Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-03-07
AS TO IMPERIALISM.
It Does Not Consist in Purchase of
Foreign Soil Alone.
Tfrst Exponent Of the System Was
JeRcrson-His Example Seemed
Good to All Succeeding
Presidents.
Especial Washington letter.

r. EN LEMEN Oh superior euuSU
n tional requirements say that
the first prerequisite of all argu-
ment should be definition. Men OF
semi-educational requirements have
wasted time, temper, and the patience
of the people, by discussing matters
on which they would have been sub
stantially agreed, if only their detini-
tions of terms had been carefully
studied and understood.
During the past three years thou
sands of columns of newspaper edi-
torial space have been occupied by al
legged discussions of the topic of "im-
perialism." BY the use of that one
word, men have entertained widely
divergent ideas, and have reached con-
clusions as everlastingly opposite as
the poles.
That the people may have a birds
eve view of this government, as IL
really is, we may as well have talk
Just now about this subject, beginning
with the thesis that Imperialism is
here, and has come to stay. This has
been an imperial republic for more
years than the average editorial writer
has lived; and yet very few of our peo-
pie know it, even here in the national
capital.
The mere fact that our borders have
expanded by reason of the war with
Spain is a trifling incident in the gen
eral development of the realimperial-
ism of our government. Much has been
made of it, but that expansion is and
with the larger facts which have be-
come apparent to those who have had
opportunity to study the decline OF
popular self-government, right at the
base of operations-the seat of gov
ernment.
The constitution, both by letter and
spirit, proposed that this should be
government of the people, for the peo-
pie and by the people; but the govern
ment was not 10 years old before the
president was magnifying his office,
and placing himself above the con-
gress and the supreme court, wherever
practicable. The constitution provid-
ed that the president, the congress
and the supreme court should forever
be on a par, neither having power of
precedence over the other. 1t was n
violation of the constitution for JEFF
ferson to begin the use of the power of
patronage, to compel and coerce the
senators and representatives to do his
will. jefferson was the first imperial
list, for he was the first president to
make use of his office in that manner.
President after president magnified
his office, until in Jackson's time his
secretary of state, speaking of the Of
fees in the gift of the president, ut
tered the remarkable and oft-quoted
expression: ITO the victors belong the
spoils.' The republic was not so
years old when the power of the pres
ident had been so nagnified that the
chief executive was assuming imperial
airs and powers in plain violation of
the constitution which each president
had solemnly sworn to obey and up.
hold.
The congress should legislate with
out influence from any source, and the
supreme court should promulgate its
opinions without influence from any
source. Every president who has
used the power of patronage to force
his will upon the congress or the court
has assumed imperial airs, and has
furthered the progress of imperialism
in this country; and almost every pres
ident has been guilty of that sort of
violation of the letter and spirit OF
the constitution.
The great and good Lincoln, during
the formation of armies in 1861, '62,