The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-11-16
THE ALABAMA CONTEST.

The most interesting Senatorial con-
test the. South has seen for years IS
on between Senator Morgan and Cover
nor Johnson, of Alabama. Mr.. Morgan
has been in the Senate for a long term
and is admittedly one of the ablest men
in that body. He is also one of the
most honest and most industrious. his
opinion upon constitutional questions
is highly regarded He takes little in
terest in getting appropriations for his
State and like matters, which is a
source of some complaint, but one that
to him is that in recent years he seems
TO have almost gone daft on the subject
of imperialism. He was the foremost
advocate of taking Hawaii, he out
Hanna Hanna in wanting to hold the
Philippines, and iii the natural order we
expect next to see him in favor or
territory grabbing in all quarters of the
globe He evidently believes that the
United States is destined to be what is
known in modern parlance as IA world
power" going about grabbing land here
and there, shooting its owners when
they decline peacefully to surrender it.
Threats of men who prefer their own.
There is not room TO doubt also that
he believes this policy will add to the
trade of the South and add to the
glory of the Republic. Because of his
intense faith in what he calls ''expan-
sion" and what we believe is imperial
ism. Senator Morgan has come to be-
lieve that policy ought to be the policy
of this Republic, and 10 be foremost III
its support in the United States.
As long as his ideas went no further
than taking Hawaii, many of his peo-
pie, though not agreeing with him in
that, believed it their duty not to make.
upon all other great questions and was
recognized as one of the ablest of living
American statesmen. But the Senator
seems to have thought this unwillingness
to raise an issue on annexation of far
removed territory meant approval, and
he has been the brains of the fight for a
colonial policy, upholding the Mckinley
administration in its policy of criminal
aggression The anti-imperialists in
Alabama objected to such representation,
but made no move against Senator
Morgan until he came out in an inter-
view, advocating the nomination of some
man other than Bryan because of Bry-
The aged Senator was asking an adj
miring constituency to give him too
much latitude when he not only voted
in the Senate for a Republican policy,
but demanded Democratic candidate
for President who stood for imperial
ism and all that it implies. While will
great ability TO give him wide latitude,
those Democrats in Alabama whose con-
yictions against Imperialism are deep
and abiding felt that the Senator was
asking them to surrender too much OF
their convictions. The result is that
Governor johnson, a native of Lincoln
county, North Carolina, has announced
himself candidate for the Senate, and
there will be joint debate between the
Senator and the Governor Both arc
loyal advocates of the Chicago platform,
and they differ only on the foreign policy,
Mr.. Johnson holding the same views as
Mr.. Bryan, Senator Vest and nearly all
the Democratic leaders in the country,
and Senator Morgan believing in the
policy pursued by the Mckinley admin
istration. Both are true men and upon
domestic issues are agreed. .-~Alabama
will be well represented no matter
which wins.