Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-10-11
THURSDAY EVENING, OCT. IL, 1900.
Rrp1.a11oANs DENY that there is any

sui, or President, or Governor, and yet
have all the real powers. OF an Emperor
or the most absolute Asiatic despot.
The name is nothing. 1.-THE rose,
says Shakespeare, "by any other name
would smell az sweet" Nor does i'm
perialsm consist in crown or the mere
trappings OF royalty, though these gen.
eraIly 90 with it. An individual might
lack all OF these things and yet possess
despotio power, and be absolute master
over many lands. The point is enc OF
substance, not of form. Let the present
Gar of Rus ia discard his crown and
title and trappings, still his absolute
power remains. That power is incom-
patible with free government. 1t rec
ognzes no such force as public opinion.
It does Ut tolerate free press. No
elections are allowed. 1t may be
mild despotism, but it is despotlsm
all the same, and what the Car says,
goes. The people must obey. The
personal character of the Emperor ia
not in question. 1t is an autocrscy.
There is no ''vox populi, vox Del"
about the matter.
Our ancestors who formed this gov
ernment had lived under q monarchy,
They cared little about the title OF
King and less about the trimmings and
incidents of royalty. But when the
King of England began to violate their
lnaliensbe rights, to tax them al
will without representation. TO de-
ny them jury trial and to OPP
press them, they rose 10 revolt. They
went to the root of the matter, to sub
stance and not to mere forms. When
they came to make new Constitution
ehey discarded the name OF King for
their chief magistrate and abolished
Ii lee of nobility. But they went much
further. They left the just and neces-
ssry rights of the States and OF the peo
pie unimpsire1. They secured jury
trial, a free press, and by every possible
guard and contrivance they protected
liberty against the usurpations Of the
rulers. The President was compelled
TO share his authority with Congress
aud the judiciary. The war-mskine
power which had existed 10 the British
crown was not conferred on the Presi-
dent, but Oh the Congress. The con-
currence of both houses was necessary
to make war. Until lately no one in
the executive Office has dared to eXer-
else this vast power by his own will.
Alexander Hamilton desired a govern
ment more like that OF Great Britain
than this. He thought that govern
ment the best in the world. He was
willing to take it with all its corrup-
tions.
II Hamilton were alive today he
would be content. He would see
a great war carried on in dis
tant seas to establish subject colo
MES like those of England. He
would see a war costing over a
hundred million per annum not de-
clsred by Congress, but inaugursted by
the President. He would zee 8 censor
ship of the press established by the
Presidents officers at Msnils. He
VIC uld see standing army of one hun
dred thousand men-an army increased |
four-fold in four short years. He
would see a British American al. |
lance. He would see great |
party insisting on government by |
injunction to take the place of the Jury
trial. Above all, be would sue a mon
eyed sristocracy laying down laws for
the government to follow, coercing it's
obedienc and boldly proclaiming its
purpose and ability to buy the Presi.
dental election In order to prostitute
the powers OF government for private
gain. The corruptions of the British
government which he once deemed
necessary to their political system he
would find collapsed in this country.
He would find vensl press sustaining
q debauched profiigate and subservi-
nient Congress. Looking to the White
House, he would see all the substance
Of empire, and if the name of emperor
and the royal robes were not visible,
ne would say: "These things are moth
Ing. wanted the substance, not the
mere forms of sbsolutism. II is enough
Tor me that the foolish experiment OF
lree government is abandoned and the
power OF the people given to some one
who ia able to care for them. for him.
self and for US. Now, if you can per.
petuste this happy state OF things. and
90 on increasing the power of the Pres.
dent and the strength of the re0p,sr
army, l care not whether YOU retain
lis old title or give him a new one {
Power is everything. If you have n
President who can make war or peace
It will, with a large army to enforce
'bedience. and rich friends to buy him
reelection, what more do you want ?"
REVENGE is a natural quality of
Iuman nature, and is as strong 10 the {