Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-05-04
MORE ABOUT TREASON.

1t is popular fad with administra-
ton organs and politicians these days
to level their fog horns at the public
ear and roar "treasoni" at those honest
Americans who believe in unfolding
the spirit of American liberty at home
and abroad and who have the fearless
ness to criticise the acts of trucking
administration which are themselves
reasonable to the principles underly-
ing the American republic.
Imperialism has not yet fastened it.
self upon this land to the extent of TAX
ing away from the sovereign American
citizen the right to criticise the acts
of the administrator at Washington
The head of the American government
who holds his Office through the suf-
frages of the sovereign people, whose
servant his administration is and to
whom he is accountable and response
BILE, is not yet Emperor, and the
g-can-do-no-wrong theory is not yet
accepted in this country.
The cry of treason" in the mouths
of ignorant and bigotted administration
organs who use it parrot-like partly
because they do not really know what
treason is and partly in lieu of argu-
ment to support the un-American atti-
tude of the administration, is the height
of vicious insolence. 1t shows, also,
hn 70 rfain al # DIV;
istration party would go if they dared
in abrogating the right of free speech
and in muzzling the press-the twin
bulwarks of American liberty. These
bigots are not true Americans. AS we
have said, they, themselves, are the real
traitors to our most cherished Ameri-
can institutions. They confess them
selves against a free press and free
speech and practically in favor of the
methods employed by the government
of Russia to hold its people in subiec-
ton. They are indeed Imperialists of
the worst and most rabid type, whose
influence is more dangerous to Ameri-
can liberty and American institutions
than an actual armed enemy at our
doors. We can meet and do battle with
an open foe, but it is thrice difficult to
guard against the assaults upon our
liberties from those in our midst, who
pose the while as the pink of patriotic
perfection.
There is no doubt whatever, that
certain members of the administration.
backed by the Imperialist party and
the Imperialist press, would not hest
tate to suppress those newspapers who
oppose the administration Philippines
policy or to clap in prison such out
spoken Americans as Bishop Spalding,
Senator Hoar, Andrew Carnegie and
Grover Cleveland, if they but dared.
1t is but a step from the threat to the
execution of it, and would require but
the granting of little more power to
the Imperialists to witness that execu-
ton and thence the final disappearance
of American liberty.
This is not eXaggeration. 1t is a
serious danger that menaces the liber-
ties of the people.
Already the Postoffice Department
has stopped the circulation of the Con-
gressional Record among troops in the
Philippines. The next step-if they
dare take it-may be the prohibition of
the use of the mails to American news
papers not owned body and soul by the
administration and its Wall street al
lies. 1t is not regard for the Constitu-
tional rights of Americans that pre-
vents it being done. but sheer cow
ardice--fear as to the effect of such
action and the tidal wave of indigna-
tion it would create.
su1ace It TO say. n the eyes 81