Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-09-06

be able TO remedy. No populist, however
saaguine, believes it possible to elect a pop
ulist president at this time, but the populist
party may be able to determine whether
a democrat or q republican will be elected.
MI Chairman, the populist convention,
which your represents, thought
1t better to share with the democrats in the
honor of securing some of tho reforms de-
sired by your party than to bear the odium
OF remaining neutral in this great crisis, or
OF giving open or secret aid to the republic
an party. which opposes all the reforms for
which the populists contend.
Those who labor to improve the condi-
lions which surround their fellow-mena are
apt to become impatient; but they must re-
member that it takes time to work out
| great reforms.
New Issues.
II have called attention to the issues
which brought the democrats and populists
together and which justified their coopera-
ton during the last four years. Let me now
invite your attention to new questions
which would justify cooperation at this
time, even though we differed upon all
economic questions. It is not our fault that
these new questions have been thrust into
the arena of politics; it is not our fault that
the people have been called upon to con-
slider questions of ever-increasing magni-
tude. In 1890 the tariff question was the
principal subject of discussion, and the
democratic party commended that the masses
were carrying a burden of unjust and I'M
necessary taxes. In 1892 the tariff question
was sui the principal issue between Tie
democratic and republican parties, al
though in the west and south the money
question was assuming greater and greater
proportions, and the populiSts were con-
tending that our monetary system was
more responsible than the tariff laws for
the depression in agriculture and the dis
tress existing among the wage-earners.
In 1886 the whole question of taxation be-
came of secondary Importance because of
the increased boldness of those who opposed
! the gold and silver COMA o of the cOnSt1tQ.
ton. When the republicans declared at
st. Louis that the restoration of bimetal-
ism In this country. although desirable,
was impossible without the aid OF the lead
ing commercial nations of the old world,
the populists and silver republicans Joined
with the democrats in asserting the right
and duty of the American people to share
their financial system for themselves, re-
gardless of the action of other nations.
The failure Of the republican party to Sc
cure international bimetallism and its open
espouSal. of the gold standard still keep the
money question in politics, but no economic
question can compare in Importance with
a question which concerns the principles
and structure of government. Systems of
taxation can be changed with less difficulty
than financial systems, and financial syS-
TENS can be altered with less danger and
less disturbance to the country than the.
vital doctrines upon which free government
rests.
In the early COS, when we were engaged
in a contest which was to determine
whether we should have one republic or
two, questions of finance were lost sight OF.
Silver vas at a premium over gold, and gold
and silver were at a premium over green
backs and bank notes, but the people could
not afford to divide over the money Ques-
ton in the presence of a greater issue, and
so to-day we are engaged in a controversy
which will determine whether we are to
nave a republic in which the government
derives its just powers from the consent
of the governed, or an empire in which
brute force is the only recognized source of
power.
every wrong can be righted and every evil
remedied, but when once the doctrine of
self-government is impaired and might is
substituted for right, there is no certainty
that any question will be settled correctly |
Imperialism.
"a colonial policy would so occupy the
people with the consideration of the ma
TONS foreign policy that domestic ques-
lions would be neglected. Who will haul
down the fag?' or Stand by the president
would be the prompt response to every
criticism of the administration, and cor
ruption and special privilege would thrive
under the cover of patriotism.
cit is not strange that the pcpulists /
should oppose militarism and Imperialism,
for both are antagonistic to the principles
which ~populists apply to other questions.
Looking at questions from the standpoint
of the producer of wealth, rather than
LTOm IQS STANDPOINT Oh the SpSCuldtOE, the |
populist recognizes in militarism a con-
slant and increasing burden. The army
worm, which occasionally destroys a field
of wheat, is not nearly so dangerous an
enemy to. the farmer as a large standing
army, which invades every field of industry
and exacts toll from every crop.
eff 100, 600 men are withdrawn from the
ranks of the producers and placed as a bur-
den upon the backs of those who remain. it
must mean longer hours, harder work and
greater sacrifice for those who toll, and the
farmer, while he pays more than his share
of the expenses of the army, has no part
in army contracts or in developing COM
panies, and his sons are less likely to fill
the life positions in the army than the sons
of those who, by reason of wealth or pOlit-
ical prominence exert influence at WASH
ington.
"Soon after the republican leaders began
to suggest the propriety of a colonial pol
icy, the papers published an interview
given out from San Francisco by a foreign
consul residing at Manila. He declared
that the people of the United States owed
1t to themselves. to other nations and to the
FiIipinos to hold the Philippine islands per-
manently. AT the conclusion of the inter-
view there appeared the very significant
statement that the gentleman was visiting
the United States for the purpose of organ
izing a company for the development of the
Philippine islands. A few lays later on his
way east he gave out another interview in
which he explained that the company
which he intended to organize would estab-
4ish banks at Manila, and at other places
throughout the islands,, and build electric
light plants, water plants, street car lines,
railroads., factories, etc. 1t seemed that
the plan of his syndicate was to do all the
developing and leave the rest of the Amer
ean people nothing tosdo in the matter ex-
cept to furnish an army sufficient to bold
the Filipinos in subsection while they were
being developed.
Cos. of War
the presetn rate We viii spend an
nually upon tie army approx mately half
United States, and this immense sum is
wrung from the taxpayers by syStems of
taxation which overburden the poor man
ara undertax the rich man.
I'm the presence of such an issue as mill
tarism it is impossible that any populist
should hesitate as to his duty.
But even the menace of militarism is
The policy contemplated by the republican
party nu1lifies every principle set forth
in the Declaration of Independence, strikes
a blow at popular governmental and robs the.
nation of of its moral prestige. Already the
more advanced supporters of the colonial
idea point to the economy of a system of
government which intrusts all power to an
executive and does away with the neces-
sity for legislation. The Army and Navy
Journal, in its issue of August 4, commends
the English system and declares that as a
result of this system a fifth of the worlds
area, containing a fifth of its population,
is ruled with an administrative economy
which is an administrative marvel, and
adds
One million two hundred thousand dol
lars spent in london is the price of admins
trative order over a colonial rule whose to-
tai budgets aggregate 81, 724, 35AS96, or so per
cent. more than our total of federal, state,