The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-08


forth in the Declaration of Independ-
ence, it viii lose the prestige and inf1u
ence which it has enjoyed among the
nations as an exponent of popular gov
eminent.
Our opponents conscious of the weak
ness of their cause, seek to confuse i'm
perialism with expansion, and have
even dared to claim Jefferson as a sup
porter of their policy. Jefferson spoke
SO freely and used language with such
precision that no one can be ignorant
of his views. On one occasion he de-
clared: IF there he one principle more
deeply rooted than any otherin the mind
of every American, it is that we should
have nothing to do with conquest" And
principles; it is inconsistent with our
government"
Does Not Oppose Expansion.
The forcible annexation of territory
to be governed by arbitrary power, diff
fers as much from the acquisition OF
territory to be built up into states as
a monarchy differs from a democracy
The Democratic party does not oppose
expansion, when expansion enlargeS the
area of the republic and incorporates
land which can be settled by American
citizens, or adds to our population peo-
pie who are willing to become citizens
and are capable of discharg1ng tnelr
duties as such The ac GUS a,ol1
Florida, Texas and other tracts when
have been secured from time to time, en-
larged the republic, and the constitution
followed the flag into the new territory
IT is now proposed to seize upon distant
territory already more densely populated
than our own country, and to force upon
the people a government, for which there
is no warrant in our constitution or our
laws Even the argument that TINS
earth belongs to those who desire to Gull
tivate it and have the physical power to
acquire it cannot be invoked to JUSTIFY
the appropriation of the Philippine Isl
ands by the United States If the islands
were uninhabi American citizens
would not be willing to go there and till
the soil. The white race will not live SO
tions have tried to col
onize in the same latitude. The Neither
lands have controlled Java for 300 years,
and vet today there are less than sc, 900
people of European birth scattered
among 25,0O0,000 natives. After cen
fury and a half of English domination in
India less than twentieth of one per
cent of the people of India are of Eng
lish birth, and it requires an army or
10000 British soldiers to take care of the
tax collectors. Spain has asserted title
to the Philippine Islands for three cen
turtles, and yet, when our fleet entered
Manila Bay, there were less than 10000
Spaniards residing in the Philippines
A colonial policy means that we shall
send to the Philippines a few traders, a
few taskmasters and a few officeholders,
and an army large enough to support
the authority of small fraction of the
Standing Army a Menace.
IF we have an imperial policy we must
have a large standing army as it's nat
ural and necessary complement The
spirit which will justify the fOrcible an
nexatiOn of the Philippine Islands, will
justify the seizure of other islands and
the domination of other people, and with
wars of conquest we can expect GER
tain, if not rapid, growth of our mill
tary establishment. That a large per-
manent increase in our regular army is
intended by the Republican leaders is
not a mere matter of conjecture but a
matter of fact In his message of De-
cember 5, 1898, the president asked for
authority to increase the standing army
to 100000. In 1886 the army contained
about $4,000 men. Within two years the
president asked for four times that
many, and a Republican house of repre-
sentattves complied with the request af-
ter the Spanish treaty had been signed
and no country was at war with the
United States. If such an army is de-
nanded when an imperial policy is con-
templated, but not openly aVOWed, what
may be expected if the people encourage
the Republican party by endorsing its
policy at the polls? A large standing
army is not only a pecuniary burden to
the people, and, if accompanied by COM
pulsory service, a constant source of ir-
ritation, but 1t is ever menace to a Re
publican form of government. The army
is the personifica ton of force, and mill
tarfsm will inevitably change the ideals
our young men from the arts of peace
to the science of war. The government
which relies for its defense upon it's cit
liens, is more likely to be lust than one
which has at call a large body of pro-
fessional SOldiers.A small standing army
and a we'll equipped and we'll disciplined
state militia are sufficient in ordinary
times, and in an emergency the nation
should in the future as in the past place
its dependence upon the volunteers who
come from all occupations at their coun-
try's call and return to productive labor
When their services are no longer re-
quired-men who fight when the coun-
try needs fighters and work when the
country needs workers.
Citizen or Subject.P
The Republican platform assumes
tained under American sovereignty, and
we have a right to demand OF the Re
publican leaders a discussion of the fu-
ture status of the Filipino. Is he to be
a citizen or a subject? Are we to bring
into the body polite eight or ten million
Asiatics, so different from US in race
and history that amalgamation is i'm
poSs1bley Are they to share with us in
making the laws and shaping the des-
tiny of THIS nation? No Republican of
prominence has been bold. enough to ad-
vocate such a proposition. The Nc
Emery resolution, adopted by the senate
Immediately after the ratification of the
treaty, expressly negatives this idea.
The Democratic platform described the
situation when 1t says that the Filipinos
can not be citizens without endangering
our civilization Who will dispute it?
And what is the alternative? If the Fill
ipino is not to be a citizen, shall we
make him a subject? On that question
the Democratic platform speaks with
emphasis. 1t declares that the Filipino |
can not be a subject without endanger-
ing our form of government. A republic
can have no subjects A subject is
possible only in a government resting
upon fOrce-he is unknown in a govern |
ment deriving it's just powers from the |
consent of the governed. The Republican
platform says that THE largest meas |
ure of self government consistent with |
their welfare and our duties shall be |
secured to them (the Filipinos) by law
This is a strange doctrine for a govern |