Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-11-15
THE KING CAN DO NO WRONG.

ue pFeSeut OppO6ltlOu W Vic SO'-
ernment's Philippine policy is as
naught compared to the opposition
that opposed President Lincoln at the
outbreak of the civil war. The ad-
ministration was right then, has al
ways been right since the Mayhower
landed. Time will verify twill
mar Argus.
Tbs above is fair sample of the
double distilled asininity which pas
ses for patriotism in certain circles.
1.-The administration has always been
right" We suppose that Buchanan's
administration was ''right'' when it
surrendered to the secessionists; that
Pierce's administration was fright"
when it allowed the border rutfians to
trample down the liberties of Kansas.
To preach such doctrine requires
dense ignorance, monumental gall,
and q servile mind, and the editor of
the Willmar and Janesville) Argus,
and others of his ilk, are splendidIy
equipped for the task. Std ames Jour-
nal.
AS the period during which the adj
ministration has been "right' reaches
back it follows, according to the
''Prophet's' dictum, that there are
many things that were right which the
American people have hitherto class
fled as wrongs. The acts forbiddlng
manufacturing in the colonies we're
fright" although the people opposed
them, refusing to believe in the Stu
art-Wharton doctrine that the govern
ment can do no wrong. The acts for
bidding the colouists to trade with
any country except England were
fright" and the people who opposed
them were TRAITORS" The stamp act,
the tea tax, all the administration
measures that drove the colonies into
armed resistance, were "right." The
colonists must consequently have been
wrong" in opposing those acts-un-
til they had licked England and estab-
lished an administration of their own,
when the wrong Immediately became
right. All the contradictory acts of
the different administrations were
fright" The Adams administration
was right" when it secured the adop-
ton of the Sedltion Law, making un-
favorable criticism of the government
q crime-an act right in line With the
:'Prophet's idea-and Jefferson's ad-
ministration was "rightd' in repeating
that law. Washington's administra-
ton was fright" in establishing the
U. S. Bank, and Jackson's admins
tration was "right' in using it's Ut
most power to destroy that institution.
High Tariff and Low Tariff, Pro-
slavery and Anti-slavery administra-
tions were all Fright, These contra
dictory examples might be extended
ad infinitum, but enough have been
given to show how ridiculous the
Argus idea is.
Patriotism does not require that we
shall blindly accept the acts OF the ad-
ministration as fright" It does re-
quire that we obey the laws until we
have an opportunity to change them.
But to get change 1t is necessary to
discuss the laws and the acts of the
administration. If those acts and
laws have justice behind them the ad-
ministration need not fear discussion,
and its friends need not try to drown
their opponents by believing about
TRAITORS. ,"
The opponents of the present ad-
ministration do not desire to use any
unlawful means to thwart the acts of
Mckinley. But they refuse to accept
them as being "right'' just because
the administration commits them;' and
they also intend to use their. legal
right of free speech in an appeal to
the American people to, change admin
istratiODs.