Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-10-02

VI o'her powers-aS scema 20 be Mr..
hryah IDEA 1t would be equally fool.
ish upon our part to rely upon each of
them possessing at all times and unde
all circumstances and proyocations, an
altruistic regard for the rights Of 9th
erS.
Must Maintain American pre.tty.
enc United States eau hope Tor a
permanent career of peace on only one
condition., and that is on condition Of
maintaining a first class navy-despite
the obstructive tactics Of the Democrat
iC party.
Inc government has found it ncces-
sary to be liberal in appropriations for
rivers, harbors and bays, for irrigation,
i"r the construction Of public buildings,
ana Tor various other public enterprises
which rebound either to the benefit of
some specific locality or to the peoplc
AT large. Every great power has found
It necessary to provide protection for
It's commerce, its foreign trade, its
ports. and its people doing business or
travelling In other countries. We have
become Il great power. This nation to-
day lines up alongside of the five great
powers of the world. We have assum-
ed responsibilities by the recent colo
NAL expansion which was thrust upon
US, and from which we cannot excape
If we would, and ought not if we could.
Responsibility Of World Power.
We have obligations to Cuba, where
we have said to the world we will pro
against attacks upon her independence,
Integrity Of territory, of her 1nstitu-
lions. We have Porto Rico, which can
be defended only from the sea as Cuba
can be defended only from the sea. We
have the islands of Tutuila, Guam,
Hawaii, and the Philippines far from
the United States, all Of which must
be protected from the sea. We have
assumed another obligation i'll the Pan
anna Canal, which perhaps IL greatest
of all.
We have the longest line of sea coast
Of any other power in the world eN-
cept oue-7,00O miles-and in addition
to that, Alaska. We ave assumed re
sponsibility for law and order in Pan
anna. The spades and drills and steam
are there at work and the whole
world is taking notice, because they
are to alter the paths Of commerce and
to change the relations of nations. The
future Of the Monroe Doctrine is ia the
custody Of our navy. Its peaceful rec
oSnition will be the tribute which other
pay, not to the doctrine, but to
our sea power.
We as a people do not fully appre-
.iatc the commercial jealousies now eX-
isting in Europe against us and which
will be a~ccentuuted by the construction
md completion Of The Panama canal.
alone our states on the Pacific, but
The whole line Of ports on the Atlantic
coast, will come into this cUlIicptiti0i,
or the ports on the Atlantic coast ar"
IS near in miles to Japan. China II
he Orient, by the Panama canal, as
ire the reservoirs that gather for d.S-
ribution abroad, the products Of Cont
rental Europe, or London, through the
,uez Canal.
IN and Our Sea Power.
This great future commerce cannot
,e protected by treaties alone. we
,annot protect our commerce and eX-
,and our trade by mere arbitration at
The Hague alone. We can only main
ain commerce by having a sea power
dequate for it's protection, for the So
of our islands, and to prevent 2
lostile feet from destroying i'll a week
he Panama canal, after it has cost us
rom two to three hundred million dol
ars and ten years to build.
1t is therefore to the interest OF ev-
ry high-minded, pub~lic-spirited Amerl-
an to endorse the constructive policy
# the Republican party, and encourage
he establishment and maintenance OF
frst-class American navy.