Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-02-16
METHODS OF DEMOCRATS.
GppOrtunlsts Hit Upon Anti-ENpan-
sion Policy tn InEsmc
Turbulent spirits.

are entitled to no credit Tor acquiescing
in the republican policy Of ratifying
the Paris treaty, for the reason that
past democratic history demonstrates
their fixed policy TO be obstruction, dis
sension and reckless opposition to all
republican legislation. whenever such
autagonism is not clearly seen to be
suicidal on the part of the democracy.
SO far as Bryan's action in the matter
is concerned. the same remark applies
to him and to his motive in advising
such congressional action. l: he is to
be "credited" with instigatng the pol
icy of the democratic members, such
credit must be limited to the degree of
shrewdness shown in discovering the
shortest way out of the woods. The
whole scheme is mere trick of party
eXpediency, to be followed by an at
tempt at united opposition to the re-
publican policy of national expansion.
1t is perfectly clear to all observers
of the movements of American parties
that the democratic opportunistS have
hit upon the policy of opposing terri
torial expansion as the one best adapt
ed TO their partisan methods and 10 the
average democratic talent for duping
the ignorant and infaming the baser
passions of the turbulent element in
our society. The plea will consist Of a
howl against a standing army; an out
cry against ruling colonized popula-
tions contrary TO their wishes or the
provisions of the constitution" tear
full protest against admitting foreign
territories. densely inhabited with ig-
norant tribes, whose civilization will
mean competition with the Ioiling
masses of our own country, and similar
democratic rot.
All this is held in contemplation as
a prospective happy diversion from the
discrcdited silver craze of 1896 which
even Bryan seems anxious to get rid
Off ii can be done without causing
TOO much irritation among the popu-
lstic element of his party. It has been
one of Bryan's favorite tricks to as
sumo that republicans have settled on
certain abstruse questions and policies,
though only the faintest indications of
such action may be his sole ground for
the assumption. Subsequent indignant
reputation of the Boy Orators impu-
dence is then taken as a bacIdown on
the part of the republicans. This spe-
cies of trickery is foreshadowed in the
anti-cXpansion movement Of the de-
mocracy under the leadership of the
arch demagogue, Bryan.
The truth is, republicans have not
yet formulated a distinct future policy
for the final disposition of the Philip
pines. They have prudently postponed
such work. pending exhaustive investi-
cation and debate on the subject. Their
attitude to-day is the only philosophical
one. The democratic attitude is the
shifting and crafty one that has al
ways characterized the party-particu-
jarly since its political overthrow in
1860.
The democracy has plunged into the
fight against national expansion with
its usual haste and effrontery. The
question is one of profound depth and
unusual mportance-one that must en-
gage the attention and study of our
ripcst scholars and soundcst political
thinkers. Yet the democratic leaders.
great and small, have tackled il, with
the vulgar and laundering tem"rity Of
lot of rural stagers in their first re-
hearsal for school exhibition. What
does the average democratic editor or
the Boy Orator know about expansion
or "imperialism that the latter
expression has Il patrician sonorous-
ness about it that promises TO excite the
instructive antaEonism of the class who
call themselves the proletariat? How
many Of Bryan's followers or lieuten-
ants have ever heard of the impcach-
ment of Warren Hastings, or the sig
niticance of that incident, as a v!ndica-
ton of the English expansion policy e?
How many of the yelling antis are
equipped with ancient precedents and
modern instances, and how many
would be qualified to use them if they
were as plentiful as agricultural re
ports in a western statehouse Gin
cinnati Commercial Tribune.