The times., 1898-12-24
SATURDAY, DECEMBER "a, 1925.
Hopeful senutor Honr.

The descendants of the Puritans are
notable for their fondness for the table.
The annual celebration of the fact that
they are New Enslanders by the men,
bers of the societies that are scattered
over the country. is always marked by
dinner and talk. In the case of the So
ciety at Charleston, in South Carolina,
the liquors are an item of Importance,
and not even the presence of the nom
elastic Senator Hoar as the conspicuous
orator could compensate for the absence
of a flowing bowl. Certainly time brings
changes. Anybody who is familiar with
the history of New England after its
conscience interdicted the consumption of
alcohol, every State of that section hav-
ing had its attempt at prohibition, must
be interested and amused by the news
from Charleston. That the descendants
of the prohibitive Yankees should enter
into conflict with the officers of South
Carolina over the question of wine for
the New England dinner is doubly sur
prisinG-first that the diners should want
anything stronger than cider and, sec
ond, that South Carolina should place
n
1t required strong political pull to have
the seized bottles restored to the society
1t would have been serious thing if the
Governor had been as implacable as the
State agents who confscated the liquids
for even on social occasion the oratory
OF Senator Hoar is of a kind to make the
hearer thirsty.
The speech on this occasion was In
teresting as showing the progress of Sen
ator Hoar toward expansion. His action
in the case of Hawaiian annexation had
prepared the public for his movement.
Then he was vociferously opposed TO the
bill but in the end voted for it, though
without changing his mind as to its char
acter and effects. He began his war
on expansion by announcing that If the
President persisted in the retention of
the Philippines 1.-THE downfall of the Re-
public will date from the Administra-
ton of William Mckinley" Then he as
sured US that the Senate would never
ratify the treaty of peace which imposed
on us a mad but brief, career of destruc-
tive Imperialism. A little later came ru-
mors that Senator Hoar might allow
the treaty to be ratified and still later
that he would vote for il, but would ex-
plain that he regarded il as fatal to the
continued existence of the Republic. In
his Charleston speech he still looked
with alarm and dread upon the prospect
of expansion, because we have not vet
solved the problem of men of different
races living together, but he did not de-
spair of its solution in justice and in
freedom. He no longer looked on the
dark side AS he grew older he looked
out upon the world with hope and not
despair. Surely this is an extraordinary
instance of the effect of growing older
Just two weeks ago he foresaw the down.
fall of the Republic from this very cause.
Being two weeks older, he is as hopeful
as any original expansionist of the soIu-
ton. in justice and in freedom, of the
problem that seemed fatal only a fort
night ago.
This Is significant of the effect of the
Presidents aggressive attitude. 1t is a
final Indication that the anti-expansion-
lists realize that expansion is accom-
plished. They may attempt to impose
restrictions on our rule of the depend
encies, but not with real hope. They have
tried TO show that the President misun-
Vass for signatures to their protest has
been SO nearly fruitless as to paralyze
their activity.