The Topeka state journal., 1899-10-09
BLOW AT CLEMENS.
Chairman Wagner Objects to Bis Ex-
pansion Sentiments.


Chairman George Wagner of the
Shawnee county PopuliSt central COM
mittee said today:
The indications are that in the
course of a year or two Horace Gree
Iey's horsethief proposition viii be para
phrased to suit the case in this matter
of expansion. All expansiOnists will be
Republicans, although all Republicans
may not be eXpansiOnists. I notice that
Republican papers are making diligent
efforts to show that the Mckinley eX-
pansion policy is being endorsed by men
of other parties. That is their plan Of
taking the curse off the Mckinley pol
icy, and they are enjoying measure Of
temporary success at it.
Mr. Clemens in order to counteract
the ilI-advised effort of certain Popu-
lists to commit their party to one side
of this question, gives aid and comfort
to the enemy by getting on the other
side. He says expansion should not be
made an issue because we have dOmes-
tic troubles enough to keep US busy,
and then he proceeds to talk IN favor of
expansion just to show that he is 'agin'
the antis He says many things when
he is angry that he regrets afterWard.
1T is true, as Mr.. Clemens says, that
the POpuliStS are in no need OF leaders
to tell them of what to talk We need no
leaders to tell US the difference between
right and wrong on such a proposition
as this. And while 1t is wrong for one
man to try to commit his party to eth
er side of a new question, it is absolute
" wicked for one to advocate the side
he knows to be wrong
Whatever is right in politics is good
POpulism. Expansion in the sense the
term is now being used, is wrong. It
means conquest, colonial government,
imperialisnn-ther the rub. LOoW at
France with her great, burdenSOme, cor
rupt standing army, and then talk about
domestic trouble There's domestic
trouble for you, Brother Clemens AL
ready our president is authorized to in
crease the regular army to 100000 men,
and if he is reelected the probability
is that he will again have it increased.
When that time comes we may as well
hang up the fiddle and quit pretending
to be a government by the people.
Many of US are inclined to slop over
on this question. Some are trying to
make heroes out Of Agiualdo and his
followers I don't know whether they
are heroes or cut-throats. On the other
side are a lot of blatherskites crying
'copperhead' at those who suggest that
the game is not worth the powder, or
that F'iIipinos have some rights that
civilized people ought to respect.
LAS to hauling down the flag while
it would be a disgrace to have it hauled
down by the people of any other nation,
I have an OId-fashiOned notion that the
United States has an indisputable right
to haul down her own Nag when
ever she gets a good ready to do So We
have had it down anyhow, for a mum Der
of years, waiting for other govern
ments to tell US what kind of money
would suit them. As to the EilipinOs,
if We haven't the moral courage to do
what is right by them, if our boast Of
being a Christian nation is all hum
bug, if we are afraid of being laughed
at for quitting where We are in this
matter, then for our own good we
ought to whip 'em and let 'em go. 1t
would be a good deal like a healthy
man whipping a cripple, but may be
that will be the easiest way out of it -