The San Francisco call., 1899-05-14
MILITARY IMPERIALISM.

! \Xf blown I'D bv dynamite in Idaho by large
* number OF persons claiming to constitute a
Miners Union The Call denounced the outrage and
demanded that the authorities use all the force that
might be necessary to vndicate the law and to sup
press violence 1t is evident that the fundamental
doctrine OF legal equality under constitutional Gov
ernment demands that no licenses to perpetrate
crime, whether by the rich or by the poor whether
in South Carolina, in Idaho anywhere else, should
bt recognized.
But The Call did not suppose, when the Governor
Of Idaho called for military assistance from the Fed
era Government that under the pretext of suppress
ing riotous demonstrations the Federal and the State
constitutions would be substantially trodden under
foot and practical illustration OF imperialism fur
nished within the limits OF autonomous State. The
manner in which the difficulty handled by General
Merriam and the Governor combined was almost as
illegal as the violent conduct of the rioters them
selves 1t in effect the unnecessary substitution
CT military for civil government, of despotism for
freedom The opinion OF General Merritt that the
constitution has been "outgrown his eulogy OF
Secretary Ager with his peculiar methods greater
than the world-renowned War Secretary OF inter
necine conflict sounded harshly to the of edu-
Gated Americans loyal to their national institutions
But the conduct of General Merriam and the chief
executive of Idaho brings home to the country with
The ninth section of article l of the Federal con-
stitution declares: The privilege of the writ Of
habeas corpus shall be suspended unless when in
cases of rebellion invasion the public safety may
require it." This great writ of right cannot be
pended by the President himself, except under the
authority of act of Congress- has been repeat
edy decided by the Supreme Court of the United
States. Yet, according to the dispatches, when
General Merriam had an overwhelming force under
his command, and without a temporary neces-
sity nominaly under State authority but the re-
suit OF an agreement with the Federal General the
writ was suspended and martial law declared Again,
the first amendment to the Federal constitution de-
prves Congress itself of the power OF abrdgng the
freedom OF speech or OF the press" Yet General
Merriam assumed the right to establish press
sorship. And still further, miners we'll capital
lists legally authorized unite for their pro-
lection and to exert the power OF combination to
maintain the rate OF wages. But, unless the news
reports are false this elementary principle has been
repudiated by General Merriam and the condition
for the resumption OF work at Wardner enforced that
no member OF the Miners Union shall be employed.
These manifestations OF practical imperialism have
been virtually unrebuked by the annexation i'm
periaistc press The advocates OF a colonial system
abroad cannot we'll denounce arbitrary misgovern-
ment at home The Call has held rigidly to the
American system and has insisted upon the suprem-
acy OF the constitution and the laws and upon legal
equality among all citizens every foot OF land that
belongs to the United States 1t has supplied full
and unanswerable arguments and illustrations show
ing the vital necessity OF maintaining system and
derived from law-wrers, from cases, from the Fed
eral records and from authentic history. Journals
that support Imperialism have not found and cannot
discover any logical or truthful answer. They limit
themselves to the endless repetition OF manufactured
falsehoods, and do not pretend to assign any
reason beyond some ridiculous national policy" for
departure from established principles and from land
marks hitherto consistently upheld by statesmen, by
ursts by military and by naval officers, and by the
mass of the American people. We have looked in
vain for any intellectual moral appeal, resting upon
truth to the minds to the hearts of American ct
zens in favor OF the revolutionary and reasonable
policy that has been batany advocated for the bene
fit Of spectators and OF incpient Napoleons
scious of their own limitations.
The spectacle in Idaho is an experimental example
OF the effect of imperalistic tendencies that can
scarcely remain unnotced.
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