Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1900 — A CENTURY’S GROWTH OF THE COUNTRY. [ARTICLE]

A CENTURY’S GROWTH OF THE COUNTRY.

History of National Expansion from Jefferson’s Time. The Life of the Nation, Like That of an Individual, Depends Upon its Ability to Develop and Grow. An intelligent youth, fifteen years old, who reads the daily papers, said to his father, who is a student of politics: “Father, what is the meaning of ‘imperialism’ as used in the Democratic platforms and by Democratic speakers, particularly Mr. Bryan; and what do you mean by expansion?” The father answered: “My boy, ‘imperialism.’ correctly defined, means ‘pertaining to an empire.’ The use of it, as they intend it to apply by the party you speak of. is pure demagogy—a clapeffort to catch votes in the coming election. These men have erected an air castle and are pelting it with words. But few of the men of brains who use this term, as applied to the conditions in this country, believe it to be true or correct. They have, a mistaken idea that they can scare tbe American people by proclaiming against a bugaboo of their own creation. In this they are mistaken. The American voter is quick to detect humbug and is not easily scared even at the threat of real evils. It is possible that some of those men really believe what they say on this subject. If they do, they are in the unfortunate position of those of whom it is said, ‘they believe a lie to be damned,’ for these men will be politically damned at the election in November. Outside of these parties there are some declaring against ‘imperialism’ who are misled by diseased imaginations and who, while being honest, are simply foolish.” “Well, father, what do you mean by ‘expansion?’ ” “I use the word iu its ordinary sense, my boy, which is the ‘enlargement of surface.’ ” “Yes, 1 understand that, but this is a political term as used now. Does it mean the ‘enlargement of the surface’ of the country ?” “Certainly, and'but for expansion this country would have been very small indeed.”' “When did it begin to expand? Who was the first expansionist?” "Look at the map of the United States and you will see that the colonies of Great Britain which revolted in 1770 were Massachusetts, which ‘included Maine; New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, which with New Hampshire included Vermont; New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, which included Kentucky, North Carolina, which claimed Tennessee; South Carolina and Georgia. All these colonies, with the outlying territories claimed by them, had only 482,361 square miles, with a population of about 3,000,000. Just before the Revolution George Washington, then a colonel of Virginia militia, was the first expansionist. He aided iu driving the French out of Fort Duquesne, where Pittsburg now stands; helped in annexing to Virginia all the territory which now comprises the States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois. Michigan and Wisconsin. There were no white inhabitants save a few French on the lakes and in Illinois. These States cover 283,361 square miles, about three-fifths of the area of the colonies. At the taking of the census of 1890, ten years ago, they had a population of 13,461,846 and wealth valued at $15,041,635,522. Washington’s expansion proved to be a very valuable one.” “Who was the next expansionist, and what did he do?” “Thomas Jefferson was the next. In April, 1803. he purchased the territory of Louisiana from France. Look at that large map. All the States and territories which you see west of the Mississippi

river to that irregular line which extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border, near the Pacific ocean, were included in this purchase. At the time the purchase was made it was declared valueless, and Jefferson was denounced as bitterly by the opposition at that time as McKinley is now—in fact, more bitterly. lu 1810. the first census after the purchase, the entire civilized population was 77,401. The area of this purchase was 974,873 square miles, more than double that of the original colonies, and comprised what is now the States of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, lowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Nebraska. Kansas, part of Colorado, nearly all of Wyoming, nearly all of Montana, the Indian Territory and the Territory of Oklahoma. In 1890 the population of these States was 12.053,898 and their wealth was $11.595,352.540, eleven billion five hundred and ninety-five million three hundred and fifty two thousand five hundred and forty dollars. These States in 1898 furnished over one-half the wheat and nearly one-lialf the corn crop of the country, and this year will do still better. They have nearly onethird of the total railway mileage and are great producers of cattle, sheep, hogs and horses. Aud yet their productive capacity is in its infancy. When irrigation is established,' as it soon will be, the products of these States will be doubled or tripled. And there is one advantage of this purchase that can never be estimated in money, which is the control of the Mississippi river. Jefferson’s purchase has turned out to be a good one, notwithstanding the hitter opposition to its consummation.” (To be continued.)