New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-21
THAT cHIcAG0 CONVENTION.

The assembage Of anti-eXpansionlstS at chi
cago has one claim to distinction. Whoever
look over the list Of prominent members Will
notice an astonshlngly large proportion Of men
whose customary titles are eX-somethng. Some
have been Senators Others have been GOV
errors or congressman. and the OK signifies
that the people have chosen other men in their
stead Thr men who are something would hard
" fill an omnibus; the men who have been
something would have filled a hall Of fair size
Bnt when have the American people lntruSted
the care Of their liberties and the discharge OF
their business TO the have becnsf If man
has dropped ont Of public life only because he
is too old. that Is not always reason for OK
pecting from him vgOr or wisdom of leader
ship. II ne has been pnt out Of public office
because the people did not want any more OF
him. that would seem no good reason for eX-
pecting him 10 sway the minds or represent IN"
wishes Of the people. In free country con
venton Of "cxes" may represent anything ok
cept the people.
Persons who have been set aside as Of little
account are likely 10 think things are going
wrong 70 them a government which has no
place for them and no desire for their services
must appear strangely incompetent or vicious
1t IS not fashionable to declare the people unnt
10 govern. though the Tex" people think more
than they say on that head. but how can the
country possibly 20 right when il goes Without
their guidance? \ tender and plying lcnirncy
marks the customary attitude OF the sovereign
millions toward their discharged and dissatisfied
servants II would be asking too much or poor
human nature to expect such servants 10 APP
prcciatc the virtues Of government without
them. As a rule roo. the have bccns assume
a lofty superiority of morals and ~ virtue a II
10 say that If the masses were less ignorant
and less destitute of high moral principles tn"
few select souls who are now eek would b" IN
charge of affairs But the public * used 10 these
exhibitions Of worth and wisdom too good
for this earth. ana only enjoys the more thr
comforting sense that ~ affairs are not In such
hands
The venom of the auti-cxpans OniStS toward
the President is doubtless much increased by
the perception that me judged rightly what the
peoplc wanted Men who bcrate him started
with the idea that they bad caught breeze Of
potmlar favor which would lift them from tn"
dust heap Of things forgotten Most of them
had found President Mckinley a very ohiection-
able man because be had achieved victory ~
u
traders. 1t il curious how many Of thrS" anti
.cxi,ansfonisfs are merely free traders. hunting
for an opportunity 10 attack with success th"
nrotcctioni>t whose tariff bin made him PreSl-
dent The good people of these United States.
the indictments Thought would never consent
10 the large expenditures and the heavy re-
snonsihilltios 81 governing far of tropical isl
ands occupied mainly by savage or half-savag"
tribes II would b, an easy thing 10 stir mp
popular opposition to such an Undertaking and
the President could with but nrodcrat" facility
I'm falsifyng be- declared solely responsible for IT,
It is human TO be- angry when one hunts
for popularity and gets only contempt. PreSi-
dent Mckinley has studied the will Of the
poople with more care than many Of his critics.
II IS no secret that N first he was liitl" in
clincd TO seek responsibility IL. the Philippine
Islands beyond Manila. but presently saw for
himself and felt sure that the people saw that
the responsibility could not be- avoided. II Is
10 his credit that from the moment the course
Of duty was made plain he never doubted that
The people would choose it. Going now b"for"
great audiences. whether South. East or NPSt,
ne has only to show what his duty required
from him. and what the Nations duty required
from the United States. and the response Is
swift and hearty and overwhelming. thou
sand conventions like that mt Chicago could
not show so much Of the will Of the people rs
has been shown by the gathered thousands
who have greeted the President throughout his
Western tourney. Nor could all the "eN people
In the land utter any words so weighty rs The
Presidents simple declaration that the United
States would not fail TO do its duty among tn"
nations.
cf- Thomas 7 linton chooses TO nav