Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-05-22
Mr.. HASSEY ON EXPANSION.

~, Mk. HAooEY uN EAPANoiON.
EprroR AGITAToR: In reply to your request
for, my opinion On the subject OF Territorial
Expansion of the United States, l will say
that !
The advocates of the policy of conquest by
which our government gained control of the
Philippine islands have unfairly called tEeir
opponents "antiexpan sionists,' and l am op
posed to this policy. l prefer the policy OF
expansion that was begun 400 years ago by
people who braved the hardships OF an un-
known world to establish new order of things
that would really make men free.
The federal constitution was the outgrowth
of goo years of this new policy and through it
and ,the Monroe doctrine, we have grown to be
a world power, and believe that the continu-
ance: of this policy would, in time, send our
influence around the globe, and thus fulfill the
prophecy expressed by the erection of the
statue of Liberty Enlightening the World.
1t would. be sad thing if our government
should turn, back from the course that has
brought us thus. far to greatness, and commit
itself 10 policy of conquest, for it would not
only bring failure to u.s. but sorrow to the lib
.erty-loving portion of the whole world.
Full Golfers and large areas of territory Go
not make great nations, but great people and
high ideals, which are the product of liberty.
If the possession of a large territory made
great nation, then China would be one of the
gteatest nations of the earth to-day.
Our opponents say that the Philippines were
& IL Lo1,>
them. 1t would be as reasonable for us to say
that our thirteen colonies were thrust upon the
Ffench government at the close of our Revou-
ton, for we made ourselves the allies of the
Filipino insurgents, the same as the French
people were our allies in the Revolution. And
would it not -have been as reasonable for the
French government to have claimed the victory
won in our Revolution as for us to claim the
victory which we helped the Filpinos to gain?
Our opponents say that the Philippines were
acquired by the same methods employed in
gaining the territory which we have added on
this continent, but fail to find the place in
our American history that tells of us whipping
a nation of people into subjection. But if we
had employed similar methods in both cases,
we have broken faith with the world in the
Monroe doctrine by the taking of the Philip
pines.
They say, also, that all of the progressive
nations of the earth have colonies; and say
that those nations are not republics.
l believe that republic cannot have subjects
and remain republic, for the very simple
reason that the possession of colonies contra.
diets its teachings of liberty and freedom.
nation cannot survive half subjects and half
free any more than it can survive half tree and
half slave.
"A monarchy, by reason of it having royal
family, has continuous administration, and
can reasonably hold subjects, for the people of
the colonies and of the home country are all
subjects alike, and the plan is not inconsistent.
While republic has an everchanging admin.
i,tration, owing to different political parties
coming into power and its institutions all teach
liberty, freedom and elfgovernnent, aud con-
tradict the idea of people being subject to
another.
The territory of republic must be compact
and its teachings consistent with its actions in
order for it to endure.
A government that makes the greatest num-
her of people happy is what we anti-expansion-
;s,s want, and we do not believe in tying the
experime mt that has so often failed in the past
history of the world.
Yours very truly, T. ]. HAssEY.