Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1899 — POLITICS OF THE DAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

POLITICS OF THE DAY

ENCOURAGING TO DEMOCRACY. One of the most encouraging signs for the Democracy is the general interest taken at this early date in the discussion of the party platform to be formulated by the national convention of next year, and in the question as to who shall be the candidate for the Presidency. If the chances of victory in the election were not good the public would not concern itself as it does about these matters. The conferences that are being held by the various State leaders are also good auguries for party success next year. They show that the men to whom the voters look for guidance fully realize their responsibilities, and are anxious to meet them, so that Republican misrule will be overthrown. In this general discussion about both its platform and its Presidential candidate next year the Democratic party has also the opportunity to ascertain what the voters who will decide the election wish. There is a strong sentiment against the McKinley second term trust syndicate even in the Republican party, and it is not improbable that if Mark Hanna and his friends and associates make themselves too conspicuous, there will be trouble in flip ranks of such magnitude that their defeat will be surely brought about. The drift of discussion also shows that the imperial expansion policy, in which there are millions of dollars for favored contractors and speculators, Is decidedly unpopular, and that hundreds of thousands of votes can be gained by the Democracy if it will stand courageously for justice for the Filipinos .and for the safe-guarding of American institutions. As for the money question, opinion still seems to be divided with the Republicans anxious to keep it at the front during next year’s contest. This should serve as a warning to the Democracy, and it will doubtless do so to the men who are earnestly anxious to relieve the country of the incubus of McKlnleyism and all tliat it implies. When it comes to the discussion among Democrats of the candidate who is to lead the national ticket next year there is really very little difference of opinion, although, of course, there are "favorite sons.” They are not as numerous as is usually the case, however, and it is clear that the nominee of the convention of 1900 will be supported most loyally by the rank and file of the party and this fact alope is a strong augury of victory. The free and open discussion now going on within the Democratic party Is the best help possible to the achieving of success next year. It clears away the cobwebs from the brains of the people, and makes them see more clearly, which means tliat they will repudiate at the polls the conglomeration of evil called * McKinleyism.—NewYork News.

Expansion.

Thpse who favor the imperial policy of the Republican administration endeavor to make it acceptable to the people under the guise of expansion. But expansion is one thing and imperialism is an entirely different thing. Legitimate expansion as illustrated by the territory acquired under Jefferson, Monroe, Polk and Pierce added about two-thirds of the area of the Union and supports over 20,000,000 people, but imperialism gives to this country a tropical archipelago, peopled with 10,000,000 savages, at a cost of $20,000,000 and a terrible war. Under the circumstances it is not to be wondered at that conservative Republicans, such as Boutwell and Burrows, see danger in imperialism, nor is it a matter for surprise that the majority of the people are opposed to such a measure. Senator Burrowa has been made the target of abuse by administration organs, but he stands manfully to his guns and replies to his critics as follows: “I ohly stated in the interview what have been my convictions from the first. So far the warfare has raged 50 miles north of Manila, and only a few miles to the east. There are thousands of miles yet to subdue, and fully 10,000,000 people to subjugate. I believe in terminating the difficulty as soon as possible, and before many more lives have been needlessly wasted. I have said nothing that deserves censure. Ido not object to legitimate expansion.” It will be observed that Senator Burrows draws a distinction between expansion and imperialism, and this distinction is worthy of careful consideration. No patriotic citizen objects to the legitimate expansion of the United States, but all patriots will oppose the abrogation of fundamental principles and the establishing of monarchical methods in this great republic. Pensions. * It is a significant fact that the war with Spain has already proved responsible for the filing of 17,000 pension claims. From this fact one can readily infer that the Philippine war Is going to prove a most costly enterprise. But it is stated with much approval that Henry Clay Evans, Commissioner of Pensions, In his annual report announces that the number of pensioners on the national list has decreased some 2,000 over that recorded last year. , Perhaps this decrease may be traced In some degree to the fact that sixtythree pension attorneys were disbarred, ten suspended arid two dropped during the year. The total number of

attorneys dropped to date is 1,163. And yet 37,000 new pensions were granted. Undoubtedly many of these were fraudulent claims, for at this late date since the ending of the war between the States it does not seem reasonable to believe that all of these 37,000 pensioners had valid claims.

There is no disposition on the part of the people to refuse aid to deserving survivors of the wars, but the very fact that nearly 2,000 pension attorneys have been disbarred shows that fraud and rapacity are largely responsible for the tremendous burden w-hich a pension list of $150,000,000 a year imposes.—Chicago Democrat.

Thrown" Over the Jonahs. It has become quite the reigning fad with President McKinley to throw overboard the Jonahs of his present administration in preparation for a successful course after the second term in the White House. Eagan was the first to go, and shortly after him followed Alger. Now it is whispered that Vice President Hobart will be gently dropped over the side of the Republican ship when the nomination of a Vice President is taken into consideration. Now, Hobart has not proved an exception to the general rule, and has been as impersonal and as inconspicuous as most Vice Presidents. But Hobart comes from New Jersey and is not only affiliated with trusts, but represents a State which is the breeding ground of the trusts. It will be the policy of the Republican party to get up a sham battle with the trusts in 1900, and it won't do to have the candidate for second place on the ticket a great captain in the army of the trusts. But the rejection of Hobart will have little effect upon the people. Indeed, the hypocritical arraignment of trusts will lie discountenanced and the actions of the administration during McKinley’s first term will speak louder than platform declarations in 1900.

No action taken by the Hanna. Elkins. McKinley politicians can fool the people ns to the attitude of the administration toward trusts. McKinley was elected by the trusts in 4896. He has been the friend of the trusts all through his term of office, and this show of hostility will simply prove a subject for ridicule by the people when it is made evident at the Republican national convention.

McKinley’s Cabinet.

President McKinley’s administration is only a little more than two years old, and yet only three of the original members of his Cabinet are in office. They are Gage, of the Treasury; Long, of the Navy; and Wilson, of the Agricultural Department. One Cabinet position has been changed twice. First Sherman resigned, and was followed by W. M. Day, and Day resigned and was succeeded by Ambassador Hay. Mr. McKinley s administration has not been a smooth one. As when he was Governor

of Ohio, most of his troubles have come from his inability to judge of the character and fitness of men. It is said by those who are quite close to the President that he still refuses to believe the stories of the unfairness, not to say downright trickery, of Senator Hanna in political affairs, and adheres to him against the advice of many of his old friends.—Columbus Press-Post. t 'trike» nn’ An»rchv, The State militia had hardly departed from Cleveland. Ohio, before another street caf was dynamited. Strikers wonder why the general public do not more generally sustain them, yet they have their answer in the fact that the general public is opposed to violence. Violence was attempted in Brooklyn and the strike failed. Violence has been prevalent in Cleveland and the strike will fail. Force begets force, and violence as a weapon leads, to violence as a defense. The general public is opposed to both uses of violence and the overthrowing of law and order. —Nashville American. Tewey Keep* Mum. lV As Admiral Dewey approaches home waters the liars are buzzing about him endeavoring to make him deny something or trip over some of their clumsy contrivances. But the old sea-dog has cruised among the heathen too long to be upset by the bogus newspaper reporter and he pays no more attention to their buzz than a grizzly in the Rockies does to a swarm of gnats.— Burlington Hawkeye. A Natural Choice. Exposing the imperialistic policy of McKinley in his Philippine war, showing the animus back of the Republican hatred for Germany, denouncing the money power for its heartless greed and its upholding of the tyrannical gold standard, and showing how the bondage to the trusts may be thrown off, William J. Bryan will be the people’s choice.—Newark Advocate. Aborigine* Disappearing. The aboriginal population of Australia is dying out so rapidly that it has been proposed to establish reservations where the remnants can be instructed in agricultural labor and cared for. ' .-■ An insult in Chin*. In China to salute any one by taking off one’s hat la a deliberate insult Tooth brushes should be washed in strong salt and water.