The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1900-10-12

idter OIL raIne, ana tnnL
bill was strongly supported by the
Democratic members of congress from
the southern states.
In 1860 the democratic national con-
Cuba and placed the following in the
platform:
Resolved. hat the Democratic
party are in favor of the acquisition
of the Island of Cuba upon such terms
as shall be honorable to ourselves and
just to Spain"
President Pierce made a strong effort
to annex Hawaii. The matter was car
ried so far hat a treaty for the pur-
pose was drafted. On this point Mr..
Marcy. who was secretary of state in
Pierce's cabinet. wrote the following
note to Minister Gregg:
This government will receive the
transfer of the sovereignty of the
Sandwich islands with all proper pro-
visions relative to existing rights of
the people thereof, such as are usual
and proper to territorial sovereignty.
The president directs me to say that
he cannot approve of some of the arti-
cles of the treaty; there are in his
mind some strong objections to the i'm
mediate incorporation Of the islands in
their present condition into the union
as an Independent state. 1t was eX-
pected that the Hawaiian government
would be willing to offer the islands
to the United States as a territory
and leave the question in relation to
their becoming a state to the determi-
nation of this government, unembar-
raised by stipulations on that point"
1t will be seen by this that through
out its history the Democratic party
has favored expansion. 1t will also be
observed that in all their messages and
correspondence bearing OH the acquisi-
ton of territory no reference is made
to THE consent of the governed" JEFF
ferson, Polk, Pierce, Buchanan, in fact
all the great minds of the Democratic
party, have favored expansion, some of
them going SO far as to advocate the
acquisition of island territory by force.
Compared with this the splendid rec
ord of the Republican party. and par
ticularly of the Mckinley administra-
ton, stands out in bold relief.
GAR THEN-PATRIOT NOW.
According to Democratic doctrine in
1864 Lincoln was a car. Now he is q
patriot. In 1864, when Lincoln VaS Il
candidate for reelection, the same hue
and cry about ''imperialism'' was
raised by the Democrats. The Indian
apoliS Journal, Il Democratic organ, at
that time said:
1.-The only hope of preserving consti-
tutiOnal liberty, the rights of the states
and restoring peace to the union is i'm
the restoration of the Democratic party
to power. But let Abraham Lincoln be
elected for another term, what will be
the consequence? -Four years more of
abolition. national bankruptcy and Eu-
ropean interference. Shall we profit
by the teachings of history, and even
by our own experience, or continue the
policy that must end IN the overthrow
OF one of the best governments the
world ever saw
Just before the election in 1864 the
same. paper had another ''nightmare."
one of the Bryan order, and it said:
Should Mr.. Lincoln be reelected the
revolution will be accomplished. This
will be no longer a republic of the
United States. but a consolidated en-
pire. Every safeguard must sooner or
later give away. The limitation of the
executive power will not be in the
pleasure of the president. We implore
patriotic and intelligent men to pause
and reflect and give their verdict Tues
day next. If the people will not save
their constitution and union it is lost
The foregoing is the same sort OF
Democratic rot that Bryan is making
use of today. The only difference is
that the man who was pointed out as
a despot then is treated as a patriot
now. Like Lincoln, thirty-six years
from now, if the POpulists and the
Democrats in their rapacity for proven
der shall not have eaten each other I'D.
the Democratic dOctrinaries will be
quoting from Mckinley and holding
him up as the ideal statesman and
patriot. Thirty-siX years isn't such Il
very long time, but it is too long a time
for the people of Il great and progress
sive country to wait, when they can
get what they want now. The Ameri-
car people have kept up with the pro-
cessiOn and if the Democratic rarity
persists in staying t~hirty-siX years be-
hind let it stay there.
1t will be observed, however, that
Bryan's rant about Imperialism is
nothing new. The Democratic party
was carping about it before he learned
to speak his own name.
Lincoln was abused. and harsher
things were said of him than have
ever been said Of Mckinley. The at
tacks were wantOn and cruel, and the
recoil sent many an aspiring politician
on the Democratic side into ~obScurity
and diStrust forever.
Bryan is playing upon the same harp |
today. 1t is the instrument Of a dema-
gogue and its tunes are as deceptive
as the deadly nightshade. But the re-
cOil-the pent up energy of outraged
public ~Opinfon-is there. and it will hit