The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-11-01
which is and must ever be the prime
aim of self governing people.
TIE TRUE MONROE DOCTRINE.

aim O1 4 SELF governing people.
TIE TRUE MONROE DOCTRINE.
This is the attitude we should take
as regards the Monroe doctrine. There
is not the least need of clustering
about it. Still less should it be used as
q preteXt for our own acgrandizement
al the expense of any other American
state. But most emphatically we must
make it evident that we intend OH this
-pcint ever to maintain the old Ameri-
can position. Indeed, it is hard to un-
Gerstand how any man can take any
other position now that we are all
looking forward to the building of the
isthmian canal. The Monroe doctrine
is not international law, but there is no
necessity that it should be. All that is
needful is that it should continue to
be cardinal feature of American pol
icy on this continent, and the Spanish
American states should, in their own
interests, champion it as strongly as
We do. We do not by this doctrine in
tend to sanction any policy of aggres-
sion by one American commonwealth
at the expense of any other nor any
policy of commercial discrimination
against any foreign power Whatsoever
Commercially. as far as this doctrine is
concerned. all we wish is a fair field
and not favor, but if we are wise we
shall strenuously insist that under no
preteXt whatsoever shall there be any
territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT on Ameri-
can soil by any European power, and
for hof f1,a ifr,
rial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT may take.
FAvoRS RECIPROCITY.
We most earnestly hope and believe
that the chance of our having any hos
tile military complication with any for
eign power is very small. But that
there will come strain, a jar. here
and there, from commercial and agri-
cultural-that is. from industrial-com-
petition is almost inevitable. Here
again we have got to remember that
our first duty is to our own people, and
yet that we can best get justice by do
ing justice. We must continue the pol
icy that has been so brilliantly success
full in the past and so shape our eco
nomic system as to give every adyan.
tage to the skill. energy and intelli.
gence of our farmers. merchants, man.
ufacturers and wageworkers. and yet
we must also remember in dealing with
other nations that benefits must be Civ.
en- when benefits are sought. 1t is not
possible to dogmatize as to the exact
way of alta lining this end, for the ex
act conditions cannot be foretold. In
the long run one of our prime needs is
stability and continuity of economic
policy, and yet. through treaty or by
direct legislation. it may at least il
certain cases become advantageous tc
supplement our present policy by sys
tenn of reciprocal benefit and obliga
tion-
OUR CAREER OF EXPANSION.
Throughout a large part of our ma
tional career our history has been on,
of expansion, the expansion being o.
different kinds at different times. Thi.
explanation is not matter of regret
but of pride. 1t is vain to tell people
as masterful as ours that the spirit o.
enterprise is not safe. The true Amer
| lean has never feared to run risks wheI
the prize to be won was of sufficien
value. No nation capable of self gov
ernment and of developing by its owl
efforts sane and orderly civilization
| no matter how small it may be. ha
| anything to fear from us. Our deal
| ings with Cuba illustrate this ant
| should be forever a subject of just ma
| tional pride. We speak In no spirit o
| arrogance when we state as a simpl,
history fact that never in recent year
has any great nation acted with sucl
| disinterestednesS as we have shown il
| Cuba. We freed the island from tn
Spanish yoke. We then earnestly di,
our best to help the Cubans in the es
| tablishment of free education, of Law
and order. of material prosperity, o
the cleanliness necessary to sanitar.
| well being in their great cities. We di,
all this at great expense of treasure, a
some expense of life, and now we ar
establishing them in free and inde
pendent commonwealth and have ask
ed in return nothing whatever Saw
that at no time shall their independ
ence be prostituted to the advantag
of some foreign rival of ours or so as t
menace our well being. To have faile
to ask this would have amounted to ma
tional qualification on our part.
WHAT HAVE WE DONE FOR TIL
ISLANDS?
In the Philippines we have brough
peace, and we are at this moment Civ
ing them such freedom and self gov
ernment as they could never unde
any conceivable conditions have oh
tanned had we turned them loose t
sink into a welter of blood and confu
sion or to become the prey of som
strong tyranny without or withir
The bare recital OF the facts is suff
cient to show that we did our duty
and what prouGer title to honor ca
a nation have than to have done 1t
duty? We have done our duty to oul
selves, and we have done the highe
duty of promoting the civilization O
mankind. The first essential of civil
zation is law. Anarchy is simply IN
handmaiden and forerunner of tyl
amy and deSpotism. Law and orde
enforced by justice and by strength Ii
at the foundation of civilization. La,
must be based upon justice, else
cannot stand, and it must be enforce
with resolute firmness. because veal
ness in enforcing it means in the en-
that there is no justice and no Law
nothing but the rule of disorderly an
INSCRIPTIONS strength. Without tn
habit of orderly obedience to the Law
without the stern enforcement of tn
I laws at the expense of those who d,
family resist them, there can be u