The San Francisco call., 1899-05-27
MORE REPUBLICAN, OPPOSITION.

! sets is among the Republican leaders who op-
- pose imperialism He has been Secretary OF
! the Treasury and has long been prominent in party
affairs and public matters. His words OF warning
added to those of Republican United States Senators
and OF the President himself deserve attention and
should be heard and needed.
One of the most eminent of Western Governors
was William Larrabee of Iowa, long member OF the
State Senate before his election for two terms as
Governor He is now, by appointment OF Gov
ernor Shaw, chairman OF the Board OF Control,
which has charge Of all the State institutions and is
lecturer constitutional law and civil government
in the State University In a recent lecture in that
institution he said
The President is not justified in the measures he
is now using and the plan he is following. We who
oppose expansion are called little Americans, while
those big Americans are pursuing course that
will bring disaster TO our nation The Philippines are
country totally unfit for habitation by Americans
and offering advantages except to a lew ad-
venturers. The people 100000 OF the worst and
most unmanageabe in the world It will take thou
sand years to teach them the first principles OF Amer1-
can citizenship, and long we hold them we will
have the opportunity pay taxes and stain the
soil with the life blood of Our young A great
mistake has been made. 1t easy at one time to
avoid it. # the President had instructed the Com
nssioners who made the Paris treaty to unload them,
instead of paying the price he did for this worthless
class OF people and this non-productive land the
question would not have appeared 1t will cost this
country $5o,oooooo per year to hold the Philippines
and the blood of many of our citizens. The islands
will be a constant drain on population and our
purse and, as for me, wouldn't give the life OF one
Iowa boy for the whole land and its ten million
people"
These expressions were received with every demon
stration of favor, for Governor Larrabee is much
respected man and OF great influence in his State 1t
is noteworthy that the thoughtful opposition to i'm
perialism comes from the Republican party. Colonel
Bryan who year ago went to Washington and ad-
vsed war because it would be good politics. is
crying in or less Of wilderness against expan-
sion but the motive is the samoa desire to make
politics and seek party advantage In his the
element of principle is lacking and if positions were
reversed he would as readily join Senator Morgan
and the Democratic expansionists as stand where
he is
The matter is one for the deepest and most pro-
found Republican consideration Neither the Presi-
dent nor the party is committed to any permanent
policy. A strong mperialist party exists within the
ranks OF both parties and trying manufacture
policy for the President and to whip the country into
it. There evidence that these fanatics represent
him that he is in sympathy with their reputation
OF the Decalogue, the Declaration OF independence
and the constitution Indeed there is every ground
for belief that he will promptly purge himself OF any
suspicion OF sympathy with their un-Repubcan propa-
ganda- The most respectable opinion in both par
ties is opposed to the imperial scheme By this we
mean the men who are in sympathy with Bryan S
Of the issue jimmy to force free silver into
the treasury policy, Republicans who believe in Lin
coin and revere his memory cannot brook the policy
OF holding subject races. To them it is as offensive
to hold slaves. The high and mighty doctrines OF
the party conceived upon the best ideals and held
protect the rights of man. dear to Republicans
now as when they were inscribed upon its banners
in 1886 and triumphed in 1860 When those ideals are
exchanged for their antpoocs the party will have
parted with its life and its epitaph may be written