The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-11

SOlueIuluS else WHICH owns MIN. i neS0
four enemies in a dangerous garb con-
front the United States today.
Schiller says that the tyrants reach
hands to each other-that they reach
to each other the hands. They stand
together now. These four stand to-
gether now. Wherever there is one.
the other is. Aristocracy, slavery, mill
itarism and Imperialism. They reach
others hands.
They all have their fair, attractive
side. They are defended sometimes at
the Preside. Slavery was discussed
and defended from many a pulpit in
New England.
Aristocracy has its fair side.
The foundation of quality is aris-
tocracy; the foundation of our liberty
is rebellion against 1.-THE very thing
we came here for.
There is fair side OF slavery and
fair side of militarism. How clean the
streets can be kept under military dis
c1pline and how free from noise! How
easily people can be sent to bed at
dark if it be desired.
Ii.
You will find in many places that nine
tenths of the people believe it is a
good thing for the world. May be it
is, but when we come to read history
from the one side to the other we will
| find that the British people have been
| debauched by their course in India and
| that the Hindoos have been cursed
| You will find that the English people
nave been turned from being strong,
treedom-loving people. You will find
also that the hearts blood has gone
out of Great Britain as it has gone out
| OF all countries which have engaged
in constant wars
We know how Napoleon depopulated
France by his wars. We know of the
murders of the nobility, the murders
OF the peasantry and the result in
France today. In 1880, when the Phil
ippine question was a burning one in
Spain, La Puente, an Augustinian
friar, expressed his opinion of the
whole thing when he said
Against the aIin of redeemed souls
l place the cost in loss of armies and
OF soldiers and friars sent to the Phil
| ippines, and these l count the chief
loss, that while mines give silver and
forests give lumber, only Spain gives
Spaniards, and she shall give so many
OF them that some day she shall be
left childless, and forced to bring up
strangers children instead of her
own
The heresy of imperialism is the
most dangerous that has arisen since
the heresy of secession, and it must
be fought as vigorously as the heresy
of secession. If we admit as citizens
any number of millions of people that
are not ready for liberty, if we admit
them with all the degradation which
they must bring into our politics, we
must take the consequences.
1t is better that we should be lust
and faithful to our own principles and
to the principles Of God and that we
should in our laws be no respecters of
persons, because if in our laws we are
respecters of persons we must go the
way OF empire, as all empire has gone.
The best way in which the growth of
any man or nation has ever been pro-
NOTED has been through self-govern-
ment democratically looking after its
own affairs We do not expect that
self-government will always be good
government. Men learn not by their
successes, but by mistakes. 1t is alb
solutely impossible for any republic to
conduct any affairs well except its
own.