The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1899-02-01
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1899.
DEMOCRACY AND EXPANSION.

We have said, and we believe, that the
republic will survive even the shock and
damage of expansion, because democracy
Is too vital to be destroyed; and we be-
lieve, too, that the principles Of the Dec
laratiOn Of Independence will also
survive, although our conduct may
discredit them for time, even, 1t may
be, for generations, for, as Senator HOar
says, ''the eternal providence Of God is
on the side of freedom" But, on the
other hand, we do not believe that the
Constitution will escape unharmed, for
already, II he is reported correctly, we
are told by an officer of the army, who
has sworn to uphold and defend it, that
we have outgrown the Constitution, and,
in large measure, he was justified in
saying this, by the spirit which has been
manifested by the advocates Of expansion
in their attitude toward the Constitution.
1t would be going too far, perhaps, to
assert that the Constitution is despised by
some of the expansiOnist leaders, but it
is nevertheless true that their attitude is
at least uncOnsciOusly cOntemptuOus, the
proof being their desire to defeat its
wholesome restraints by Interpretation.
More than once in the history of the
cOutry we have seen the Supreme Court
bend to public sentiment or to that part
of 1t which makes the most noise, ami
therefore we are justified in saying that
If the treaty is ratified as it stands, the
constitution will no longer be the safe
guard Of personal liberty which 1t has
been. The exingencies Of colonial gov
ernments In the Far East, due to our pos
session Of subjects, a class not recognized
or provided for in the Constitution, will
probably compel the first assault upon
the bill Of rights, and we shall have part
Of the republic subject to the legislation
Of an unrestrained Congress. How long it
will then be before Congress throws off all
restraint, will depend upon the spirit of
the people. At present 1--WE are forced to
the convictiOn) the Constitution is less
respected than it has ever been before.
We have forgotten the evils from which
1t has saved us. The South forgets that
1t has stood between it and partisan
! tyranny. The Vest fOrgets that it has
saved it from Grangerism. The whole
country fOrgets that in twenty-five years
1t has saved it from fiat money and intia-
tion, and that it is the Constitution alone
which may cOnfine socialistic expert
ments to the States. 1t is in the air that
the Constitution must not be permitted
to stand in the way Of expansion, and
that even the Declaration of Independ-
ence must be considered antiquated. The
Declaration is vital and will live, but
the breaking down of the Constitution,
which is law, must bring material in
jury to the country, whose bulwark it
has been against the assaults of intrigue
and Of mOmentary popular passion.
This will be one of the charges which
the country must bear if the expansion
lists prevail. The republic will survive,
but generations of its citizens will be de-
prived Of some Of the great blessings
which democracy has bestowed on us and
our fathers, and will suffer the burdens
Of militarism and of heavy taxation,
which thus far, we have been spared
--Harpers Weekly.