Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-05
A NOTE OF ALARM.

! ley'S purpose u ne, Al H' N""'
business" in dealing with the Phiilpp'''''
Issue and disposlng of 1t, is causing u''-
easiness. even IN imperlalisuc eH0'e''
In the early stages OF the war Win '"o
Filipinos into which he plunged the GUN
trv the President was careiui p"
cater. when occasion required H. 10 ''io
doctrine that under the Constitution 'on-
cress had some right TO voice III 0n's
matter which the Executive was oa'i'N
unon TO respect. In New England 1heio
was and still is, a strong antl-iinp '"'
istic sentiment. and from the very ou'-
cot there was manifested in that section
ereat jealousy lest IN the final disposition
Of the Philippines problem the po"eIs
| of Congress in the premises shoulu Nc
| encroacbed upon. Consequently on
oo.,.t,, onnortune occasion Mr.. Mckinney
FASTENED 10 assure the New Englahders
thot tho ultimate destiny Of the Philip
mines and our policy towards them were
IN the hands OF the legislative branch OIL
the government And for time, whenever
this jealousy showed itself in other quar-
tors the President managed, In one way
mr. another. either in interviews niue
nublic talks. or through the utterances
Of conhdants, to reiterate his reeoshi''0N
Of "subserviency" to Congress.
But gradually his assurances pecanlo
more vague and the insincerity OF '"ein
became more patent. shortly before he
started ON his last campaign junket MS
trusted agent in the Philippines prac'll''
" proclaimed that me (Ous) ana Mch'h-
lev" intended to complete me lar H"S1
,oh according to "our own" plans ana
s,.eciecarjons. and served notice on
CONGRESS not to take a hand in II, eN-
cont IN the way OF furnishing men and
none, for the work. And not only was
this assumptions proclamation rot re-
bultcd by Mr.. Mckinley but on his west
ern tour he at various times ana IN
spndrv places virtually endorsed If. He
did nat say in terms that he intended
to be "the whole business" nor ala ne
fail TO make indefinite illusions to the
future IN which Congress figured but
the essence Of the summing up OF ms
speeches was arrogatiOn 20 himself or
authority 10 dictate TO Congress. In fact,
we find that no matter what concessions
he made. his policy. as he has carried
II out so far, and as he championed II
on his tour IS mockery Of the resolu-
ton I'm which the Senate, after the rau-
dcation of the treaty Of peace with Spain
defined our position towards the Philip
pines. When Mr.. McKinleys course in
reference to the Philippines up to this
point Is aralyzed, and his more recent
declarations in regard 20 our new pos
sessions are studied i'll the presence OF
that analysis. we find that he has fla
GRAVITY usurped the rights of Congress
and assumes that Congress will tamely
submit to the usurpation.
This is the light in which the situation
is dawning upon the uneasy imperahsis
TO whom we have referred. As result
jealousy for the authority OF Congress
has gotten the better of the imperialistic
sentiment even with a paper 50 ardent
~ in favor of expansion as the Boston
Herald. and our contemporary SOUNDS a
vigorous note Of alarm. If, says the
Herald. Congress has any proper spirit
it must resent this position taken by the
President as an interference with It's
mowers under the Constitution, its duty
no less than its dignity, should compel 1t
10 resist Executive encroachments. IL
IS possible. adds tho Herald, that party
subserviency may operate to induce it 20
s.s..If
are 10th 10 admit as much, though II
would appear that this is what the Presl-
dent expects Of the peoples representa-
tiyes of his own party. The Herald then
goes on to ask il, aside from this COM
naratively abstract view" there is any
thing in the Presidents character or his
record i'm Office which makes 1t more
tolerable for him to usurp the powers OF
Congress under the Constitution; declares
! that were he a Cromwell in capacity ana
a WASHINGTON in public confidence, 1.-THE
Welding to him as much as we are told
he is to ask would still be dangerous, -
and in conclusion says: For the people
10 Weld to such a President the power
TO take the war prerogatives out or the
hands of Congress and centre them in ms
| own hands as a virtual dictator, would
be. aside from its danger as threat tc
our republican institutions, an act OF
| manifest folly"
The light that has broken on our i'm
perialistic New England contemporary
will hardly bring revelation to those
who have closely and thoughtfully fol
lowed the Presidents career touching the
Philippines. Nevertheless, the swing o.
the pendulum in New England i'm
perialistio circles, as indicated BY thu
Heralds article, is a hopeful sign. j
means a reaction in support Of the
Constitution and whether such as ar
imparting force TO the reaction know i
or not the triumph Of the Constitution
in IFS integrity must sound the death
llnen Of Imperialism.
WnNIEN AND COUNTRY LIFE.