The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1901-07-18
A guEDAiIENTAl. ISSUE.

The Springfield Mass Republican il
lis last week issue says
THE fundamental issue of the Ameri
can idea Of freedom a conception which
embraces the golden rule doctrine thai
to others are due the rights we claim
for ourselves, is rs true and deathless an
issue to-day Us it ever was in the past
we have deemed 80 glorious An old
contest is now sharply raised, abiding
and irrepressibIe and not yet settled. II
has not been repressed the true Ameri-
cauism because events of the immediate
past have been permitted to appear 10
carry the United States into acceptance
of the old-world ideas Of colonialism and
the despotic rule Of inferior races
There is to be no abiding unity upon
theories that were the bulwork of slay-
cry in the days before the civil war, no
surrender Of Lincolns views to thosc
which the public men Of the South in
sist upon before the arbitrament Of the
civil war made the bondsmen free.
1T is true now rs always that there j.,
no liberty that is not constitutional Iii :
erty. Nothing in the march of com
merce or the growth, OF people ha,
changed the essential quality Of liberty,
what it is and what it is not Fl No i'm
potencc in the face OF great events tina
shOuld have been directed in harmon,
with American principles and proceed
ents but were not, can change the char
acter of human rights, oreXcuse us froi.
the obligation to square the nationa
conduct with them, THESE are thinga
thar ought not TO be chnllengeable il,
the United States at any time or under
any circumstances, for they's are tn,
commonpaces of the historic Fourth Of
July.
And yet the statement issued on an
other page 10y the American anti-im-
perialist league, the necessity which ex-
lists for its appeal, is proof ithat the ii
NflEfliAf llpili iNl'fbiN ifEdlAltil III lllt'
past rs sacred calls for serious challenge,
Perhaps there has been undue intensity
of debate upon the one side or the other.
and if So that is n matter to be pardon
ed in view of the Importance of the
principles involved. But the present
! liberty appeal does not offend Is il
not exactly true and'temperately stated
that Imperialism is not question of
crowns and scepters, of names and
titles 1t is II system of government.
When man or body of men, an EN-.
peror president, congress or ma
ton, claims the.absolute right to rule u
people, to compel the submission of that
people by brute force, to decide what
rights they shall have, what taxes they
shall pay what judges shall administer
their laws what men shall uvern then
all without responsibility to the peopl,
thus governed this is imI erialism, tn,
antthesis of free government. Wa
it not precisely upon this ground tina
our fathers took their stand, that they
objected to exactly these infringements
and then the Revolution was SLOW
fought with sacrifice infinite, to its sue
cess2 Was Benjamin Harrison othe
than typical American of the sort thi
day mas ever COMMUNICATED when h
declared himself unable to rejoice il
! the acquisition of lands aud mines an,
Z forests and commerce at the cost of tn
i. abandonment Of the old American ide
r that government of absolute power
4 is an intolerable thing and under tn
+ constitution Of the United States an i'm
. possible thing
1 All, but we are 60 govern so we'll
4 nothing but justice and beneyolenc
T and the betterment Of men can 20 wher
e the rule of the United States extend,
Z and go ruler and ruled will be prohted