Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-05-17
FREE SPEECH NOT TREASON.
The American People Do Not Approve
OF McKinley's benevolent
Assimilation"

President Mckinley wanted the Fill
pinosso ardently that he paid Spain $780,
100000 for them. His purpose was, as
he himself assured the world by procla-
nation, benevolently to assimilate
them. Of course, he could do nothing
else, because there is provision in the
constitution of the United States
against making them or anybody else
slaves. Benevolent assimilation in ef-
feet takes the form of butchery. A dead
Filipino is a benevolently assismilated
Filipino.
There are fellow citizens of William
Mckinley who do not like the situation,
and have no hesitancy in making their
opinion public. We are assured that the
cabinet has been seriously considering
what in old Roman and imperial days
was called lese majestic. We are as
sured, further, that what the president
will do with citizens who oppose him is
not yet decided, but it will not be sur
prising if warning in the shape of a
message will remind free critics charac-
terized as mischief-makers that there
is serious law against treason, which
will be enforced if there is any further
attempt to tamper with the men at the
front. Free discussion of William Nc
Kinley's use of American millions to
purchase brown men of the antipodes
and murder them is described as "tam-
pering with the men at the 'front.'" We
may feel reasonably sure that the pres
ident, sworn as he is to support the con-
stitution and hoping, as he does, that
he may be reelected chief magistrate a
year hence, will not be unmindful of
certain provisions in the fundamental
law. One is that congress shall pass no
law abridging the right of free speech;
another is lucid definition of treason,
which shall consist only of levying war
against the United States or adhering
to their enemies, giving them aid and
comfort. incidentally, there are other
provisions which the president must
regard. He cannot clap citizens of the
United States who do not agree with
him in Fort Lafayette or any other
stronghold of the United States, but he
must proceed, unless he shall suspend
the writ of habeas corpus, in due ac-
cordance with law. No conviction for
treason can be had unless on the testi-
mony of two witnesses of the same
overt act, and it will hardly be con-
tended that a declaration that it was a
monstrous mistake to pay $2o,00o,000
for 100000 of people and use them for
targets is reasonable act.
Crifioic,,, 1f NoIv:~lo~.
not treason. 1t is not even statutory
| offense, for while at common law it is
an offense to libel the government con-
stitutional systems have ignored this
provision as inconsistent with the
genius of free institutions. Mr.. McKin-
ley is shrewder than John Adams, who
served but single term in the chief
magistracy. The initial triumph of de-
mocracy in the republic grew out of the
tyrannous absurdity of the federals OF
John Adams time, who insisted upon
the passage and the rigorous enforce.
ment OF drastic alien and sedition laws
since when it has not been popular tc
talk as President McKinley's friends
are now talking. If the administration
| should assume that the citizen of the
| United States who will not dumbly as
sent to all that is going forward in the
Philippines shall be subject to harsh
treatment there will be such benevo
lent assimilation of the Mckinley ad
ministration next year as will destroy
it. Mckinley will be spared further
worry about expansion and imperial
ism. For him the rainy season will Sc
in with vengeance, and instead Of din
ing with comfort upon such miracu
! lous draft of fishes as fell to him il
1896, he will be doomed to diet of tina
embalmed beef which he permitted tt
be fed to the soldiery, who no Longer
relish the task Mckinley sets for then
in an archipelago of the distant seas.
McKinley's advisers may make W
their minds that the American citizen i:
bound to avail himself in mighty vol
ume of his fundamental privilege O.
free speech before the majors work O
benevolent assimilation" of the Krag
Jorgenson rife kind is fully consum
mated in the Philippines.-Chicag.
Chronicle.
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.