The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-11-04

from where they might, have only en-
larged and emphasized the ideals and
purposes of the founders
THIS EXPANSION UNDER A RE-
PUBLIC.
"This expansion, unique in human
history, has gone on under the auspices
of republic and with q devotion to
self-government the like of which the
world has never seen. No arbitrary
power has transferred the population
of one country to another, religious
persecution has not forced a single re-
luctant section from its old home: no
armies have accompanied this great
moving mass of population, and no
drill-master, except industry and the
natural intellect of men who unite in
self-defense, has called our people |
away from their peaceful pursuits.
From wherever from or whatever
place he settled, the man became at
once a citizen and free partaker in
the benefits that had already accrued
to generations formed by intelligent
self-government. He became entitled,
under the local. state, or national law.
to the same protection accorded by
the representative of the oldest family.
Into whatever part of the world he has
gone, the protecting power of the I'm
tied States has been thrown over him,
even though he should have come
among us the humblest and poorest OF
peasants. International law has been
oh tr htg 30 nd n q
governments have been forced to hon
or his passport and to protect him,
when-even under conditions former
ly unknown to the law or practice
he saw fit to return to his native coun-
try. in
1T is this expansion, national in
evitable, almost as silent as the tides
of the ocean. which has made this
country what it is. and in the society
that has come out of this varied effect
the words empire and subject have
become meaningless and obsolete.
HOW EXPANSION GOES ON IN AN
EMPIRE.
Turn for a moment from this pic
ture to that which sets before us the
process of expansion even in the great
countries and we find an entirely diff
ferent ideal. There 1t has been ac-
companied by the cruelty of the con-
querer, the ambition of the sword, and
tax collector. 1t has gone on not over
virgin lands, but among crowded pop
ulations. 1t has put millions of peo-
pie under the conqueror, and has in
culcated among those at home the idea
that these great masses had been
brought into the world in order to
serve a distant master whom they
would never see, or to provide busi-
ness or pleasure or profit for con-
quering race. 1t has promoted the
growth of navies, useless and unneces-
sary for their natural purpose of pro-
tecting commerce, and armies which
quartered upon the conquered land
have been paid by revenues down from
scanty or decaying industries. Even
in these days of reason and peace con-
ferences the rage for conquest, ma
tional rivalries, and the fear that one
might obtain an advantage over an
other, have made conscription almost
universal over the whole continent OF
Europe. They have divided unknown
continents into protectorates OF
spheres of influence.
"It is this kind of expansion upon
which we are invited to look with fav-
or. We are asked to turn from oul
own mighty but peaceful triumphs
! from the spectacle of continent set
tied by homogeneous people, at.
tached to liberty, fitted to govern
| themselves, in order that we may en-,
ter upon beginnings of a policy which
must inevitably end in the adoption ol
: the other methods which | have sc
: briefly and so imperfectly outlined.
When we are asked, then, to turr
J away from the assured triumphs which
popular system-I6miliar as house
J hold words-has brought to us, and tC
adopt methods which, opposite to oul
: traditions, have not even the merit o.
success in bringing self-government
, happiness and contentment to a singl,
l people thus far subjected to them, W,
: may well enter our protest agains
5uCu pOilCy. we lcel anu KNOW ina
: that chart of liberty by which ou
people have guided their courage fo
I more than century and a quartz
has not been lost. If, under a govern
: ment of legislative restraint and re
= gard for law. we have been able
4 through peace and war, foreign an,
J, intestine, to grow from population o
r 100000 to one of S0,000,000, why ma,
a we not go on until we have double,
: this number? Why should we be con
!. tent to take even the first step which
s according to its advocates is certain
d to lend us to what they call empire
a SYMPATHY FOR STRUGGLING
}, PEOPLES AND POLITICAL
/ ALLIANCES.
: 1T is within the recollection o
J, great masses of our population, as
10 within tho ltnpwle6oa of al TIM