The herald., 1897-07-29

PATRIOTIC COMMON SENSE +:

If as result of the foreign policy o.
the present administration the United
States should become involved in wal
with Japan the country will know where
to place the responsibility. 1t was dur
ing Mr.. Harrison's term of office that the
first treaty of annexation of the Hawa-
iian islands was submitted for the APP
proval of the United States senate, and
Mr., Mckinley, his next Republican sue
cessor had hardly become comfortably
accustomed to the presidential chair ere
he, too, yielded to the Establishments of
sent a second installment of the proposed
ill-starred alliance. In neither instance
old these distinguished men represent
the wishes of the American people. OF
course both Mr. Harrison and President
Mckinley were within the letter of the
law in submitting the annexation treaty
to the senate, but the spirit of the Con-
stitution and the law was violated by
the act.
In the United States the will of the
people is the supreme law, or that at
least is the theory upon which our gov
eminent is constructed. There is, how
ever in high places disposition to ig-
nore this wholesome principle and to
substitute the will of the official
for that of the people. A more per-
fnctory compliance with Ccnstitu-
tional requirements in the discharge of
official duties, follows almost logically
and this by contempt of the sovereign
people themselves.
Herein. for instance. is found explana-
ton of the action OF the present secre-
tary of war touching the failure of that
/ officer TO execute the will of the people
embodied in the law of congress provid
ing for the construction of deep sea har-
Dor at San Pedro Almost every sentence
which Gen. Alger has expressed relative
to this question recalls Vanderbilt's in
solent adjuration, 1.-The public be id"
There was a time in American history
when, if the official duties of govern
ment officer conflicted with his private
interests or personal convictions, he
would resign his office-step down ana
cut like a man of spirit and independ-
ence Some of our modern rulers seem
to be imbued with a different sense Of
what constitutes respect for the genius
of American political institutions and
the requirements of self respect. The
people of the United States, however
should insist, in season and out of sea-
son. that their will, cystallized in consti-
tutions and statutes, IS the supreme law
and must be opeyed by officials, high or
low. The growing tendency of men
clothed in little brief authority, to be
a law unto themselves must be sat down
upon, and that with crushing force.
The usurpation Of popular rights has
in every age constituted the first steps
leading to the final overthrow of popuar
government. In our own country the
fact is historical that in it's career of
nearly one hundred years the Democratic
party, as a party, has ever acted within
conservative lines and never espoused
u policy menacing the integrity o.:
American institutions or tending to the
disgrace or humiliation of the American
flag.
| In this matter of stupid interference
IN the affairs of foreign nations, by which
our foreign trade has been crippled and
by which we are likely to be placed in
the predicament of the inebriate men
toned in Holy Writ, who received
wounds without cause" in this
wretched business the country is not
likely to forget that the trouble has been
brought upon us purely by the foreign
policy of the Republican party. The party
that opposes striking the shackles from
the peoples money; the party that last
year and this and during all the years
that it continues in power has concen-
trated and is concentrating and will con
tinue to concentrate all its mighty forces
against the free and unlimited coinag.
of the silver dollar, is the same party
whose bludering foreign policy may force
| the United States into war, which how
|
in the end it must be-would inf1ct upon
the country an expenditure of life and
treasure vastly in excess of any bene~
fit we might possibly derive therefrom
1t is to the conservative tax paying citi-
zens of California matter of congratu-
lation that, amidst all the vaporings and
bombastic nonsense of those bellicose
statesmen of whose ilk it has been said
that they are ever invisible in war but
nvincible in peace" that amid all the
fury and Juror of the annexation fac
| in Washington, the Democratic senator
from California, Hon. Stephen M. White,
has kept his head and has, given to the
United States senate and the country a
wholesome example of patriotic common
sense.
The Latin Americans
The desire for reciprocity on the part
of the United States has queer way of
manifesting itself that renders any prac-
teal arrangement impossible. Latin
America lies close to our doors. Its