The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-28
Common Sense on "ImperiaIism,

~ Dingleys successor, Con-
gresham Llttlefeld He de-
Clincd to go with his party in a num-
hcr of instances and was notably inde-
pendent in his attitude toward the
Porto Rican tariff. From this fact he
has received much patting on the back
at the hands of the Democrats, who
evidently hoped that he would aid
them in this years presidential fight
That their hope has been vain is
shown in the following statement of
beliefs recently contributed by Mr.
Littlefeld to the Washington Star:
Il do not see how the question of
empire or imperialism can be an issue
in this campaign. While the Dem
ocratic platform loudly proclaims
against empire and Imperialism ana
proposes to make it paramount | find
nothing in the Republican platform
that commits it to the idea of empire
or Imperialism, or that justifies the in
ference that it has any such purpose.
The Republican party proposes that
the republic shall fearlessly, faithfully
and properly discharge the duties and
responsibilities devolved upon it by the
treaty of Paris. More than this is not
required or proposed by the party In
its platform. The treaty of Paris is
not only an accomplished fact, but the
fact that it could not have been rati-
fled without the aid of seventeen Dem
ocratic votes and the personal influ-
ence of Mr.. Bryan leaves the Dem
OCratiC party and its candidates equal
ly responsible with the Republican
party for its existence. 1t is now the
supreme law of the land, and as such
must be obeyed and sustained by both
executive and people" Mr.. Littleheld
continues
The establishment of law and or
der, the protection of persons, life and
property in the Philippine archipelago
against insurrectiOn or violence from
all quarters is the constitutional duty
of the president, and in its discharge
he must be sustained by all right
thinking people. The authority to
which the people of the archipelago
had the right to look for this protec-
tion prior to the treaty was Spain. We
have driven Spain out, and in so doing
have assumed her duties and RESPONSE
bilities, and we must manfully accept
and discharge the responsibility. This
Is not Imperialism or empire; it is
simply an eXemplifcation of the fun
damental proposition upon which our
institutions rest, that ours is gov
ernment of laws and not of men, The
turning over of the people of this
archipelago to the tender mercies of
Aguinaldo and his codictators and as
sassins would result in atrocities and
horrors paralleled only by the infamies
now being perpetrated in China upon
Christians by infuriated Chinese bar
tired of the Agulnaldeans for the fri
ars Of the Catholic church is well
known. Aguinaldo's ultimatum always
has been that the friars must be either
turned over to him or driven out of the
country, and substantially that the
property which they hold be confiscat-
ed. We could not with honor admit
such a proposition"
1t Is difficult to believe that the Dem
ocratic leaders really favor surrender
ing to Aguinaldo and thus throwing
wide open the door to general pillage
and massacre. The more reasonable
suppositiOn is that they constructed
their Philippine plank simply as a
good enough Morgan until after cleo
tion.' Yet it is a delicate matter to
fool with. Trifing means bloodshed
and the shedding of good American
blood at that,