Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-08-02
EXPANSION TALK.
s HOW IT STRIKES THE BOYS-.NEt-
SON AND THE TRUSTS.
How tho Senator Weakened at Critical
Time-valo, Alger! - General Pope,
who Works, the Press, Which Talks.
The Lumber Trust "Prosperity"-The
Coming Harmonious Democratic Con.
Vention.
Reform Press Bureau.
ST. PAUL. july "a. 1890.

The facts are slowly coming to the
surface. In spite of censorship, in spite
of concerted Misrepresentation here at
home, in spite of studied deceit on the
part of those in authority, the truth as
to the Philippine trouble and the wishes
of the volunteers is becoming known.
The newspaper correspondents at Ma
Mia shocked the expansionists with
their plain, blunt statements as to Otis
and the failure of his campaign. Now
comes one prominent authority after
another denouncing as false the state
ments so oft reiterated, by the president
as we'll as by his followers, that the
volunteers were willing to remain in
the Philippines and fight the liberty
loving natives as long as the govern
ment deemed their services necessary.
Captain Auldid Of the North Dakota
regiment is especially emphatic. He
says that when the president told Sem
ator Pettigrew that the volunteers did
not want to come home, the president
was telling fairy tale; that if the vol
unteers don't want to come home he
never saw anyone who did.
Nicholas Hanson, one of our own
boys-a wounded member of the hon
ored Thirteenth is another witness.
Writing to F. H.. Russell of Eyota,
under date of June 3, he thus describes
the wishes of the boys, and somewhat
earnestly pays his respects to those who
ridicule the efforts made to have the
men brought home:
II hardly need tell you that the en-
tire volunteer army is cheering over the
prospect of speedy return. Some of
the expansion papers have intimated
that the volunteers might like to stay
until the fighting should cease. How
those fellows pirate about fighting when
they are at a distance of 10000 miles
from the scene of the conflict! some
times wish that these intensely belliger-
ent newspaper men would be organized
into a brigade and sent over here to do
the fighting. They talk about our
soldierly honor as if they ever had any;
about quitting under fire. as if they
had ever been under fire; about She'd
ding glory upon American arms'-all of
which big sounding phrases they are
willing to support most zealonsly by
the artillery OF their own mouths, but
not by one drop of their own blood.
1.-The letter of Governor Lee of South
Dakota to the president represents the
sentiments of the volunteers pretty
well. They feel that the purpose they
enlisted for has been attained, and that
if the United States decides upon an ag-
gressiye policy regulars should be Sc
cured as soon as practicable to support
that policy. If we were still fighting
Spain nothing would 6e said. AS it is
now, I doubt if enough men to form a
single battalion can be induced to re-
enlist and remain here"
Now what will the expansionist press
have to say to this. Heretofore the
"copperheads" have been confined, ap-
parenuly, to those at home, but now we
have the Funstons, the Auldids and
even the crack Thirteenth marching
right into the column of ''imperialistic
traitors"
During the extra session of the senate
in 1898, the junior member from Min
nesota, Mr.. Nelson. offered an amend
lnent to the tariff bill providing that all
articles, the manufacture and sale of
which should become subject to the
control of a trust, be admitted "duty
free" Such a clause would unques-
tionably be the means of destroying the
trusts, and when the senator introduced
it he was no doubt actuated by the same
independence that led to his vote for
the Mills bill when member of the
house some years before. But, alas, for
the courage of would-be statesman! At
the critical moment, when strict and
manly adherence to his own resolution
would have made him the idol of his
constituents today, he weakened.
Whipped into line by the strong arm of
the trusts and their plant tools, the
republican leaders Of the senate, he not
only withdrew his amendment, but &C
tually voted against a similar one-the
resolution of Senator Pettigrew of Da-
kota. He did more. He apologized for
his undue haste in tackling this giant
evil and even went so far as to deliver
a speech, denouncing as dangerous that
which today is universally admitted,
by leading Republican journals as we'll
rs by Democrats, as the peoples only
protection for the growing power of
ordinations. The opportunity was
his to show his loyalty to the peoples
cause, but instead of availing himself
of it he lined up on the other side; chose
the side of the strong against the weak,
of the wealthy few against the strug-
CLING many. Had he it to 10 over, it is
safe to say he would gladly recall his
former action, now that the people are
aroused, but the record is made up and
by that he must be judged.
Vale, Alger! The imperialistic press
and the scared disciples of Hanna have
yielded to the voice of the people, ap-
parently. by making their scapegoat of
Alger and forcing his resignation.
This is mere palliation. The people
demanded a cure. They wanted the
scandal-cancer that is eating away the
heart of national honor removed by the
roots. Surface applications may de-
ceive the eye, but the voter-surgeon.
who is just now making a most careful
diagnosis, will skillfully remove the
tentacled monster and to cure will
bandage the necessary incisions with
Take everything with grain of mod.
eration.z A little fertilizer makes the grass