The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-01-28

Pioneer Press, the organ of Senator
Davis and his masters. bluntly says
that. they will do 1t because they will
hardly dare to face the consequences OF
doing otherwise or incur the popular
odium that would result from their re-
sponsibility for the defeat of the treaty.
The men who have been counted as op-
posed to ratification will not dare to face
the universal execration which they
would incur from defeating the treaty.
They will vote for it in secret session,
whatever they may say in the open.
The star chamber proceedings of the
United States senate on this interna-
tional question will not add to the pop
| ularity of the upper house with the free
people Of this country. The peculiar
tactics Of the administration at this
juncture will tend to hasten the day
when United States senators and the
president himself will be elected by a
direct vote of the people.
At present they dare and ignore public
sentiment with impunity. The election
Of senator's by corrupt legislatures in
several of the states is a scandal and a
shame in a republic, where a govern
ment Of the people, for the people and
by the people is supposed to exist. The
freedom of other nations was lost
through the action of their parliament
tary representatives, who were indie
Of E.s hot, re
We fear that the same fate will befall
! this country if irresponsible men rep
resenting corporations and political
cliques will continue to legislate for it
masses. We are now practically gov
erned by an oligarchy that carries on its
deliberations in secret when the coun-
try is embroiled in complications that
may eventually destroy republican in
situations on this continent.
The St. Paul organ of the plutocracy
realizes the full force of what we say,
and by anticipation replies in the fol-
lowing lame and impotent style of ar
gument!
The only ground upon which those
who oppose the retention of the Philip
pines, or who wish either the immedi-
ate recognition of their independence or
a temporary protectorate, is that they
are afraid to trust the representatives Of
the people in congress with the dispo-
sition of this question. That attitude is
an insult to the American people. 1t is
a distinct avowal not merely of distrdst
but Of contempt for the capacity of the
American people to deal wisely and
justly with the great trust which Ffov-
idence has imposed upon. them in rela-
ton to these alien people"
The Pioneer Press knows very we'll
that. the question of the retention Of
the Philippines by protdctprate or
otherwise has never been submitted to
the American people for their adoption
or rejection. The attitude of the Nc
kinley administration is an insult to the
American people, for under pretense of
making war on Spain in the name Of
humanity to free the Cubans. from OPP
preston and to give them self-govern-
ment, it sent armed troops to the Orient
to seize the Philippine islands against
the will of the inhabitants for the
benefit of the commercial and moneyed
classes of this country and Great Brit
ain.
Mr.. Mckinley and his supporters want
the Philippine islands as an American
colony after the English fashion, and
will kill, the natives in the name of hu-
mainly after the, fashion of Great Brit
ain. Let the treaty be ratified and let
Mckinley and his abettors go on in
their mad career of conquest and spoli-
alton. They will have an elephant to
handle that will smash the Republican
party in smithereens on the ides of No
vember, 1900. Then they will be re-
sponsible to the American people, who
will pronounce a verdict of condemna-
ton upon them and their rapacity. The
people of this country are too intelligent
to be bamboozled by the sophistry Of
such subsidized sheets as the Pioneer
Press. They will show the party of Mark
Hanna. Lyman ]. Gage, Gen. Alger,
Judge Day, Cush. Davis, Steve Elkins,
Matt Quay and the rest of them that
Providence has had very little to do
with them in grabbing possessions
in the eastern hemisphere for the en-
slavement of a people who are ready to
yield up their lives in the c1use of lib
erty and independence, now and for
ever, one and inseparable."