West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-09-20
PARTY OF REVOLUTION
Republicans No Longer Stand
For Conservatism.
POLICY A RADICAL INNOVATION

Militarism and Imperialism Are Un-
American - Republican Alliance
with the Trusts Involves Uphenvai
of the Roots of Our National Life.
Abandoned.
BY one OF the queerest kinks OF rea-
soning OF WHICH the human mind IL
capable the Republican party has sue
ceeded In persuadlng Itself aud per-
hnps some people outside that II Is the
party OF conservatism and safety aud
that the Democracy threatens danger
Gus innovations. That such nm as
sumption could meet with even u toll.
Grant reception is n signal proof of the
power OF "bluff."
The truth IL. as u moments consid-
eration must make obvious. that the
Republican party In it's present policies
is the most rccklessly revolutionary
organization In our history and that
the Democracy stands for all those
familiar principles by which Ameri-
cans have guided their lives not only
through the century and q quarter OF
their national history. but through the
other centuries during which the con.
ceptions OF civil and political liberty
that characterizcs our race were grow.
ing TO maturity.
The policy OF imperialism is an In
novation OF the most radical kind Il
Is complete break with all the tradl-
tions or the American republic. Less
than three years ago william McISin-
Low
criminal aggression" Now he Is ex-
tending his rule with FIRE and blood,
and the Fillpinos. who voted I'm the
Malolos congress for annexation to the
United States when they thought we
were still republic, arc laying down
their lives TO resist the advance Of our
empire.
There never was n time before now
when any political organization in
America felt affronted by n mention OF
the Declaration OF Independence. Dur
ing the Dreyfus madness I'm France a
cry OF "Viye Ia republiqueY was con.
sidercd mn insult to the army. If an
attendant at n Republican meeting In
this country should shout "Hurrah for
the republlcF' he would run the risk
Democrat A mention Of the constl-
tuition or the Declaration OF Independ.
ence would simply convict him offhand.
Equally revolutionary. from the old
American point OF view. Is imperial.
ism's twin, mllitarism. The idea OF n
great standing army is repugnant TO
every American tradition. The found.
ers or our government seriously con.
sidercd the policy OF prohibiting the
maintenance OF any standing army at
all Every statesman. OF every party.
down to the advent OF the present ad.
mlnistratiOn. has held as one Of this
cOuntry's chief blessings its freedom
from the military burdens Of Europe.
Yet the Republican party Is now com.
mitted TO n permanent standing army
Of 100000 men. and II IL spending for
military purposes more than any other
country IN the world
The Republican alliance with the
trusts involves an upheaval Of the very
roots Of our national life The Demo
cratic policy here. as In everything
else, is conservative. II proposes to
keep rs ncaF as possible TO The familiar
landmarks not stubbOrnly resisting all
change. but not rushing recklcssly into
uniried paths. Tho policy by which the
American nation has grown great and
the American character has been
formed has been that Of individual en-.
terprisc. The trusts are destroying
this enterprise. They are turning US
into something worse than NapoleOn's
nation % shopkccpers' n nation Of
servants They are giving us social
Ism. With ~ us dcmcrits and mono Of
It's ndeaniagcs socialism. not for the
cofruion benefit hut FOR the advantage
of few They have organized the
industries ~ ihc nation so that FOR the