Gloucester County Democrat., 1900-02-15

VI tls OhitSu GldteS III MS SIulQplQg
tour through the west last fall, which
changed what would have been a Dem
ocratic majority into Republican ma
jority- as on that tour the president re-
jected that theory. ii must be taken for
granted that the congress does not in
dorse it.
Now, the primary question Island
wish you to listen to it-Does congress
intend to abdicate it's functions or not?
That is what we have done so far. In
the last congress we frequently inquir-
ed what was the policy of the White
House, what the policy of the Repub-
lican party was. No man on that side
of the chamber ever undertook to say
what it was. He would say what his
own theory was. But | wish to repeat
that question, Does congress intend to
legislate under the tenth section of the
treaty of Paris, as it is in duty bound
to do, or does it intend to abdicate its
constitutional function and permit the
president to run things ad ibitum in
the Philippines by means of a military
satrapy? Judging the future by the
past, all that congress is expected to do
in this matter of such farreaching con-
sequence to the American people is to
furnish the money to carry on the gov
ernment by satraps and to keep up a
war which congress never authorized
and which congress, and congress
alone, had the constitutional power to
authorize. How long is this extraor-
binary state of affairs to continue? Is
it to be continued only till after the
election in order to give Republicans a
chance to repudiate any particular pol
icy and to advocate the one which ap-
pears to be most popular, or is it, like
Tennyson's brook. to go on forever9
Fallen to Low Estate.
These questions are not asked for
amusement or aggravation. but be-
cause the people Of America have
right to the information.
Indeed on several occasions. when, In
the other end of the capitol, gentlemen
have offered resolutions of inquiry, the
resolutions have been tabled and the
patriotism of the authors impugned.
In the days of reconstruction con-
gress usurped executive functions un-
til the Office of the president Of the
United States was reduced almost to a
nuIlity. Now the president of the Unit
ed States usurps congressional and
legislative function until congress has
fallen to the low estate of being mere
" an animated cash register for the
executive department of this govern
ment.
The Spanish war. which congress de-
| clared, really ended in July, 1898; tech
nically it ended with the ratification Of
the treaty Of Paris.
The Philippine war, which congress
never declared. began about the time
the Spanish war closed, is still raging,
and the end thereof is not even In
sight.
A Costly Game.
This game of military hide and seek
has been played for about a year at
cost to the people Of thousands of val
liable American lives and of over $780,
600, 900 in hard cash.
| The mothers and fathers of the eoun-
try who are called upon to sacrifice
their sons, the overburdened taxpayers
who foot the bills. are beginning to ex-
claim, How long. o Lord. how long"
| The Spanish war-the war author
lied by congress-added to our renown
/ by the splendid victories of our forces
by land and sea and gave US at least
two new naval heroes of the first rank
George Dewey and Winfield Scott
Schley.
But no man who has any reputation
for veracity to lose will assert that the
Philippine war has added to either our
glory as a people or to the strength Of
the republic.
When the Spanish war closed, we
could have occupied the most enviable
position ever held by any nation since
creations dawn, and all we had to do
was to do that which we owed it to
ourselves to do. and that was to say to
both the Cubans and the Filipinos:
1.-THE Spaniards are beaten. Your
chains are broken. You helped US to
do this thing Now set up any sort Of
government you want, and we will
make the other nations of the earth
keep their hands off you, or we win
Shoot them off.
We would never have been compel
led to fire a gun to make that promise
good, for there is not nation on earth
that has any desire to see the fleets of
Dewey and of Schley riding trium-
phantly in their harbors and sheliing
their seaport cities.
Had we done that unstinted praises
of our disinterestedness and philan-
thropy would have rung round the
world. coupled with the amazing story
of American valor and the prowess of
Americans In arms. Wherever Old
Glory floated it would have been hail
ed by millions OF loving hearts in every
quarter of the globe as the emblem Of
a people who are free. themselves and
who are willing and anxious that all
men everywhere shall be free.
Now. on the principle that fellow
feeling makes the whole world kin, the
crowned and sceptered despots of Eu-
rope say to us: "All hail! We welcome
you to membership in the ancient and
sordid society of land grabbers. As
you are the youngest and the strongest
we will give you the largest, choicest
and juiciest slice in partitioning the
| face of the globe among ourselves.
We are in high good humor with you
because you have eschewed the pes
tiferous principles Of the Declaration
of independence, the c0bweb restric-
tions of the constitution, the prepos-
ferrous sentiments of Washington
farewell address, the decisions of the
supreme court for a century, the pre-
sumptuous doctrine of James Monroe
and the solemn advice of Abraham
Lincoln. Those men and those princi-
pies were well enough in a crude age
and among a backwoods people, but
this is the last year of the nineteenth
century-if not the first OF the twen-
tieth-and we viii go land hunting,
gold hunting, diamond hunting and
man hunting together AS a special
favor we viii give you all the entan-
Cling alliances you want for the rest
of your lives, beginning with the An
| glo- American alliance"
Supreme Court Rulings.
But to return to our mutton. What