The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-10-02
"Robin Hoods" Views Endorsed.


unpleasantness in this country in 1861
65. The verses are arranged with
great care, each word nicely fitting a
certain niche, and, altogether it is very
beautiful to contemplate from the
standpoint OF poetical genius, but will
it hold water? Some of our most beau
tiful specimens Of plant life, while
pleasing to the eye, are laden with
most deadly poison. Not only is this
true Of plant life, but 1t is true of ex-
pressed thought. Though often beau
tiful to the glance, the essence is poi
soned by prejudices. The first claim OF
Robin Hood is that the old copperhead
yell of 1876 is being revived; and
that the same men who then applauded
Jefferson Davis are now criticising the
administration policy in the Philip
pines. l desire to ask the author how
he Is going to make the comparison
fit and why the grand old party which
in 1876 declared that slavery should
not longer exist in the United States
should now wage war of extermina-
ton against people who. a few
months ago, hailed us as their deliver
ers? But after we, in conjunction with
their own efforts, had crushed the
power of Spanish tyranny, we procured
a quit claim for those islands from
Spain, for the consideration of $20.000,-
900. They refused to become tributary
to our government they still demand
their rights as free men.
Why should we, civilized people,
looked upon by the world as Christian
America, If you please, send trained
soldiers, with Christian Bibles in their
knapsacks, along with bullets-the BIZ
BILE for consolation, the bullets
to take the lives of a people fight
ing for principle which the God who
made that Bible implanted in every
human heart. Does the Bible contain
between its scored lids, from Genesis to
= Revelations, one single sentence which
conveys the idea that the Gospel of
higher civilization consists in crush
Ing the love of liberty from the human
heart? We have only to turn to the
early history of our own country, when
oppressed by the iron heel of Great
Britain, torn and bleeding, we hailed
with joy the succor which France gave
us through the efforts of her noble son,
Lafayette. Suppose that after, through
our combined efforts, having broken
the power of Great Britain, she should
sell to France this vast territory, in
cluding the states as they then were,
and that having paid for her goods,
upon our refusal to become tributary to
the French Government, France had
turned upon us the force Of her army
and navy? Would not our future have
been as bright as that which confronts
the Filipino to-day? All, but you say
that the Filipino Is not capable of self
government. How do you know that?
Was not the same said of this country?
But she stands to-day a monument to
the undying truth that government
intrusted in the hands of its own peo-
pie is the secret of a great govern
ment. We did not reach our present
status in one or five years. We laid
the foundation broad enough for the
great structure which we have to-day.
So,with the Filipino. His government
may be crude at first, but with the ex-
perience of years it will broaden and
deepen, until, who is prepared to say
he may not have government equal
to our own? For we must remember
that ancient history and Holy Writ
both teach us that God takes the weak
things Of earth to confound the mighty.
Robin Hood goes so far as to say that
the press that raises its protest against
this iniquity should be suppressed by
national power, and that every tndivid-
ual who criticises the government
should be branded as traitor. I would
like to ask him If this government is
not a a government Of the people, for
the people and by the people? Where
every law-abiding citizen has a right
to raise his voice in solemn protest
when he sees his country's flag, the en-
blem of that freedom for which our fa-
thers fought, borne by order of the
chief executive at the head of a con-
queri..g host, bringing death or sla-
very to a people whose only crime is
that they are fighting for the same
principle for which Old Glory stands?
Shame upon such doctrine. Shame upon
an administration that would dare to
sully the fair pages of its countrys
history with the blood of its own free
men,in its efforts to trample down that
liberty from our fellowman Better a
thousand times that our flag should be
taken home from the Philippine Is
lands than that this warfare against
the cause of liberty should be longer
continued. We may crush the Fill
pino for a time, but the day Of reckon
ing will surely come. We have only
to look at the history of Spain and
other European countries to find the
goal to which Imperialism leads. Is it,
then, not high time that the voice of a
wronged people should be raised In
protest against this outrage on the fair
name of America? Already in our diff
ferent state conventions we hear the
warning of an angry people who will
take advantage of the first opportunity
TO rebuke the party that has disgraced
the name of Washington, Jefferson,
Jackson, Lincoln and Grant, and in
1900 the money changers will be driven
from our legislative halls; and, above
all, in their place we will place at the
head of the government Thomas Jef-
'erson and Andrew Jackson. A Jeffer-
son because he proclaims new Dec |
laration of Independence; Jackson
because there are not enough national
bankers and money kings this side of
Derdition to drive him from what he
believes to be his duty. That man Is
William J. Bryan. The common peo-
pie love him as they loved Jefferson
md Jackson. They enlisted under his |
,anner in 1896, six million five hundred |
thousand strong; they are with him |
,till and new recruits are each day |!
for the conflict. When the
moke of battle has rolled away in 1900
We will find that justice will once more |
lit in judgment upon the infamous gold
tandard. trust and .impeEialistic
,reed l will bid our friend Robin Hood
! kind adieu, feeling assured that
Since Right is Right, |
Since God Is God,
Then Right the day must win;
To doubt would be disloyalty,
To falter would be sin.
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