Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-21

promise. No sensible mat assumes that
our rule in these until recently foreign
parts viii be pleasant. easy or uniformly
successful. Il is quite unlikely to be so.
Il is the part Of wisdom and patriotism to
pcint out In the most cold-blooded manner
the difficulties which our momentous un-
dertsking will involve.
one view Of situation.
Those seeing the most dangers in this
new national path and seeing them the
most clearly seem to think that the last
presidential election. with the recent de-
cisions Of the supreme court in the island
cases, has somehow irrevocably consigned
the country TO a system Of crown colonies
such as India is. natives without any part
in their own government and equally with
cut hope OF ever having such. Were that
the meaning Of United States expansion
cur people would oppose it to a man. But
it Ia not. On the contrary. such is the
spirit Of our political parties and partisans
and especially Of our voters. every commu-
nifty under United States sovereignty. soon
as II comes to possess a reasonable measure
OF civic ability. may be sure OF government
tai autonomy perfectly satisfactory to itself,
either like Eawaii. under our flag. or, like
Cuba, out from under our nag.
The United States may elect to constitute
Porto Rico AMI Luzon each an independent
state like Cuba. under a United States pro-
tectorate. Many did not think this likely
In the case OF Cuba, but Il was done. The
same outcome is certainly among the pos
sibIlities for the other two. Some would
regard such independence on the part Of
the lands named unfortunate for them and
also for us, but those who most dread ex-
pansion would certainly be relieved of theiI
principal mental distress were they sure
ttat all the bodies polite we took from
Spain were soon to be free and independent
states.
Another conceivable event lie that Porte
Rico and the Philippine archipelago, fol.
lowing the example OF Hawaii rather thar
that Of Cuba, remain under the flag. grad
%uating, piece by piece. as one communit,
after another is found At, into territories
and then into states under our constitu'
tion. Contrary to a common thought, thu
supreme courts decision does not at al
preclude this. A joint resolution by con.
gress can impart territoriality or statehood
to a half foreign populace like LuEon, o.
to one fully foreign as Hawaii was, just a
easily as II can to one under the c~onstitu
ton at the start. Porto Rico or Luzon ma!
one day become a state under the nag a
Cuba has become one out from under tn,
flag.
Objections Arc FancifuL
Many, we know, would deprecate the OK
pansion Of our country In this form, how
ever conservative, but most Of the objee
lions which they make to expansion In thi
form. provided II is conservative, seem {
me more fanciful than solid. Particular,
ought not expansion Of that sort to be be
walled should the peoples named conelud
Of their own accord to cast In their lot wit
us; a determination not at all unlikely
they are assured that In case Of such choic
they would be our genuine co-citizens an
not our subjeot5. Il has sesmed tn me tina
had our dealing with those populations bee
a little more clever they would have wishe
to be Of us and no semblance OF coercio
would have been necessary. 1t is quit
within our power even now to exhibit I
them such a spirit that none will ever wis
to haul down our flag from over their heads
I cannot think that It would ruin this re
public to annex remote peoples upon tn
basis thus suggested. The principal OBJ
lection seems to be the danger that un
desirable foreigners will move in and com
pete with working men here. That woul
certainly be a misfortune, but the fear doe
not seem to me we'll grounded. Englan
has not suffered so. Millions OF negroes
Malays and people Of other unintelligen
stocks are barred by nothing but III
trihing expense Of the Storage from flock
ing to Great Britain to displace British Ia
Dor. They have a perfect legal right I
settle In England, but they do not. Som
Chinese and Japanese already resident l
the Philippines might come to the stateI
causing a ripple of unhealthy competitio
for a time, but this could not last Ion
unless those peoples we're admitted to tn
Philippines from China and Japan, 'whic
Of course could be prevented Just as theI
admission to California is prevented {
: present.
What makes the shoe pinch with man
no doubt is the certainty that at best
: parts OF Hawaii and in the central an
\ south Of the Philippines the form Of In
: perialism must last years. the people
4 there being too barbarous to realize for
> long time any promise Of self-governmeI
held out to them. They will have to II
main, directly or indirectly, under congrei
. sional rule, with such constitutional gual
> antees as congress may think It wise
: establish. 1t is thought that such a r.
u gime must mean tyranny there and ii
vitiation Of democracy at home.
a May Trust People and Congress.
y But would these evils result7 The Amei
s lean congress is created by the America
d people and must In the long run act Of
e far as we'll as near the spirit and wish'
Of the people. II you can trust the pc
e pie you can trust congress to do VIII
a -
under our sovereignty. however remote.
What II the constitution does not exter
20 the islands ex proprio vigore! You CT
force congress to carry the whole Of
: there. II you cannot trust the AmericI
people to look after the maintenance
liberty there is no hope for the republi
attended or nnpNIendad Man,a very att