Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-12-26

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washington, Dec- 10Th 1898.

TO say. ConSe GueDtiy> he always
always gets the attention of his
colleagues when he speaks, although
he is not an orator, in the general ac-
ceptanee of the term. His strong
point is facts, and he brought out an
unusual lot Of them when he proceed
ed to demolish the things set up by
Senator Vest in the name of an argu-
ment in favor of the resolution, de-
constitutional rightt to acquire terrific
~ except with the intention OF admit-
ting it to the Union as a state. Mr..
Platt ma'ie it as plain as A, B, G, that
this government had a clear right to
acquire territory to be disposed of in
any manner it might see fit, and
c,inehed it by showing that it had al
most from she beginning of the gov
eminent exercised this right without
question.
Republicans IN Congress are de-
lighted with President McKinley's
triumphant tour of the south, and
enthusiastically endorse everything
he said about expansion and the gov
eminent caring for the Confederate
dead. The enthusiasm with which
the presidents straight-from-the-
shoulder expansion talk was received
in the south was a pointer for some
of the democratic anti expansion that
is being carefully studied.
Mr.. Bryan was not altogether sat-
isfed with the results of his trip to
Washington. He did not find the
democratic response to his anti-ex-
pansion keynote all that he expect
ed it would be. On the contrary, he
was plainly told by a number of dem
ocratic senators and Representatives
that they could not endorse his posi-
ton, and that their constituents would
not. IF he had it to do over again, there
is very little doubt hat Mr., Bryan
would be less emphatic in expressing
his opposition to expansion, but as
he has fully committed himself, there
is nothing left for him to do but to
stand by what he said, and take the
consequences.
Strange as it may e there are
senators and representatives-none
of them repnblicans-who oppose the
bill to increase the regular army to
100000 men, and to otherwise put it
upon a modern basis. Some of these
men were very loud in their com
plants, because the organization of
the army at the beginning of the war
with Spain, was SO inadequate to the
occasion thst there was unavoidable
delay IN getting b army into fight
ing condition. Now, they want to per-
petuate the old and inadequate or
ganization, forgetting the advice Of
WashiDg ton-HIn time of peace, pre-
pare for war; Fortunately for the
country, these obstrucionists are in
the minority; their opposition may
delay the increase of the army, but it
cannot prevent it.
Congress win aJ~journ-this week for
the customary Christmas recess of
two weeks. No time will really, be
lost by the recess, as all Of the i'm
portant committees will work right
throagh it. The Anglo-American
Commission has taken a recess until
Jan. 3. The work of the commission
has not been progressing very rapidly
of late and, it Is now practically GER
tain that If there is a treaty at all, it
will not inelude commercial reciproc-
ity.
Hon. David J.. Hill, Assistant Sec
rotary of State, delivered an interest
ing address on the Expansion Of
the disposition in some quarters to
harp on the word imperialism" Mr..
Hill said IA malignant disposition
could not have selected a worse word
than imperialism. A better word,
which expresses the true condition, is
expansion. Tt is not a new one and
the idea is not novel. 1t has existed
since the inception ofnational growth.
Civilization must go on until there is
not one province, one island, one in
dividual upon which its benign light
does not fall" He answered those
who argue that il would be a violation
of the constitution for us to set up a
form of government over any people,
without allowing them to choose it's
form as well as it's officials, by saying:
uNations as well as individuals must
pass through the period of minority.
Tt was SO with this nation. See how
closely our forefathers guarded the
right of franchise. All constitutional
lawyers agree that the franchise is
not a natural right, but a legal gift,