Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1900-10-10
THE COURSE OF MCKINLEY.
[Lynchburg N
Editor OF the News

Editor OF the News:
Alexander Hamilton in his defense
of Croswell remarked that "men when
they attain the last object Of their
wishes often changed from that which
they seem ed to be and the most Jealous
reverers of the peoples rights have
when placed on The highest seat Of
power become The most deadly Oppres-
sors." In 1890 Mr.. Mckinley sad
government must rest upon the free
consent of the governed, and al Of the
governed. Power which is secured
by oppression Or usurpatiop, or by any
form of injustice, is soon dethroned.
We have no right in law or morals to
usurp that which be longs to another,
whether it be property or power.
This was Mr.. Mckinley before "placed
on the highest seat of power" How
entirely at variance with this has been
his course. To hear him in 1890, he
was "zealous reyerer of the peoples
rights" declaring that government
must rest upon the free consent OF the
governed" Now, however, he has be-
come the "deadly opp essor of Others, 8"
usurping property and power which he
once declared was "not right IN law or
morals"
Again, see how Mr.. Mckinley las
changed from what he professed to be,
"reverer of the rights of Others" In
his message Of December 6, 1897, he
said "forcible annexation cannot be
thought Of; that by our code of mora i:y
would be criminal aggression" and yet
in the face of this declaration, after'the
war with Spain had closed we find him
virtually proclaiming war against the
Fl ipinos, for on January 5,1S99, he had
issued this proclamation: "The mill
tary government heretofore maintained
by the United States in the city, harbor
and bay of Manila, is to be extended
with all possible dispatch to the whole
Of the coded territory" and Just
month after this our troops began the
war by firing on tie Filipinos, and
killing one OF their number. Mr.. Nc
Kinley's declaration in his letter of
acceptance to the contrary notwith-
standing, and ".orcible annexation,
which he declared was not to be
thought of even, he has now for nea ly
two years been trying to accomplish at
the cost of thousands of lives and mil
lions Of dollars; and so out Of his OWL
mouth he stands confessed criminal
aggressor'' befcre the world, and no
man of right moral perceptions will
question this fact, for the war against
the Filipinos is one of the greatest
national crimes of the nineteenth CEN
fury, and as Carl Schurz said in his
great speech a few days ago, Gas an
act of cold. booded, cruel and dis
graceful treachery, has no parallel in
the history of the republic"
And this is not putting it whit too
strong. BY this "cold-blooded, cruel
and disgraceful treachery," we are
cruelty and inhumanly numbering a |
people whose only offense is laudable
desire for national independence, such
as nerved the arm ard fired the heart
of the American colonies in that grand
struggle which freed us from the tyr
amy of George III, and the greed of
the English nation; and MI. Mckinley
has no more regard for the rights and |
liberties of the Filipinos than Georgs
III had for that of the American colo
mes, This is evidenced by all his acts,
and notably in his treatment of the |
Porto Ricans, in which he violated, at |
the dictation of rich syndicate, what |
he had declared to be "plain duty"
and used all his influence in getting |
others to do the same thing, disregard
ing the solemn pledge made to them OF
equal rights with other American citi.
zens. He has invariably falsifed by
his acts, al his professions; has violated
the constitution he was sworn to sup
port, trampled under foot the Declare
ton of Independence, disresarding the
principles and policy upon which the
republic was founded, and made The
flag of his country the symbol of tyr
amy and oppression to thousands over
whose unwilling head, it has by the
most despicable and treacherous means
been raised.
In short, MIR. McKinley's whole
course is the subverslon Of the republic
and the founding of an empire. To
vote for him is to vote for the over
throw of our present form of govern
nent. Are the American people ready
Tor this? / think not,