Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-10-06

today is whether the American peo-
pie will sustain President Mckinley
in his administration in the diplo-
matte contest with Spain which will
begin in Paris Oct. L."
In these words Congressman
William Lorimer expresses the whole
issue involved in the Congressional
election.
In this year, 1898, the United
States of America has added $780,
600 square miles to its area and has
brought more than 100000 human
beings under its flag. 1t has ex-
tended ito dominion over the most
valuable islands Of the West Indies,
over Hawaii, the key to Pacific, and
over the Philippines, the gateway to
the commerce Of the Orient. 1t has
opened the geographical way for the
construction of the Nicaragua canal.
1t has placed within the grasp of its
people possibilities of trade, wealth,
and power whose inexhaustible con-
sequences are waiting to crowd fast
upon one another for fifty years or a
century to come. 1t has established
itself as one Of the foremost powers
| of the world. 1t has won for itself
that degree of respect among the
civilized people of the globe that
will enable it to give force and per-
manence to the demands of its
national policy.
Shall these splendid achievements
be perpetuated in our national
policy?
With one voice the republicans of
this nation have replied: They shall.
w it'll one voice they have declared
that whenever the flag of this
country has been raised over tropical
lands and in tropical seas within the
last six months that flag shall con-
tinue to wave as long as the United
st ates government has the power to
maintain it. On the other hand, a
vast majority Of Democrats, in their
@ invention resolutions and through
t heir party organs, have called upon
the government of this republic to
repu diate the vast domains and the
vast possibilities hat have been won
by force of our arms, to retire within
itself, and to exist as it existed be-
fore the names Of Dewey and Mer-
rit t, Schley and Sampson, became
household words throughout the
land.
There is no ignoring the issue
thus presented. A man has only
to enter the club, the barber shop,
or the saloon, or to pause on the
street corner, to learn what is up
permost in the mindsof the people.
There is no general discussion of
the battle of the standards, there
is no interest or debate regarding
the free coinage of silver. A person
seeks in vain for any men or body
of men who will devote their leis-
ure to comparisons between the
Dingley law and the Wilson law.
Neither the tariff nor the currency
holds the attention of the great
masses Of the people today. The
one question, ever before them is:
Shall this country expand with its
opportunities or shall 1t remain a
pent up continental power? No
amount of sophistry can turn the
people away from this question. No
amount of argument can take them
back to the dried husks of 1895.
No political leader, whatever his
power or sagacity, can force to
their mouths q Lethesn drink co
obliterate from their memories the
revolutionary changes Of the last
six months. A man who goes before
the people today can no more turn
back the tide Of public sentiment
and force it to flow in channels of
his own choosing than he a dam
the Mississippi at its mouth or
force back Niagara into the con-
fines of Lake Erie. 1t is a useless
task and if attempted will prove a
disastrous one.
"The question before the country