The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-11
FRANKLIN PIERCEs ADVICE
A Card From His Nephew, Kirk ID.
Pierce. of New Hampshire.

To the Editor OF The Tines
The Republican party managers and
their press are claiming that ex-PrcsIdent
Franklin Pierce was an imperialist and
that the present Administration is simply
following out the policy that he and his
predecessors and successors advocated
during their terms of office.
To refute this assertion. in so far as It
pertains to Franklin Pierce. 1t is only
necessary to refer to his official utter
ances.
That anyone should seek a precedent In
our past history for this offspring OF OPP
portunism and greed can only be ascribed
to the audacity of party leaders who
would stoop to trick the public into be-
lief that the present Administration was,
in those matters, only following the rev
cred presidents of past years. Charac-
teristic of this Indifference to the truth
is the statement that the strong stand OF
Franklin Pierce rs to the right OF this
country to expand, through acquisition OF
territory, was in any wise dictated by a
spirit similar to or in pursuance Of a
| policy remotely resembling that Of the
imperialists OF today.
Now, we will quote General Pierce. and
his words will clearly prove that he would
! not act under like circumstances In regard
to the Filipinos the Administration
| does today. A single quotation from his
| inaugural Is sufficient to dispel this as
sertion: THE dangers OF concentration OF
all power in the General Government OF
a confederacy as vast as ours are too
| obvious to be disregarded. You have =
| right, therefore. to expect your agents,
! in every department. to regard strictly
the limits imposed upon them by the Con-
| stitution of the United States. From
| those words 1t is evident that II he was
| the Administration and dealing with the
Filipino question, he would at least ON
cially assure them that they would enjoy
| the privileges of the Constitution, viz:
| The liberty extended to the various States
| comprising the Union would also become
| their heritage, and right OF enjoyment IN
| due time and not wait to subjugate them,
| thereby treating them as barbarians anu
| slaves, and in every way aatagonistie TO
| the Constitution and traditions Oh our
| Republic.
Here we see the Administration acting
| contrary to the warning advice already
quoted from Franklin Pierce. For n,
| held in common with the signers and eN-
pounders of the Constitution ttat too
much concentration Of power in the Fed
| eral Government becomes not only
| menace but a sure cause OF the dsstrIc-
| ton of republican form of government
His doctrine applied to the Filipinos
and Porto Ricans would at least mean
| that they should receive from the Ad-
ministration an official declaration that
| the Constitution should follow the nag.
and that they should be received with
| the rights and privileges Of the other
territories.
! The present Administration is coneen-
| trating the power Of the General Govern
ment beyond the danger line. inasmueh
as II desires to subjugate liberty loving
people. and if successful. their future VIII
| depend in all probability upon the benign
| heart of Senator Hanna and his asso-
! cfates. But the Constitution and the
| teachings OF the fathers of the country
wiil-Aave no influence with the Admins
| tratiou in dealing with them, since it re-
| fuses 10 give them any pledge that they
| will be dealt with as other territories
| are.
Thus the issue is entirely one OF empire
or republic KIRK u; riEnCE-
Hilisborough n. H. Sept. s.