Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1900-08-18

the Protection of the Rights of Man
Property Rights Most Secure When
Human Rights Are Most Respected.
Notification Committee: 1 shall, at an
early day, and in more formal man
| ner. accept the nomination which you
tender, and L shall at that time discuss
the various questions covered by the
democratic platform. 1t may not be
out of place, however, to submit a few
| observations a this time upon the gen.
| eral character of the contest before US
| and upon the question which is declared
| to be of paramount Importance in this
campaign.
When say that the contest of 1890
1 Is Il contest between democracy on the
one hand and plutOcracy on the other
1 do not mean to say that all our OPP
ponents have deliberately chosen to give
| to organized wealth Il predominating in
| f1uence in the affairs of the government,
| issues of the day the republican party
| is dominated by those influences which
| constantly tend to substitute the worship
| of mammon for the protection of the
| In 1859 Lincoln said that the republic
dollar, but that in case of conflict it be-
| heved in the man before the dollar This
list between the two. Man, the handi-
! work OF God, comes first; money, the
| handiwork of man, is of inferior i'm
! servant, but upon all important questions
| today republican legislation tends to
make money the master and man the
The maxim of jefferson. Equal rights
to 9d all b and s9eff1al PRIVILEGES to no4 MS
| should be government 'tof the people,
by the people and for the. people" are
| being disregarded and the Instrumental
| ties of government are being used to
| advance the interests of those who are
In position to secure favors from the
government.
The democratic, party is not, making
war upon the honest. acquisition of
industry economy and thrift, On the
eatagf possible 5ke 59 GHerE f hone n
| when it promises him protection in the
enjoyment of the proceeds of his labor.
human rights are most respected. Democ-
racy strives for civilization in which
cording to his merits.
No one has right to expect from
for the service which he renders to So
expense of someone else. It is no in
| justice to another. To him who would,
either through class legislation or in
the absence of necessary legislation, tres
pass upon the rights of another the
democratic party says, Thou shalt not
t1efy small bnf poiieally and fnan-
ctally powerful number who really profit
| by republican policies; but with them are
of their attachment to their party name,
are giving their support to doctrines an
their own party. Republicans who used
| to advocate bimetaIliSm now try to con-
vince themselves that the gold standard
| is good; republicans who were formerly
attached to the greenback are now seek
ing an excuse for giving national banks
| control of the nations paper money; re-
publicans who used to boast that the re-
publican party was paying off the ma
| tional debt are now looking for reasons
to support perpetual and increasing
debt; republicans who formerly abhorred
a trust now begui,a themselves with the
delusion that there are good trusts and
| bad trusts, while III their minds, the
line between the two is becoming. more
and more obscure; republicans who, in
times past, congratulated the country
upon the small expense of our standing
army, are now making light of the objec-
tons which are urged against a large
increase in the permanent military es-
Establishment; republicans who gloried in
our independence when the nation was
less powerful, now look with favor upon
foreign alliance; republicans who three
years ago condemned "forcible annexa-
ton" as immoral and even criminal are
now sure that it is both immoral and
criminal to oppose forcible annexation
That partisanship has already blinded
many to present dangers is certain; how
large a portion of the republican party
can be drawn over to the new policies
remains to be seen.
For time republican leaders were
to criticise the Philippine policy of the
administration, but upon Investigation
| Iney IOunQ CnaC DOth Lincoln and Clay
asserted and exercised the right to criti
else a president during the progress OF
Instead of meeting the issue boldly
and submitting a clear and positive plaI
for dealing with the Philippine question
the republican convention adopted plat
form, the larger part of which was de-
voted to boasting and self-congratula
ton.
lions upon the country to the exclusion
OF those which involve the very structure
give new evidences of their abandon
ment OF the earlier ideals of the party
cuniary considerations.
But they shall not be permitted t.
evade the Stupendous and far,reachin.
brought into the arena of politics. Whel
the president, supported by a PRACTICAL,
unanimous vote of the house and senate
entered upon a with Spain for tn
purpose of aiding the struggling patriot
of Cuba, the country. without regard t
party, applauded Although the demo
Gratis recognized that the administrator
would necessarily gain u political advan
the very nature of the case must 500
end in a complete victory, they We'd wit
gave the president. When the war, wa
l | over and the republican leaders bega
poicV onpositfon al once manife e9a31ii Il
| self. When the president finally laid be
fore the senate treaty which recog
vided for the cession of the Phiiippin
| islands to the United States, the menac
of Imperialism became apparent tha
many preferred to reject the treaty an
risk the ills that might follow rattle
than take the chance of correcting tn
errors of the treaty by the independer
e action of this country.
I was among the number of those VIII
S believed it better to raitfy the treat
. and end the war, release the volunteer
remove the excuse for war expenditure
: and then give to the Filipinos the indt
pendence which might be forced fro
Spain by a new treaty.
In view of the criticism which my az
ton aroused in some quarters, take tn
n occasion to restate the reasons given Z
that time. I thought it safer to tru:
e the American people to give independent
to the FilipinoS than to trust the accom-
;. plishment of that purpose to diplomaC
with an unfriendly nation. Lincoln en-
bodied an argument in the question whe
n he asked, Can aliens make treatit
: easier than friends can make laws?'
1 believe that we are now in better DOS
/. | ton to wage a successful contest again
> imperialism than would have be<
had the treaty been rejected. With Il
treaty ratified clean-cut issue is DE-
Il scented between a government by consel
n and government by force, and fmperia
| lists must bear the responsibility fer {
r that happens until the question is settle
If the treaty had been rejected the O
;, ponents of imperialism would have be-
e held responsible for any information