Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-11-10

and laws always go down before
power. The southern states were not
strong enough to maintain the princi-
pie of secession, therefore they were
wrong. But if the north had conclud-
ed to secede, there is no doubt 1t would
have succeeded, and in that case 1t
would have been right.
Following upon this idea 10 another
one of greater moment, because 1t Is
present, and it is question now before
the people to determine. What is
there in the constitution Of the United
States to prevent the federal govern
ment from seeding from the sover-
eign states and setting up an independ-
ent sovereignty? We need expansion,
and as sovereign states can not ex-
pand, the federal government must do
so-indeed, it is the only part of our
pand. With English statesmen and
brilliant editorial writers and college
professors advising the administra-
ton, and prescribing the line of duty
for our own politicians to follow, in
the way of jumping into the worlds
arena and slaughtering or Christianiz-
ing feeble nations for the benefit Of
trade and commerce in the hands OF
trusts, syndicates and combines, it is
presumption for the average American
citizen to interpose protest. We are
bound to get rid of domestic tran
quillity," eliminate the blessings OF
liberty to ourselves and our posterity,"
because such an effete doctrine Is a
thorn in the side of an Anglo-Ameri-
can alliance, and expansion is the only
remedy to reduce the Inflammation
caused by the thorn's irritation.
1t is made the duty Of the United
States-the pluribus unum-to guar
antee to every state in the union re-
publican form of government, and the
president being the chief executive au-
thority and power in the United States,
1t rests In his hands to carry out that
provision of the constitution. More
over he is the commander-in-chief OF
the army and navy, and every officer
and man in the service would most I'M
doubtedly obey his orders without
questioning their legality; they would
shoot first and try the constitutional
question afterwards. Bearing this in
mind, it must be clear that the federal
government may cut loose, at any
time, from the sovereign states and
set up an independent sovereignty OF
its own, without in the least departing
from its duty to preserve the peace
between the several states and enforce
republican form of government. We
are almost at that point now-indeed,
1t does not require naked eye to per-
ceive the same symptoms prominent
in the case of King Charles III. refus-
ing the crown with one hand and
grasping 1t with the other.
Suppose the president Of the United
States should determine that the poll
cy Of his administration could not be
changed without detriment to the
commercial and financial interests OF
the nation, it would certainly be his
right and duty, and he could point to
the constitution as his authority, to
employ the army and navy to prevent
the inauguration of president elected
upon platform inimical to such a
policy. We know what that policy is;
it is gold standard, expansion Of the
federal lines beyond that Of mere
arbiter between the sovereign states,
and an inordinate increase Of the army
and navy in times Of peace. If Mr..
Bryan should be elected upon silver
platform, he might be prevented from
taking his seat because the remone-
tlzation OF silver is inimical to the in
terests Of the people-that is, to the
spectators in gold. Assuming that
Mr.. German or Richard Croker should
be elected upon gold platform, but
opposed to expansion and an increase
of the army and navy in times OF
peace, it Is clear that, as the admins
tration thinks expansion and militar-
ism essential to the well being Of the
nation, Mr.. German, or Mr.. Croker
would be escorted out of Washington
at the point of the bayonet If he at
temped 10 enter that capital for the
purpose OF being inaugurated. The
president would have Mr.. Henri Wat
terson. Mr.. David B. Hill. Mr.. William
C. whitney. Gov. Theodore Roosevelt
and the unanimous Hamilton clubs as
we'll as the Chicago Jeffersonian clubs.
to back him up in saying to the annoy
ing and troublesome people from the
backwoods; from Kansas. from Po-