The Irish standard., 1899-10-21
SWINGING ROUND THE CIRCLE.

SWINGING ROUND THE CIRCLE.
For the first time in the history OF
our republic the Chief Executive OF the
nation with his entire cabinet have left
the seat OF government and taken Hor-
ace Greeleys advice to go West"
They have been West for the past two
weeks defending the Philippine policy
OF the administration, speaking OF the
flag, and reminding the people OF the
wave OF prosperity they have brought
to the country by their superior states
manship, 1t is a spectacle for gods and
men to see the president OF the United
States and his heads OF departments
leaving the national capital and desert
ing their posts OF duty to try to con-
cIliate the people OF the West for the
plumbers they have made 1t is proof
strong as Holy Writ that they fear the
wrath to come in 1ooo or they would
not have left the government OF this
great country in the hands OF subordi-
nate officials and go swinging round the
circle to win applause by their rhapsod-
lcal spoutings on the flag and the trade
which follows it.
In one OF his speeches in South Da-
kota President Mckinley declared that
trade follows the flag" Notwthstand-
ing the fact that he delved deeply into
statistics in his address in Minneapolis
he failed to show that trade has followed
the flag into the Philippines, Porto
Rico or Cuba. He gave the area in
square miles to the exact figure OF the late
Spanish dependencies but did not show
that the floating OF the American flag
i'll the islands has increased our trade
with them beyond the supplies sent for
his armies. Instead OF trade following
the flag, Prof. Laughlin OF Chicago, one
OF Mckinley's ablest supporters in
1896, shows that the flag follows trade.
II trade follows the flag. how does Mr..
Mckinley explain the fact that during
the eight months ending August I, 1900,
the United States exported to the Phil
ipplne islands, where the flag floats,
only 100000 worth of goods, while dur
ing the same period there was exported
to the Boer republic 100000 OF mer-
chandisc, though the American flag
does not float there extensively, and we
have no sovereignty over the territory.
OF the 100000 worth shipped to the
Philippines in eight months how much
was consumed by the natives? The
major portion OF the goods, especially
the bottled stuff. was consumed by the
American army under Gen. Otis.
In his speech at Madison the other
day MIR. Mckinley patlcticaly said:
One tribe, and small portion OF that
tribe, is questioning the sovereignty of
the United States in the island OF LII
zon. The very people we emancipatcd
from oppression struck Our flag and
shot our soldiers. The shedding OF
blood is anguish to my soul. The Civ
ing up the lives OF our brave and best
The benevolent and tender-hearted
man whose soul is wrung with anguish
and whose eyes are moist with crocodile
tears over the shedding OF blood"
c'icc exclaimed that ''iorcble subjuga-
ton is criminal aggression Truer
words were never uttered, but Mckinley
has evidently forgotten them now. They
issued from his pen when his soul was
not inflamed by the lust OF conquest.
They were uttered before the peace
commissioners went to Paris in Septem-
Der, 1903, and before Pauncefote and
Chamberlain suggested the seizure OF
the Philippines as basis OF operations
for an Anslo-American onslaught on
China. They were uttered before Cush
man X. Davis made his famous speech
on an Atlantic steamer in which he said
that "I25 millions OF people speaking
he same tongue and standing together
in thought and purpose will do more
Tor peace than any war ever waged."
They were uttered before the same un-
scrupulous henclman OF Jim Hill and
the corporations declared for a triple
alliance OF the United States, Great
Britain and Japan, and said that all the
land north OF the equator in the eastern
hemisphere should belong to the Anglo
Saxon race. They were uttered before
the St. Paul Anglomaniac declared that
1T is by divine dispcnsation the last
three months has brought about bet
ter feeling between Great Britain and
the United States The St. Paul lingo is
now mute ON Anglo-Saxon superiority.
ard he 10 longer says that he cares not
what the other European powers think
OF his bellicose utterances. John Hay,
'hc cN-ninister to England. denies that
any alliance between the Mother Coun-
| try and this republic was ever contem-