Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-10-12

now is quite different one. 1t is
Shall we be kicked out of the Philip
pines?" We went there to carry on
the war against our enemies and to
break the Spanish yoke which for 500
years had impeded and prevented the
progress of these islands. The island
ers are rejoiced at the overthrow of
their oppressors, and then under mis-
guided leadership made an attack up
on our troops and attempted to destroy
The men who had done nothing but be-
friend them. Agoncillo, the represen-
tative of Aguinaldo, was in Washing
ton lobbying against the ratification of
the treaty. Suddenly one night he dis
appeared, and his private secretary as
sured thenewspaper reporters that his
chief had gone to Baltimore and would
be back next day. He has never re-
turned, but suddenly appeared in Ca
NADIA, and then the attack on our forces
began in Luzon.
Agoncillo mistool the spirit of our
people when he advised the attack up
on our troops. He expected to see a
revolution in America to follow upon
the assault upon our forces. He did
N
people. That Aguinaldo has his friends
in this country, there is no question,
but when our country and her soldiers
and sailors are attacked the people of
this country instinctively turn to the
support of their country and their coun-
try's flag. A million people turn out
to greet Dewey in New York in glad
acclaim. because he struck 4 blow tina,
will be felt through the ages, crushing
the Spanish power forever in the
Orient.
While the nation honors the hero of
Manila there are men who denounce
the president because he does not order
our soldiers to abandon the islands at
the dictation of Aguinaldo. Should
our troops leave the Philippines, it will
not be because they have been driven
out, but because they are no longer
needed there.
The greatest admirer of Aguinaldo
in this country would have despised the
president if he had permitted our ar
my to be driven from the island of Luz
Zon.
The orators who are now denouncing
the president as an "inperialist" would
have been condeuning him as a das-
tard had he yielded to the insurgents.
We have both eXpansiouists and con-
tractionists in this country. Mr.White
and his followers contracted our cur
rency by their threats against its in
tegrity. They drove it into hiding by
their persistent demands for the "A
cent silver standard. They contracted
the rate of wages by their assaults up
on the protective tariff. They contract
ed the volume of American production
by enacting laws encouraging the i'm
portation of goods from abroad rather
than their manufacture at home. They
are contractionists.
fhey have coined 4 new name for
the republicans. They call us eypar-
sionsts. We confess the fact. We have
expanded the currency by insisting
that it would be kept good, thus Civ
ing confidence to investors and bring
ing money out of hiding. We have ex-
banded wages by increasing the en-
ployment of labor and giving an OPP
portunity for the useeof capital in pro-
ductiye industries We recognize the
fact that 4 nation, like a tree, begins
to decay whenever it ceases to grow
and hence we have never shuddered at
the idea of expansion.
The Trusts.
The remarkable increase in the num-
Der of trusts has startled the members
OF all political parties. In 1896 Meth
er the democrats nor republicans men-
toned the subject in their platform.
The question was not then and is not
nova political one. Antitrust laws
have. been enacted by the votes of mem
bers of both parties and the attempt to
make partisan issue out of this ques-
ton must fail.
The state of Ohio, when there was a
democratic legislature, elected Henry
b. Payne. the head of the Standard Oil
trust. United States senator. Thus the
origin OF the foremost trust of all the
world was n great leader in the demo-
cratic party. And later, on. Calvin 5.
Brice, the professional promoter of
schemes for corporate consolidation
was the successor of Senator Payne
and his term OF service only expired
in 1897.
1t is claimed by our opponents that
the trusts are created by the tariff, and
yet MIR. Payne's Standard Oil trust
deals in an article. upon the free list.
Besides, trusts are not confined to this
country, but are The outgrowth Of the
tendency in all parts of the world to
consolidation eff business into large es-
Establishments.
Free trade and free silver are sug-
Sested IS remedies for the trusts. Can
ada thistles might cure cucllle buls.
But The remedy would be worse, than
the disease. A trust is IA consolidation
OF business interests. usually in a cor
porate form, so large as to practically
control the line of industry in which
1t is engaged. \ consolidation of inter
ests may be injurious to the public or
1T may be beneficial. fnotice that Gov.
ernor Shaw ut st. Louis called atten-
ton to the fact that in spite of the
Missouri ANTITRUST law, that street
railways of St. Louis had con-
solldatea. If not beneficial, it
wonld be prevented if it could be
lawfully done. But if the result of the
consolidation made it practicable to in
au2urate "a system of transfers from
one line TO another all over the city for
single five cent fare then the people
OF that city would say that here was
one consolidation that had proven To h..