The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-08-23

..AchW.ry OF nonarcliy. The expan-
Ion Of Tyler was. the peaceable annex.
atio1. of an American state; the i'm.
perial!sm Of Mckinley is the forcible
,Subjugation OF a. foreign colony. The
expansion of Polk was the opening Of
lew land for American citizens: the
Imperialism Of Mckinley is the depres-
sion of a new people into American
subjects. The expansion of Pierce was
he peaceable settlement Of a disputed
boundary; the imperialism Of McKin.
.ey Is the purchase of foreign war.
The expansion Of Johnson was a kind
ly act fer friendly power; the Inn
@erialism of Mckinley is the perfidious
betrayal Of the friendship OF trust
ing people. The policy OF all the pasA
has been the expansion Of friendship.
justice, liberty; the imperialism of the
present is the policy Of war, force and
despotism
The Paramount Issue.
The issue of the republic or an EN-.
pire is the overlapping issue Of the
campaign. Minor questions of nation-
al politics may come and CO. Factions
may form and fade. Secondary issues
may at times demand and receive the
attention OF the electorate; but when
the ideals or a century are questioned.
when the principles of the founders Of
the government are doubted, when q
sore.'l commercialism, shsmeless in its
lust of gain, seizes the power of gov.
eminent and with impious hands darea
to pollute the sacred instruments Of the
republic, factions are silent. minor DIFF
fe,ences are forgotten, and the voices
or n ic1
as this men who love country and not
pa'ty. who prize the true and not tho
..'acious. who believe in the merit Of
manhood and not in the glimmer Of
gold, who believe that what we want
Is not more men in the Philippines but
more man in the White House, stand
square and firm. unmoved by threat
of force or fear of power.
Three generations ago the follower
Of Hamilton threatened to engraft up-
On the infant republic the forms Of
continental monarchy.
The times demanded a man and he
came from the ranks Of the democra.
tic party-Thomas Jefferson. Two gen.
era .ioas ago that survival Of federalism
the United States bank, under the lead
Of Nicholas Biddle, threatened to undo
TIE work of forty years and take from
the people the substance of power
though it left the form. Again thu
times demanded man and again he
came from the ranks of the democratic
party-Andrew Jackson. One genera.
ton ago a slave-holding aristocracY
raised the flag Of disunion and threat
ened tho EatiOn's life. Again the timea
demanded man and the soil Of demo.
cratic Kentucky gave US that man who
belongs not in the ranks Of modern
repuOlicanism, but whose name is list.
I'd among the saints in the Valhalla OF
democracy-Abraham Lincoln. And In
this generation when the evils of tho
OLD times are added unto by the evils
OF the new times, when the minions Of
mercenary commercialism threaten to
grasp the substance of power, when q
once great party in the hands Of faith.
less leaders attempts to assign the PEG.
pies rights in trust to an oligarchy Of
wealth, when horde of vampire com.
binations feed and fatten upon the ne.
cessities of the people, when blasphem-
Gus leaders masquerade under the
mantle OF the man of Gallilee conceal
ing beneath the robe of righteousness
the sword of slaughter, when a new
school of politicians attempts to annul
the declaration and make the constitu.
zion but charter of trade, when the
ensign that has stood for freedom
rom the days of McKinley-when this
ensign is made the symbol Of subjec-
ton, the pennant Of polygamy, and the
lag Of force; then again the times de.
niand a man And again democracy
that furnished a Jefferson, that provid-
ed Jackson. that f>educed q Lincoln
comes forward with man.
Out of the west he comes, the west
where men are made great. Out Of
the electric west where discussion IN
still free and liberation a common viz.
tue. Out of the west of sunshine and
sunlight, of boundless plains, and
prairies broad. Out of the west that
looks eastward through til current Of
the father of waters and westward to
the summit of the Rockies. Out Of this
west comes q leader, as firm as old
William the Silent, as 'e IS tho
white plume of Henry of Javarre. an
lust as the elder Brutus nd as viz.
tuous as the younger, ane his name
ny friepds. is Bryan Of N, ,raska.