Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-07-16
THE PLATFORM.

| agreed upon by the committee on reSO-
| buttons and presented to the democrat
1 ic conventions: 49,
eve, the representatives of the dem
4 ocratic party of the United States, as
anniversary Of the adoption of the
declaration of independence, do reaffirm
our faith in that immortal proclama-
ton of the inalienable rights of man
and our allegiance to the constitution
/ framed in harmony Herewith by the
! fathers of the republic We hold with
! the United States supreme court that
the declaration of independence is the
spirit of our government of which the
constitution is the form and letter. We
| declare again that all governments in
| stituted among men derive their just
powers from the consent Of the gov
erned; that any government not based
upon the consent of the gov
/ erned is tyranny, and that to impose
upon any people a government Of force
| Is to substitute the methods of imper-
| ialism for those of the republic. We
| hold that the constitution follows the
flag, and denounce the doctrine that the
executive or congress deriving their
existence and powers from the consti-
tuition can exercise lawful authority
beyond it, or in violation Of it. We as
sert that no nation can long endure
| half republic and half empire, and we
| warn the American people that imper-
| ialism abroad will lead quickly and
| inevitably to despotism at home.
believing in these fundamental
PRINCIPLES we denounce the Porto
Rico law, enacted by republican con-
gress against the protest and opposi-
| ton of democratic minority, as a
bold and open violation of the nations
organic law and fragrant breach OF
the national good faith, It imposes
upon the people of Porto Rico gov
eminent without their consent, and
taxation without representation. 1t
| dishonors the American people by re-
pudiating a solemn pledge made in
their behalf by the commanding gener-
al of our army, which the Porto Ricans
welcomed to the peaceful and unresist-
| ed occupation of their land. It doomed
to poverty and distress people whose
helplessness appeals with peculiar
! force to our justice and magnanimity.
| In this, the first act of the imperialis-
i tic program, the republican party seeks
to commit the United States to colo
NAL policy inconsistent with republic
an institutions and condemned by the
supreme court in numerous decisions.
/ We demand the prompt and honest full
fillment of our pledge to the Cuban
! people and the world that the United
! States has no disposition or intention
to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction or
| control over the island of Cuba, except
| for it's paciication. The war ended
4 nearly two years ago, and profound
| peace reigns over all the islands, sstill
the administration keeps the govern
ment of the islands from it's people
while republican carpet-bag officials
/ plumber it's revenues, and exploit the
| colonial theory to the disgrace of the
American people.
! eve denounce the Philippine policy
of the present administration. 1t has in
volved the republic in unnecessary war,
and the sacrifice Of the lives OF many
of our noblest sons and placed the
United States, previously known and
| applauded throughout the world as the
] champion of freedom, in the false and
! un-American position of crushing with
! military force the efforts of our former
| allies to achieve liberty and self gov
| eminent. The Filipinos cannot be cltl-
zens without endangering our civiliza-
ton; they cannot be subjects without
| imperiling our form of government,
| and as we are not willing to surrender
our civilization or convert the republic
| into an empire, we favor the immediate
| declaration Of the nations purpose to
give to the Filipinos, first, a stable
form of government; second independ-
ence; third protection from outside in
reference such as has been given for
nearly a century to the Central and
South American republics. The greedy
commercialism which dictated the Phil
ippine policy Of the republican admins
tration attempts to justify it with tho
plea that it will pay, but even this
sordid and unworthy plea fails when
brought to the test of fact. The war
of criminal aggression against the
Filipinos, entailing an annual expense
of many millions, has already cost
more than any possible profit that
could accrue from the entire Philippine
trade for years to come. Furthermore,
when trade is extended at the expense
| of liberty the price is always too high.
eve are not opposed to territorial ex-
pansion when it takes in desirable
territory which can be erected into
states in the union, whose people are
willing and fit to Become American
citizens. We favor trade and expan-
Continued on eighth page.
sion by every peaceful and legitimate
means. But we are unalterably OPP
posed to the Selling or purchasing OF
| distant islands to be governed outside
the constitution, and whose people