Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-12-27

Pics OF tn0 peoples PsSsy' rus" s"o
circulation Of the TRIBUNE. As you
love truth and justice. you will do Whist
YOU can to dispel ignorance. There is
no greater foe Of political reform than
Ignorance. Do not delay.
MONROE DOCTRINE ATTACKED.
The question that confronts the pro-
qressive races is: Shall all these vast
natural resources, this undeveloped
capacity to yield 50 much to the ma
terial welfare Of humanity; these great
opportunities for useful production,
for increase of tho industries of ell
peoples, be left forever in the hands
of people whose hands,
like an Infants hand,
Holds purposeless whatso'ef is placed
therein?'
With population in the North Euro
pean countries crOwding hard upon
means of subsistence; with our north
ern continent occupied and beginning
to feel the pressure of congested pop
ulatfOn, is the mere sentimentalism OF
q national policy, surviving the obso-
lete occasion which brought it forth,
to stand in the way of the occupation of
that land by people capable of using
it? Has the history of the world ever
told such q Story? Can we, who have
pushed back and out of our way g.
people no whit less incapable than Is
this hybrid people, say that other peo-
pie of our race shall not do the same
there? Shall we enter into contest
with the eitgeist?-St. Paul Dispatch.
A few years ago no American news
paper would have dared make such an
open attack on the Monroe doctrineras
the above. For three-quarters of q
century it has been the proud boast Of
this country that it stood as the guar
dian OF republican government and
home rule in the western hemisphere.
The Monroe doctrine was considered
as much q part of our political creed
as the declaration of independence.
But change has come with our en-
trance into the lists of "world powers"
that is, conquerors of weaker nations
in other parts of the world. We now
see some of the champions of imperial
ism advocating letting the Monroe
doctrine pass into oblivion. It is out
of date, for when we force colonial
governments on lands on the other
side of the world it is rather awkward
to try to play the role of protectors of
republics in the western hemisphere
And the plea is the same; those peo-
pie are incapable of using to the best
advantage the natural resources of the
country, therefore they must be crowd
ed off the face of the earth. Hence
the European nations should be al
lowed to take possession of the country
and develop it. They>are TO be made
the home for the crowded millions of
Europe, who. are to develop the vast
natural resources of the country as
they have developed the northern part
of the hemisphere. i"
This sounds we'll enough, but it
might be we'll for the apologists for
this movement to give an account OF
how grandly the European nations
have developed the vast natural re-
sources of the neighboring province,
Guiana. No revolutions have inter-
fered with progress there. Yet the
downtro !den people of Europe have
not tumbled over each other to estab-
lish new homes in this rich provinces
It is true that each year there has been
a small immigration from Europe,
but those immigrants have come under
military escort to serve out sentence
for some crime. The death rate has
very nearly kept step with immigr
ton, and Guiana's resources are not
yet developed to any remarkable ex'
tent. An intensely hot climate with
alternating floods and droughts is not
calculated to draw European immi
grants who wish to establish perma
nent homes. The people who want K
get Venezuela for the purpose OF "de
veloping'' it are specul ators who Dc
not intend to 60 there to live. but in
tend to get possession Of the mine, q = y
and forests and draw the riches from
them, using negro labor to do the de
veloping.
\ England has owned India for sever
q centuries, yet few Europeans h 1l'
& made their homes there. Had the Gil
mate been adapted 20 Euro peans| f.
& Hind os would soon have been crowd
cd out The country has been used 2
5 : mine for English speculat tors The,
& have cornered the trade, but they h li y
not developed the agrice ultura q DIVE! z !.
= q - eountr Qn ~ y otheE lae