Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-10


a minority party for several years. To be-
come victorious now 1t was absolutely neces-
sary to make converts to the policy OF the
national administration This the party was
hampered in doing by certain men and news
papers within its own ranks. The fusion
party was overzealous in urging the admin
istratlon into the war with Spain, but as
soon as the war was over they turned against
the administration and were equally Jealous
in their opposition to the acceptance of the
natural results OF the victory OF the United
States. First came the acquisition of the
Hawaiian islands and the fusionists raised
the cry of anti-expansion. Here in Nebraska
the republican party met with violent OPP
position from certain men and certain news
papers within its own ranks.
Mr.. Webster finally concludes:
II the policy OF President Mckinley had at
all times received the loyal support of all
men in Nebraska who as republicans owe
allegiance to 1t the present calamity would
not have befallen us.
Mr.. Webster as usual puts the cart
before the horse. 1T Is true that the
republican party has been the minority
party in Nebraska for several years,
but who and what made 1t Il minority
party? In 1888 Harrison carried Ne
braska by over 2S,0O0 plurality. That
decisive preponderance would have been
retained up to this day had its councils
been guided by prudence and integrity.
At that period the west was swept by
an irresistible popular current against
corporate domination and an imperious
demand for relief from oppressive ex-
actions by public carriers.
But Mr.. Webster and party leaders
identified with the corporations turned
deaf ear to the popular demand, as
they did to the cry for reform in man
agement of state affairs. When the leg
islature of 1893 sought to curb reckless
extravaganza and corruption by the i'm.
parchment of state officers charged
with high misdemeanors Mr. Webster
officeholders. In fact there has never
been time when his voice has been
raised against boodlers and public
plunderers.
When n physician is called he first
tries to ascertain the condition of the
patient and seat of disease and then
he directs all his efforts to the cure Of
the patient by removing the cause if
that is possible The first thing the re,
publican party must do to regain SUI
premacy is to regain popular confidence
in its integrity of purpose. Having
purged itself Of corruption it must in
fuse untainted blood into its veins and
x,.itl, 1,n tn
of moving against it.
Dr. Webster's diagnosis is that of a
charlatan. Instead of courageously ad-
vocating the application of the pruning
knife to abuses that have caused defec,
tion from the party ranks he has sought
to recruit the ranks by forcing the Phil
ippine question to the front. In doing
so he has repelled gold democrats who
were ready to join the party because of
their opposition to Organism and at the
same time repelled foreign-born voters
who would have come over to the party
of sound money, prosperity and good
government but for the specter of i'm
perialism.
The analysis made by Webster is as
incorrect as is his assertion that Ha.
waiian annexation followed as se>
quence of the war and opposition to it
by republicans was the prime cause of
the solidarity of the fusion forces in
Nebraska. AS n matter of fact Ha-
waiian annexation was opposed by
leading republicans in congress and out
of congress for years before Mckinley
became president, and Mckinley him
self was emphatically opposed to the
scheme less than a month before his
Inauguration. The annexation of Ha-
waii, however, was not accomplished
by treaty, but by joint resolution after
the treaty had been defeated by the
senate. 1t preceded the war with Spain
nearly year instead of being a natural
result of the war.
Expansion by annexation or conquest
had no place in republican platforms
and republicans naturally had a right
to view the problem presented with
serious apprehension. The jingo ele-
ment of the party joined with the south
ern democrats in clamoring for war
with Spain just as the English jngoes
clamored for war with the Beers. The
president himself, however, has been
most conservative at all times and will
ing to concede the right of every repub
lican to his own views providing he
stood for maintaining the honor of the
government. The campaign just closed
has illustrated forcibly the indiscretiOn
and bad judgment of John l.. Webster
in forcing the fighting on the ground
which Bryan had selected instead OF
forcing the fight on state issues where
the enemy was weakest and most vul-
nerable.
CZAR AND KAISER.