The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-09-28
sSEDITIoUS AGITATORS. .
Protest Against the eTreason'' Cry by
an Administration Newspaper.
(From the Washington Post. }

(From the Washington Post.)
Sensible people, whatever may be their
private opinions as to the question at Is
nant over the vulgar and brutal denun-
citation heaped by orators and organs
upon every enc who expresses DOUBT as
TO the wisdom of the administration s
Philippine policy. These msu. whether
they be mere red.mouthed demogags, too
Ignorant 60 understand policy or too
vicious to approve 1t unless 1t furnished
campaign capital for them, or whether
they be serious and thoughtful citizens
OF high standing and patriotic devotion
these men, we say, are freely proclaim ed
as traitors and ssditious agitators mere.
ly bscause they choose to exercise the in
alienabls privilege of independent thought
and speech. The speotacls Is disgraceful
and IL will reset upon the cause in the
behalf of which IL has been presented.
This is free country yet, we hope. and
honest citizens still retain the right to
their opinions and their conscientious
uttarances.
We shall not here enter upon any dis
cussion Of the governments policy in
the Philippines The Post has made its
attitude clear enough already. We sim
ply wish to say that the sooner the ad-
ministration calls of its newspaper and
other champions engaged in this abomi-
nahls business. the bettsr for its stand
ing with the country at large. 1t Is Inn
possible to persuade any Intelligent
human being that the ease is one of pa
triotism against treason. We are engaged
In no war with a for eign power. The
honor Of the nation and the flag is not
hos Sc l. IL.
Tor trumping up spread.eagle fervor or
maudlin Mysteries. The question is one
of expedienoy as to which every citizen
may express his views without improprie-
~. All this talk such as Senator Hanna
has been INDUCING into the effect that
Europe viii laugh at Us" II we abandon
our present policy lis feeble nonsense.
Europe lie not likely to laugh at the
United States and nobody would care
even If she did. We are not running this
country to please Europe. and have no in.
terest or appreciation to consult except
our own. No amount of such gable rs
we refer to can accomplish any result
save that of discrediting the gabblor and
disgusting decent men.
AS for the outcry about reasonable
agitators. 1t will be we'll to remember
that every step mankind has made in the
direction CT truth. enlightenment and
progress Is to be credited to agitators.
The prophets of old were agitators; Christ
was one; every pioneer OF liberty and
civilization was an agitAtor. Without
agitators. the world would still be
plunged in darkness and we but little
bettsr than the aboriginal savage. Agi-
tation differentintes the true from the
false prophet. II we are laundering In
the Orient, agitation will reveal our error
u we be right, agitation will justify us.
No righteous cause has ever been hindered
by agitation. Every wickedness and
tyranny and vice has trembled and fallen
before 1t. Such newspapers as the New
York Sun will Brighten no brave man by
their tinsel thundsrs and their cheap ap-
pals. They can disgust the American
people, however and weaken their own
position by such methods, and, indeed
that Is what they are doing at this
moment.