The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-07-10
The pivotal Question

is expansion POPULAR Has II the appro-
baton Of the people TO such an extent as
70 insure It's Enforcement at the polls? On
nat question the result OF the campaign
chiefly depends. For, although expansion
a. an accomplished fact and there Is no
reason to believe that II will be annulled
b. contraction policy under any admin
iytration o. b. any party. q viii never
theless be the question around which the
battle will rage. on which the force OF the
combat will, In large measure, be ex-
pended. The record Of the Mckinley adj
minlstration Is the real platform OF the
Republican party. Expansion Is the one
fstt o. that record which presents a new
departure. Men vote TO condemn what
they regard as evil, even though they may
know that their votes can have no cura-
tive tendency. II. therefore, expansion IS
unpopular. # may be condemned by the
votes Of men who have 10 expectation
that the accomplished fact will ever be
reversed
What evidence Is there Of the popularity
or unpopularity 81 the expansion-the m
sular and especially the Oriental expan-
sion-thst has been accomplished by the
Mckinley administration as q result OF
our non-nartisan and almost n1iraculously
successful war with Spain2 Two state
elections have occurred since this issue be-
came prominent. one on the Atlantic, the
other on the Pacific. one in Rhode Island
in April last and the other in Oregon on
the 4th OF last month. In the first there
was little excitement and no such change
in results as to indicate much feeling one
way or the other. The Republican vote
fell OF slightly, but no doubt Is enter
tanned, in any quarter, that Rhode Island
will be found in her customary place IN
the November returns, and that her ex-
pected Endorsement OF Republican candi-
dates and policies will be given with the
usual emphasis.
In oregon. expansion was the dominat-
ing issue There was a hot campaign and
a surprisingly large vote. There was, too.
a signal victory for the Republicans. And
that victory, together with various other
indications Of public sentiment on the Pa
cifc coast. has convinced sagacious Dem
ocratic politicians that there is no pros
pect Of an anti-expansion triumph in any
of the coast States.
Expansion has been disapproved in the
most pronounced manner by a number of
distinguished Republicans, including
Messrs. HOar Edmunds. Hale. and Car
negie. But not ore OF that quartet will
fail to stand by his party. 1t is true that
other Republican malcontents, such as
Messrs. Boutwell,, Atkinson, Garrison, and
Winslow. all Of Massachusetts, are stu
protesting vehemently against expansion;
but nobody imagines that their opposition
will cut a conspicuous figure in the Bay
State returns And If not in their own
bailiwick, where else can they be poten-
tial
As TO the side issue growing out of ex-
pansion-the right of Congress to legislate
for the islands untrammeled by constitu-
tional provisions that apply to the States
that, as The Post has repeatedly stated,
is a question for the judiciary to decide
a question now before the United States
Supreme Court. No amount Of campaign
ing can affect that decision, and no mat
ter how much the parties may get excited
over the question, when the court speaks
the tumult will be hushed. And then the
inutility of reviewing a case simul;ane-
ously in a campaign and in the court will
be apparent.
But, as we have said, the question
whether expansion is or is not popular, is
the pivotal point in this canvass. And the
two State election tests which we have
cited are not by any means a conclusive
answer. The decision will be rendered by
the Northwestern States. Their voice will
decide between the two chief competitors
in 1900. Whether they will stand by Me
Kinley and expansion, as they stood by
Mckinley and sound currency remains TO
be determined. And it may be wide-open
question until the votes are counted.