Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1901-10-31
ON IMPERIALISM.
PROF. CHAS. e, NORTON ON OUR
COLONIAL POLICY.
he Becomes the Object Of Vulgar Abuse Be.
cause Of His Expression Upon the Colonial
Policy Of the Republican Party.

1t is quite natural that Prof. Charles
Eliot Norton, of Harvard College, should
call down upon himself the most vulgar
abuse because of his late expression upon
our colonial policy. He is man of culture
and thorough American, but he will
learn that the question of public policy
should be left exclusively with the pro-
letariats and the stock exchange. The
former endorse our policy because of
their vulgar love OF braggadocio and bru-
tality, while the latter is perfectly con-
tent with war which opens new fields
for spoilation under governmental pro-
lection.
Prof. Norton anticipates, and satisfac.
torily answers, the objection to any fur
Their agitation of the imperialistic ques-
ton on the ground that the majority Of
American citizens have given it their
sanction. Even had they vindicated the
administration when no other question
was involved, the real vital American
would not be justified in conniving at
the perpetuation of the crime through
silence. The fact that man has been
wronged does not justify the wrong. The
only thing to do in such case is to right
or palliate the wrong. So with nation.
If our conquest of the Philippines and
our policy in Porto Rico were wrong in
1900 they are equally wrong now. and
can never be anything other than wrong.
Principle is involved, and the principles
of right and wrong are eternal. And in
a nation in which every man bears a
share of the responsibility every man
must answer to his own conscience for
the policy of the government. If the
majority decide for evil it is not the part
of the honest man nor the patriot to &C:
quiesce in the decision. His is the work
of education, of persuasion. Had the
abolitionists acquiesced in the decision
of the majority when the fight for eman-
cipation first began the institution OF
slavery would pollute the nation to-day,
and the question of imperialism is OF
vaster, more far-reaching Importance
than that Of slavery. Hence, every hon
est American who cannot reconcile the
imperialistic policy with his conception
of national honor is undeserving OF his
political dignity if he does not antagon-
ize it step by step.
But, after all, was the last election a
vindication of the administrations atti-
tude toward our island dependencies?
Had no other issues been involved, are
our republican friends quite sure that
the result would have been as it was?
The vast majority of people think other
wise.
The fight on Imperialism is on as much
now as ever before. The people will be
given another opportunity to express
themselves in 19O2-and then again, if
necessary, in 1904. We believe that the
American people, in their sober mo-
ments, in their heart of hearts, agree
with Norton when he says:
'It is time to retrace our backward
steps, renew our faith in American prin-
ciples and ideals and our alliance to
these; to redeem our broken promises;
to stop our wicked fightings; to turn
from the darkness of the old world. to
the hope Of the new; once more to set
our faces to the morning and to show
mankind nation at once powerful and
self-controlled, strong without aggressive
ambition, nation invincible in its pan
oply of justice, nation that has
waxed fat, and yet does not lightly es-
TEEN the rock of salvation"