The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-17

atives of American principles. News
naners that have ordinarily been de-
cent, patriotic and high minded have
apologized fer this proposed robbery
One contemporary speaks Of the seiz-
ure Of the isthInus as an exercise OIL
civilizations eminent domain" The
phrase deserves to go down into his
tory side by side with benevolent as
Sanitation" Both are pleasant sound'
ing paraphrases to- describe an in
iquitous act. It is far better summed
UP in the old expression which the
United States will havete adopt for Its
motto unless it repudiates this politi-
cal wickedness in high places, that
they shall take who have the power,
and they shall keep who can"
The people of this country cannot
afford to pass by such an incident
without rebuke. Has the United
States indeed absolutely forgotten it's
old ideals?s ,Hassit. ceased to stand for
the democratic theory Of the rights OF
men and of states? Has it departed
from it's policy of non interference?
Has it dropped gthefproud name OF
respecter of the rights of others all
over the world? Is it ready. to join
hands with Russia in her treatment of
Finland, with Turkey in her treatment
of Armenia, with all that it has loathed
and denounced, with all that against
which it's very existence is living
protest and to stand forth as the
champion and representative of inter-
national brigandage and absolutism?
Are we to join the ranks of the rob-
Der nations? Will this people, whose
glory has been scarcely as much in
their own freedom as in the fact that
they stood everywhere for the rights
of man, for freedom from dictation,
for the idea Of personal and political
liberty throughout the world, sanction
OR tolerate. men and ideas that would
wipe out not only the declaration of in
dependence, but all those nobler ideas
and ambitions that preceded it, all the
work of brain and heart and life that
The issue is made straight and clear.
Not only if we were to seize for our
uses the property Of friendly state,
but if we were to conceive Of such a
thing as possible without an uprising
in this country against 1t, then are we
fallen, indeed. ,e
There is a deeper. abyss of misfor-
tune and shame before a democratic
system that is deIuded by such an idea
theR~befere the most reckless form Of
ahsOlutism which ssruRs into excuses
that are merely the logical working
out Of its own nature. Terrible, in
deed, will be the fall if we ever top
pie over that precipice. We are stand
ing on the brink. If the words that
Mr.. Roosevelt. have written and tho
idea that they convey are not repudi-
ated with horror by the people of this
country, then the occasion and the man
will come again, and the United States
will go forth as the, crown thief among
the nations to- tryrannize over this con-.
tinent and, as. far as may be, over the
Nv H.. &c
mighty powers.
Fair enough now, indeed. is that anal
ogy that has been drawn between our
progress and that of the great Roman
republic. We are face to face with the
temptations and the Vaccinations that
have lured other free governments to
their fall They who respect not the
liberties Of others will not long retain
their own. Never in all our history,
we believe, has there appeared a more
desperate crisis than that created by
the announcement of this evil doctrine.
In the name of all true Americanism.
we call for its reputation by the peo-
pie, and for the rejection by them of
it and Of all it's apologists. There can
be no issue today, tomorrow or next
year to take precedence of the one
question striking straight at the heart
of things-are we to become robber
nation?