Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1900 — BOSS CROKER [ARTICLE]

BOSS CROKER

Warmly Supported Expansion in the New York Journal. Views of the Tammany Leader—“An Insult to Suggest that We Aban* don the Peoples Rescued from Bondage. (From the New York Journal.) Every man, in my opinion, should express himself clearly on the great question of the day. That question is national expansion, which has been the mainspring of this nation and the policy of the Democracy since the nation’s birth. The views which follow are mine personally, and I write them as a private individual: I believe in expansion; I believe in holding -whatever possessions we have gained by annexation, purchase, or war. This policy is'not only patriotic, but it is the only safe one to pursue. Any other policy would show weakness on the part of the United States and invite foreign complications. This must be avoided, henee our policy must be vigorous. Every patriotic American, and every Democrat in particular, should favor expansion. Jefferson was an expansionist, otherwise he would not have favored the acquisition of Louisiana, with its foreign population, which in Jefferson’s time was quite as remote as the Philippines. In this age of steam and electricity, distance is no argument against expansion. We spend millions annually for missionary work in foreign countries. Now we have a chance to spend this money in our own possessions, and make the people of our new lands good, law-abiding citizens, who in time will be loyal to our Constitution and our flag. Take England, for example. The people of this little isle come pretty near owning the universe. 'Are not our people as intelligent, as powerful and as patriotic as the English people? The United States is the only country on earth superior to the English. Why not illustrate to the world that we are fully able to cope with greater problems than we have had occasion to in the past, and in the future dominate any emergency? We have a population of eighty millions of people; the country teems with young men full of life, hope and ambition. Why not give these young men a chance to develop our newly acquired possessions, and build up a country rivaling in grandeur and patriotism our own United States? I say by all means hold on to all that -rightfully belongs to us. If the great country west of the Rocky Mountains was filled with wild Indians at the present moment, how long would it take us to suppress them and make them respect our laws and our Constitution? The same thing applies to the Philippines and any other country that may fall into our hands by the province of peace or war. It is an insult to the American people and to our flag even to suggest that we abandon the peoples we have released from bondage, or, what would be moye disgraceful, that we should offer to sell to the highest bidder. Such a proposition places the American people in the same category with the Chinese, who have neither patriotism nor a foreign policy, -and are in consequence utilized as a doormat by the powers of the world. This'is too great a question to be considered as a mere matter of dollars and cents. Our people want their rights protectee?; they will not figure on the cost. Bring it down to local government—in the case of street cleaning—the cry is, “We want clean streets,” regardless of the cost. They demand them as their right. Just so with our possessions—the people want the properties acquired by war protected. They will pay for a standing army, a powerful navy, and the protection of our flag the world over regardless of any monetary consideration. They have proved their willingness to sacrifice their blood for the honor of their country and their flag! and when the question is brought to an issue they will arise as one man and demand expansion as a citizen’s sacred right! RICHARD CROKER. New York, Jan. 6, 1899.