The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-25

too securely to the sordid interests
which clamor so loudly in his hearing.
THE COMING STORM.
IF he will but quiet the noisy throng
which surrounds him long enough to
put his ear to the ground and listen he
will distinguish the premonitions of the
coming storm; he will hear the steady
tread, not of the 100000 men whom he
demands for crusade against liberty,
but OF mighty army of free people
who are beginning to move in defense
of their cherished traditions and their
violated honor.
1--WE have been told further that the
president yielded up his first blush i'm
pressionS at the opportunity of Ad-
m1raI Dewey, who urged that the Phil
ippineS should be retained. Mr.. Chair
man, the chief executive can not screen
himself behind the gold lace of the hero
of Manila. None can honor more pro-
foundly that I do the officers of our
regular army and navy, but their pre-
objections are naturally for arms. They
have imbibed, of course, the prejudices
and the preferences Of their calling. We
can not blame them for desiring to
magnify the size and Importance of
the army and navy, for advocating ex-
pansion and taking on of colonial
policy.
Again we have been assured that the
demand of our peace commissioners at
Paris to hold the Philippines is what
induced the president to yield. So far
as one of the commissioners is con
cerned we know that this is false. But
constitutional power to negotiate a
treaty was his, not the commissioners.
They were simply his instruments ap-
pointed to carry out his will. Now.
Mr.. Chairman, this plea like all the
others, will not avail. The truth is
that these commissioners got their in
SEPARATION and their instructions from
the White House. These instructions
once changed, the action of the COM
missioners would have been different
The wrong was with the chief execu-
tive. He and he alone is responsible.
CONCESSION TO CAPITALISTS.
MIR. Chairman, in my humble opinion,
the reason for the change in the presi-
dental policy was his concession to the
surrender to their demands. These are
the gentlemen who furnished the money
for his nomination and election, and
who, 1 doubt not, have pledged him a
denomination and reelection. These
are the gentlemen who are already seiz-
ing upon valuable franchises in China,
in connection with the English syndi-
cate with a member of parliament from
Wales at it's head. These are the gem
tlemen whom Lord Beresford has in
mind in his cordial but not wholly dis
interested invitation to an alliance in
China with Britain, Germany and Japan
against Russia and France, the old time
enemies of his country and the old
time friends of ours.
These are the gentlemen who are
already grasping after special privi-
1eges in the Philippines, in Cuba, and in
Porto Rico. 1t was, 1 imagine for their
special benefit that the president crea-
ted his advisory board to the war de-
partment, composed of three American
citizens, their object being to farm our
valuable privileges and immunities
which should belong to the people of
those islands themselves and in whose
disposition they should have a voice, if
their government is to be free and their
rights maintained. L have no fault to
find with the spirit of legitimate Amer
lean commerce. My contention is against
the spirit of American greed which
cares nothing for spirit of American
liberty.
And these gentlemen propose to
amaSS colossal fortunes in the islands
by virtue of their franchise and upon
the cheap labor of the native popula-
ton, not one dollar of which will ever
lind its lodging place in the pockets of
the American people. To enable them to
do this, our whole population is to pur-
chase their field operations for them in
the Philippines for the ransom of $780,
900 900 and is to be taxed interminably
and excessively in the creation and
maintenance of great army and navy
which is to conquer and hold the Fill
pinOs in subsection and defend the is
lands after they have been expensive
ly fortified against the assaults of the
great European nations with which our
new foreign policy will be certain to
bring us into frequent contention.
What else is upon the programme of
these gentlemen? The open door in the
Philippines, making it totally impossi-
BILE forever to discriminate in tariff du-
ties there in favor of the products of
the American farm and the American
shop.
REGISTERED IN VOWS.
what is the other sacrifice that is
required? That the annexation of Cuba,
Porto Rico and the Philippines, abso-
lutely sure to come at an early day
for they have registered it in their
vows shall precipitate the sugar, tobac-
co. hemp and other cheap products of
these islands and Hawaiian upon the
American market in free and unre-
stricted competition with the agricul-
tural and laboring elements of our
country.
This policy sir, would have been free
trade in William Jennings Bryan. What
is it in William McKinley?'
FIRST AUTOMOBILE