The herald., 1897-07-06
THE ANNEXATION BUBBLE

The treaty of annexation of the Ha-
waiian islands to the United States, sub
mitted to the senate by Mr.. Mckinley al
this particular time, seems remarkable,
to say the very least. Everybody knows
that this country is in no condition to go
rainbow chasing two thousand miles
away from home. Everyone is unhap-
PLY aware of the unsettled state of
many important questions affecting the
bread and meat of the people, the sta
bility of our political institutions, the
security of property and the blessings
of domestic peace throughout the union,
whose satisfactory settlement demand
the best energies of the whole country
without going on wild goose chase of
territorial expansion and war-inviting
colonization.
There is the currency question to ad-
just, which was the main reason why
one million Democratic votes were given
to and secured the election of Mr.. Nc
Kinley, upon the specious but fallacious
ard, effectively complemented by addi-
tional legislation, would prove all-suf-
ficient to supply the deficiency in the
volume of our circulating medium and
people. Everybody knows the utter fail
ure of the party in power to raise finger
in behalf of currency reform or to at
tempt during the present called session
that in the interest of millionaires
trusts and syndicates
The failure of the present admin
istration to reform the currency, as
solemnly promised by Mr.. Mckinley
when a candidate for the presidency, is
one of the prominent causes Of the pres
ent universal discomfort. The persist
ent refusal of a Republican congress to
move in this matter or even attempt to
legislate in this direction, though aware
that the people of all parties demanded
such reform, has had more to do in con-
tinuing the presence of hard times than
any other single cause Of unrest and
popular dissa tisfaction extant Every
intelligent person knows that currency
reform is not only demanded, but that
any reform short of the restoration of
| the silver dollar to its constitutional
place in our monetary system will be
inadequate. Every we'll informed man
is aware that the deficiency in our cir
culating medium has existed for many
years, and has been the one cause most
potential of widespread business depres-
sion, stagnation of enterprise and op-
preston of labor; that this widespread
business depression has for years en-
| forced and continues to enforce unwil-
ling idleness upon millions of American
workmen, and, as corrollary, opened
wide the door of the popular mind to the
more dangerous whisperings of anarchy.
No man who has eyes to see and ears
to hear can escape the conviction that
we in the United States are approaching
nearer and nearer the brink of a poll
tical volcano, and that only wise, hui
name, broad and Christian statesman
ship can save US from being inevitably
overwhelmed by its moral lava
| Human nature is the same today that
it ever has been, barring the skin deer
| polish or incrustation of civilization
The same cause will produce the same
effect and we. highly as we rate our per-
sonal equation as citizens of the fore
most nation under the sun, would find
ourselves no exception to the inexora biz
rule Of fate that swept the splendid but
corrupt republics Of antiquity back to
despotism and merlted obscurity.
At . time like this when We are