Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-11-17
A CURIOUS UTTERANcE.


Speaking of the petition of Southern
cotton manufacturers to Secretary Hay
in favor of the maintenance Of the
open door in China, the Washington
Post says:
Nobody can possibly have at heart
the welfare of the South more truly
than the Post has. We regard II with
more genuine sympathy than any other
section of the country. But 1t seems to
us that people who vote against the
Republican party. which enrichcs and
protects them. have little claim upon
that partys recognition. Men cannot
afford to sacrifice their real interests
to an Improbable sentiment They
ought to be one thing or the other. If
Republican policies promote their ma
terial interests and Democratic poll
cies menace them, they owe to them
selves to assume logical attitude in
party controversy. They cannot with
propriety vote against the Republican
ticket and then ask a Republican adj
ministratfon to hasten to their rescue"
This is singularly narrow view to
take of the matter. and involves Gu
rious confusion of the partisan and the
citizen. Is not Mr.. Mckinley the Pres
ident of the whole country? Does not
Mr.. Hay represent the whole country
in its relations to foreign powers?
Does the Post mean to say that Mr..
Mckinley and MIR. Hay are not under
obligations to conserve the legitimate
interests Of Democrats equally with
the Republicans? Does 1t mean to say
that because a citizen does not vote for
the candidate who happens to be
chosen to the Presidency that he there
by loses the right that every citizen
has to appeal to his government to
preserve to him interests, property or
opportunities that are menaced by
others? Because Massachusetts gave
its electoral vote to MIR. Mckinley and
South Carolina did not, may the cotton
manufacturer of Fall River ask with
proprlety that his interests abroad be
saved to him by the strong arm of the
Federal Government. while the cotton
manufacturer of Columbia is guilty of
an impertinence if he ask the same
thing?
The view of the Post would make
Mr.. Mckinley merely the President of
the Republican party. with no obliga-
tions to any man who did not vote for
him. Is it the Republican party that
''enriches and protects" the South, If
Mr.. Mckinley maintains the open door
in China? We confess to surprise at
finding View at once so sordid and
fallacious in the columns of our Wash
ington contemporary. The tax-gath-
erer knows no party lines when he is
collecting revenues for the support of
the government The government can
know no party lines in conserving the
interests of the citizen. The cotton
manufacturers of the South are not
asking "a Republican administration
tc hasten to their rescue:" they are
asking n government that they help to
support to see to it that their trade
advantages In China are not taken
away from them. AS American citi-
zcns. they can make that request with
equal propriety. whether they voted
for or against Mr.. Mckinley, and Mr.
Mckinley is unfit to be President IL he
would not be as Jealous in the one case
as in the other.
American politics are conducted on
a pretty low scale. but this Is the first
time 1t has been suggested that trade
rights in foreign countries are a part
of the spoils of office. or that a citizen
forfeits the right to protection by his
government If he vote against the sue
cessful candidate for Office