Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-30
THE SENTIMENT cXAXC/wc,

The nomination of an expansionist by
Maine republicans, to succeed ex-Speak-
err Reed, shows that the sentiment Is
changing in New England and that the
president has the practically unanimous
support of his party. In what might be
termed the early stages of expansion
there was unquestionably a great deal
of opposition manifested in New Eng
land, growing out of the belief that the
extreme east would suffer a loss of com.
mercial n industrial prestige as the
direct result OF the growth WHICH the
expansion policy would bring to the Pa
cific coast and the inter-mountain states.
But as time has rolled on a number of
causes have operated to change th1
views of the down-easters. First, it
has become apparent that all sections Of
the country will reap the advantages
promised by the new policy. and'that a
great and growing west does not necesa
arily imply the shrinkage of the east.
On the contrary. the commerce of the Pa
cihc ocean will rob the Atlantic Of none
OF it's glory. It is far more likely to
stimulate eastern traffic than to depress
it. The trend of business and the gem
eral prosperity of the country has mel
lowed down the asperities that seemed
to take root when the expansion idea
originally found it's way into the chan
nelS of debate, and the feeling CORES
pondingly subsidized.
The second cause of an important char
acter which is changing the New Eng
landers from opponents to advocates OF
the policy of the administration, is the
attitude Of the democratic party on that
question. The lineal descendants Of the
pilgrim fathers are nothing if not loyal.
When the democracy aligned itself With
the enemies of the nation, and advertised
it's applause of Aguinaldo and his cause
as part and parcel Of the policy Of anti.
expansion, there was nothing left f0r.the
| patriotic New Highlander to do but to
stand squarely behind the national ad-
ministration.
Had the democracy instituted its COM
paign against expansion by first recog.
nizing the propriety Of subduing the enc.
mics of the flag in a contest which this
nation did not invite, and after the con-
c!usion of peace filed it's protest against
holding the Philippines beyond a point
that would reimburse our country for its
expenditures, it would have had a stroik
and intelligent following in the east. slut
when it insisted upon the withdrawal %
our troops from the field, after they had
been. assaulted without cause and the
flag fired upon, ana pietuIedethe measly
barbarian at the head Of the4srebsfs9as
a. second George Washington, fighting
for life and liberty against a cruel OPP
p~ressor, it handicapped the issuefJropsr
and invited a revolt.. 1t forced1 into
the situation the issue of patriotism and
associated it with the expansion idea.
The copperhead policy of the democ-
racy has absolutely destroyed my hope
which it's leaders may have had that the
country could be carried against the
policy of the national administration.
Whatever may be the views of the
people, on this or any other public ques-
ton in issue, they are not going to turn
the reins of government over to a party
thai will not stand by the flag when it is
assailed by its enemies, and which open
ly n avowedly champions the cause
of it's country's foes.
Not only have the laundering leaders
of the democratic party lost the oppor-
tunity to gather strength for the anti
expansion cause in the east, but they
have antagonized many of their best and
most prominent political associates, as
we'll. Governor Pattison, the n dem
ocrat of sufficient popularity and
strength to be elected to the governor
ship of Pennsylvania, recently declared
his purpose to sustain President McKin-
ley in the work he had undertaken. rising
above party affiliations to the higher
level of patriotic duty as a citizen. He
is but one of many. :
REWviNC FREE TRADE. VI