The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-06-25

nations and entangling alliances witt
none With this end in view, W,
ought to secure, In as far as we car
by treaty or by reciprocal relations
amicable, rather than retaliatory
trade relations with the nations o
the world, giving and taking for mu
tual benefit; obtaining and maintain
ing, as far as we can. broader AM
more profitable foreign and home maj
kets for our agricultural, mining, mar
ufacturing and forest productions.
We ought especially as Democrats
having the interest Of the entire pee
pie in view, in contradistinction Il
the policy Of the Republican party
which has made no sincere effort II
that direction, to secure more friendl,
and mutual trade relations with tn
Dominion of Canada and with on
children, who, driven by taxation a
home, and induced by fertile land
and liberal laws there, are daily flock
ing to her fields. 1t is as absurd Il
have a high protective tariff wall be
tween the American State of Wash
ington and the Province of British
Columbia as 1t would be to have on
between the States Of Vermont ant
New Hampshire, insofar, at least, a.
mere commercial and industrial re
suits are concerned.
Seyenth-The maintenance OF the
Monroe Doctrine in its full integrity as
conceived by Jefferson, announced BY
Monroe and signally executed by
Grant. In this connection we think
1t our duty to guard against European
oppression and colonization and
superimposition Of monarchial in
situations the countries Of the west
ern hemisphere; but we do not think
it our duty, nor did Jefferson, Madison
Monroe of Jackson imagine 1t oul
duty, under the Monroe Doctrine, as
the acting president Of the United
States seems to conceive it to be, tc
administer the affairs Of Central and
South America.
We believe that the utterances OF
the acting president Of the United
States in his letter to ex~-Secretary
Root upon the second anniversary OF
Cuban independence, in which he init
mated that we were, as a govern
ment, in some way Gods vicegerent to
correct and control those who do not
conduct themselves we'll" and those
who do not pay their obligations"
would have been reckless and unwise.
even If they had emanated from a pri.
vate American citizen, but coming
from one acting as chief magistrate
Of the American Republic, they are
r~eprehensible in a yet higher degree.
His yet more reckless assertion that
we have a duty in the western hemi'
sphere, which I'VE can not ignore"
tn intervene goyernmentally wherever
there is brutal w~rongdoing, or an
potence which results in a general
lcosening of the ties Of civilized So
meets with our earnest disappro-
baton. Such a position would be in
itself a general loosening' of those
tiles of civilized society" which bind
the nations in times of peace, at least
in a common brotherhood. We espe-
cially resent the doctrine, which was
not born Of Mr.. Monroe, but was born
of Mr.. Roosevelt, that it is, or a be,
the duty of the United States to con
ulary for the purpose of collecting
debts due by Central and South Amer
lean nations to European countries, or
even to the citizens of the American
republic. If Imprisonment for indi-
debts be wrong and barbarous,
surely the bombardment Of cities,
inhabited by individuals, for the pur-
pose of collecting government or indi-
vidual debts is still more wrong and
barbarous. Commercialism, when tax
ing its chance in countries with I'M
stable governments, does so with its
V open and generally fixes for itself
a profit proportionate to the risk, the
chief risk beng indeed these same
Unstable political institutions and ir.
responsible local governments. If it
chooses to make for itself that sort OF
bed, let it lie in it. When the act
.ng president says concerning u
lealings with other nations, all that
We ask is that they govern themselves
we'll and be prosperous and orderly.
this is the case they will find
lelpfulness from us" we answer, that
are not the guardians Of the pros
jerity and domestic order of other peo-
pies and that so long as they neither
directly, nor indirectly, injure us, o
by their conduct drag us into interna-
.ional entanglements of their own
treating we have no more to do with
ne internal administration of their
affairs than they have to do with that
" ours
Eighth-The preservation, insofar
Is we can, of an open door for the
commerce In the Orient, with
unnecessary entanglements in ORR.
and European affairs, and with
nut arbitrary, unlimited, irresponsible
md absolute government anywhere I'M
Ter the Stars and Stripes, or the juris.
fiction of the Union. We oppose, as
'eryently as George Washington him
ielf did. an indefinite, irresponsible,
discretionary absOlutism and policy OF
colonial exploitation. no matter where
,r by whom invoked or exercised; we
relieve with Thomas Jefferson and
[ohn Adams that no government has
. right to make one set Of laws for
hose "at home" and another and a
l.ferent set of laws, absolute in their
character. for those "in the colonies"
III men under the American flag are
to the protection OF the insti-
utions whose emblem the flag is; II
hey are inherently unfit for these in
ititutions then they are inherently un<
Il to be members of the American body
,oIitic. Wherever there may exist a
,eople incapable of being governed
lnder American laws, in consmance
With the American Constitution, the
erritory of that people ought not to
u mart of the American domain. Be-
ieying this, we believe that we ought
o do ultimately for the Fflipinos what
have already done for the Cubans.
rhe example is there; It Is a worthy
me: 1t constitutes a bright page In
he history Of our country; 1t tells the
tory of American courage, magma
unity and justice; the Democracy pro-
49,. - follow that example and III Is