The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-04-19


establish republic fashioned after
our own?
Up to the close OF the last demo-
cratic administration standing ar
my of little more than twenty
thousand soldiers met all require
ments. Now we have an army OF
five times that number, with, OF ne.
cessity, constantly increasing ex
penditures. Large additions to the
army and the cost necessary to its
maintenance will inevitably as the
night follows the day.
Assuming that the Inhabitants of
the Philippine islands shall be com
pletely pacified, what then? What
shall we have gained? What will be
our compensation for the thousands
of lives and millions Of treasure? To
these questions as yet there has
been no answer. With the return
of peace, the following are few Of
the questions that will then press
themselves for answer: What are
we to do with sour new possessions?
How are they to be permanently
governed? How large force will
be required to hold them in subjec-
ton? What is to be the cost and
how long is all this to con tinue? It
may be well to inquire further, what
has become of the Monroe doctrine?
Are we to insist that this grand
principle is binding upon all nations
but our own? When we shall have
given those islands "better gov
eminent than they can create for
themselves" how is it to be main
tanned? II those people are incapa-
bic of setting up a suitable govern
ment for themselves, what assur-
ance can there be that they will sue
coed, even for day, the govern
ment we give them? If a govern
men of our creation shall be forced
upon them, what then becomes of
the bedrock principle of the Dec.
laration of independence that ''gov-
ernments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed?"
New conditions confront us. We
have travelled far from the safe path
way marked out by the fathers. We
may yet learn that the farther we
get from the ancient landmarks the
greater will be the dangers which
surround us. 1t has been at no tri-
fling cost that we have achieved the
title Of world power" To main
tain this we are at a continued and
ever increasing cost. We know
something now, and will yet, it is
to be feared, know much more OF
the foreign complications and
"entangling alliances" agai n
which we were so faithfully warned.
Who would not rejoice if it were
possible to re-cross the gulf which
separates us from the safe methods
our fathers deemed so essential to
national peace and happinesf?
Another abandonment OF ancient
governmental methods may be
briefly toned. The constitu
tional, as well as the just, principle
Of taxation by strictly revenue
tariff has given way in practice te
protection. = The present tariff
|law exhibits this principle in iti
most Objectionable form. It is, in.
deed, protection run mad" The
existing law is in the interest Of the
| favored few. Under its operation
imports in large measure are ex
cluded and the government depriv
! ed of needed revenues. With the
stress of war comes the burden o.
internal spvenue taxes necessitated
lby the prohibitory features of the
Dingley tariff.
As a result Of the high protective
tariff, gigantic private fortunes
have come to its benefciaries, and
close in their wake have followed
the trusts, which are today a men
ace to popular COVE rnment.
In the ways here indicated, on,
/ of MANY. It will he seen how far NC