.,It,. Co.s,,
~, l..
we cannot approve OF thiS doetrine IN
one place unless we are willing to apply
u every ehere II there Is poison In the
plood OF the mana IL VIII ultimately feach
tne heart ~ Is equally true that tolGiple
nag IN the far-away orient, VIII sooner or
later De transplanted upon American SOIL
II true Christianity consists IN carrying
ont IN our DAILY lives the teachings OF
christ VINO VIII say mat we are command
ed TO eivilize with dynamite and proselyte
with the sword? He who would declare
tne DIVINE VIII must prove ms authority
elther by Holy writ or by evidence OF
We INTO all the world and preach the Gospel
TO every creature, has no Gatling gun at.
Iachmeht When Jesus VISITED village OF
Samarla ana the people refused TO receive
Him, some OF the disciples suggested that
hre should be called down IRON Heaven
to .avenge the insult; but the Master re-
buked them, and said: "Ye know not what
manner OF spirit we are OF; for the Son OF
man Is not come TO destroy men $ lVes,
nut TO save them' suppose lie had SAID
we VIII thrash them until they under
stand who we are, how different would
have been the history of Christianity
Compare, If you viii, the staggering, bull
lying, brutal doctrine OF Imperialism with
the Golden Rule and the commandment,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy
self.
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 missionary
recently told me that the stars and stripes
once saved his life because his assailant
recognized our flag as flag that had no
blood upon II. Let It be known that our
missionaries are seeking souls instead of
OF being the advance guard OF conquering
,n mnJlif, 'hhey ur, s4,ns LOTT, 10 mvip ahH
truth and their feet shod with Inc prep@ra.
ton of the Gospel OF Peace, wearing the
breastplate of righteousness and carrying
the sword of the Spirit; let II be known that
they are the citizens OF nation which
respects the rights OF the citizens Of other
nations as carefully as II protects the rights
Of its own citizens, and the welcome given
to our missionaries will be more cordial
than the welcome extended to the mission
aries Of any other nation.
The argument, made by some that It
was unfortunate for the nation that 1t
mad anything to do with the Philippine
Islands but mat ne naval victory at Ma:
Nose Islands necessary, IL also unsound.
we won victory At Santiago but that
did not compel us to hold Cuba The she'd
ding OF American blood In the Philippine
Islands does not make II imperative that
we should retain possession forever; Amer
lean blood was shed at san Juan hill and III
Caney, and yet the president has prom.
Scd the Cubans independence The fact
that the American flag iioats over Manila
does not compel US to exercise perpetual
sovereignty over the Islands. that llag
waves over Havana to-day, but the pres.
ident has promised to haul II down when
the nag OF the Cuban rppublic is ready Ia
rise IN It's place, Better n thousand times
mat our nag In the orient give way to q
nag representing the idea OF self.govcrn.
incGt than that the naR OF this republic
snould become the flag OF an empire,
An Iionor,hi. soi,,,,,
,r,.,. ,'..'.' 80
inere ~ an easy, honest honorable solu-
slon oi tnc inlHpplnt question, II IL set
lorln ~ the democratic platform and 1t IN
Supn''tou wild coUlidci!ce TO me Ameri-
cum people, TINS plan | unroaorvcdly In