Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1900 — POLITCS OF THE DAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

POLITCS OF THE DAY

WHITHER ARE WE DRIFTING? That we are on the shoals of adversity Is made plain by the New Orleans Times-Democrat. It punctures the bubble of prosperity and gives a resume of the causes which are bringing the nation to certain ruin. “The present industrial status in the United States is a striking illustration of the aphorism that ‘things are not what they seem;’ for, as a matter of fact, the magnates of the trusts are taking advantage of the prosperity that followed in the wake of the higher prices of grain in the Leiter year to rivet the fetters of producer and consumer alike. In truth, the entire organism of our economic and political life is undergoing a metamorphosis which will not be apparent to the general eye, until the cycle of events shall have once more made the masses of a critical temper. The average man has neither inclination nor leisure for philosophical investigation. From emptiness of stomach, as a rule, comes the fullness of heart, out of which the mouth speaketh. “In every direction one sees certain tendencies at work. In the first place, the control of capital is passing into fewer and fewer hands. Giant corporations seek to establish monopolies in various lines of trade. With each sunset the individual is of lighter weight in the balances of life, the will of the multimillionaire being thrown into the opposite scale, after the historic fashion of the sword of Brennus. Doctrines of absolutism are boldly preached which would not have been endured, a decade ago. It is contended’, indeed, that the average American stands in direst want of a guardian, and that the trusts respond to the need, as the scabbard protects the blade from the rust. Russell Sage maintain? the thesis, in its baldest form, but the monopoly’s real weapons of precision are forged in the silence of academic retreats.”

Democratic Success. The Washington Times thus disturbs the brilliant dreams of imperialism indulged in by the Republican ostrich, which hides its head in the bushes and thinks it conceals its whole ungainly body: “Mr, William J. Bryan will take his seat in the White House on March 4, 1901, standing on a platform which will mean laws rehabilitating silver in its legal tender power at the ratio of sixteen to one, the destruction of trusts, and a total collapse of the expansion movement. “The evidence in support of these statements is contained in the following truths which we beg to present for President McKinley’s most distinguished consideration: “(1) The vast majority of the American people, Democrats and Republicans alike, believe in national expansion, but not in imperialism. “(2) The American people believe in putting an end to all monopolies and trusts in restraint of trade. “(3) The American people demand that the triple alliance which now exists, with every prospect of its rapid enlargement, between the national banks, the trusts, and the Secretary of the Treasury shall be dissolved. “(4) The American people, including Democrats in the South not more than Republicans in the New England, Middle, and Western States, resent the thought of any attempt on the part of the Federal Government to interfere with the rights of the citizens of the various States absolutely to control their local affairs.”

Concealing the Evidence. Secretary Gage informs the Senate that if a reply to the famous Hepburn letter was ever made no trace of it can be found on the files of the department, and it is his Itellef that no written or verbal answer ever was made. This is no doubt the case, and yet Mr. Gage made a very substantial indirect reply when he proceeded thereafter to load down the City Bank with treas-ury-deposit favors. After being reminded by Mr. Hepburn that the names in the directory of the City Bank would show what claims to treasury consideration the bank had upon the administration party, Mr. Gage would have done better to drop the bank from his list of special depositories and fiscal agents of the government once and for all. His failure to do so only serves to create a public suspicion that there must have been a good deal of basis to the claims referred to by Hepburn.—Springfield Republican.

Hanna Demands Pay from Bonks. I must impress upon you the exceeding importance of the immediate furnishing of money. The Democrats are already at work. We are employing men to counteract their influence. Only by the utmost assiduity can the truly prosperous condition of the United States be made continually apparent Now Is the time for the merchants and manufacturers and bankers of the country to get their armor on.—Mark Hanna to Philadelphia convention committee, Jan. 18, 1900. Would Do Anything. 1 The Republicans would vote against the Ten Comamndments and the Lord’s prayer if they were presented by a Democrat or if they were made an Issue by Democrats. At a meeting of the society known as the Sons of the Revolution held at Cincinnati the Republicans happened to have a majority of the

members present, and when that in defatlgable Democrat, Col. W. A. Taylor, presented a resolution reaffirming that part of the Declaration of Independence which declares that all men are created free and equal and possess certain Inalienable rights, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, etc., the Republicans present actually voted down the resolution by layfhg it on the table.—Champaign (Ohio) Democrat.

Nicaragua Canal. Democrats in Congress should oppose the Republican Scheme to make the Nicaragua canal a means of weakening instead of strengthening the power of this country. By binding the United States not to fortify the canal it becomes a menace and uot a protection. The New York Journal puts the case concisely and strongly when it says: “A Nicaragua canal open to our warships and closed to those of our enemies would double our naval strength. A Nicaragua canal that would let the fleets of Europe through to attack either coast of the United States at their pleasure would double the strength of our enemies.” As a matter of fact, the Republicans wish to surender all the strategic benefits of the canal to the powers of Europe and especially to England. If Nicaragua is willing to give this country the' right to construct the canal and at the same time to fortify it, no European nation has any right to interfere. It is enough for this country to grant foreign powers the use of the canal in times of peace. It is criminal folly to spend millions of dollars to put this nation in the power of great foreign navies in times of war. The canal should be free to the ships of other nations for all commercial purposes, but it should be fortified and held inviolate for the use of our own navy in times of war.

Total Depravity.

While the administration is mumbling vague threats of the terrible things it will do to American citizens if they don’t stop daring to think; and the newspaper lackeys howl that the people who protest against war are the only ones to blame for It—these troubled gentlemen are forgetting the chief offender. They want to get after the Declaration of Independence, and “proceed against” it, and exclude it from the mails, and let us know what a seditious, copper-head, traitorous document it is. And then the constitution, which is about as wicked. For these two old-fashioned papers have done more to “encourage the Filipinos” than all the anti-imperlal speeches of to-day—just as they inspired Mexico, Central America, Peru, Chile and all the other mainland colonies to revolt from Spain; just as they to-day inspire the people who protest against a war of conquest These wicked manifestos of human rights should be suppressed! They make trouble, at home and abroad—for those who violate them. Let us wipe them out and tie to Commerce and Chances for American Capital!—Wilmington (Del.) Justice.

Rather Embarrassing. In the midst of Republican prosperity it Is rather embarrassing for them to contemplate a strike of 40,000 miners, who have for months been begging the coal operators of Pennsylvania to grant them living wages. The coal operators are too busy making profits for the trust interests and have refused to even confer with the miners. The men have a national organization and have about concluded that if it is a question of starving anyhow they may as well go on a strike and see how that extreme measure will appeal to those who are reaping the profits from their labor.—Sioux Falls Press.

Apologizing for Trusts. It is amusing to see the administration organs apologizing for the trusts with one breath and kicking against the extortionate price—at an advance of from 40 to 60 per cent—charged for print paper by the paper trust. A trust is a good thing so long as it confines its squeezing attention’s to some other fellow.—Los Angeles Herald. Party of Law and Order. The Democratic party is the party of law, order, patriotism and genuine morality, as Its conduct in 1870, when the Republicans stole the Presidency, and in plenty of other emergencies has shown. The Republican party also believes In law, order, patriotism and morality, as virtues which others should cultivate.—Albany Argus. Make* a Hot Issue. The auarchy and assassination which prevail in our suffering sister commonwealth are the evidences of what Republican rule is in the South. We don’t believe our States will need any other Issue during the coming Presidential election.—Knoxville, Tenn., Sentinel. * Government by Force. Government by force and by assassination is being tried in this country earlier than had been expected by even those of us who contend that government by force In the Philippines will result in government by force in this country.—Joplin (Mo.) Globe. McKinley in" 1898. “I speak not of forcible annexation, for that cannot be thought of. That by our code of morality would be criminal aggression. WILLIAM M’KINLEY.” Message to Congress, April 11, 189&