People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1900-08-30

and both silver and gold were at q pre-
MUM over greenbacks and bank notes, but
the people could not afford to divide ovei
the money question in the presence Of
greater issue. And so to-day we are en-
gagged In a controversy which will de-
termine whether we are to have q re-
public In which the government derives
MS Just powers from the consent Of the
governed, or an empire In which bruts
force lie the only recognized source Of
power.
In government where the people rule
every wrong can be righted and every
evil remedied, but when once the doc
trine Of self-government is impaired and
might is substituted for right, there Is
no certainty that any question will Be
settled correctly.
1t is not strange that the populists
should oppose militarism and imperialism.
for both are antagonistic to the princl-
Piles which populists apply to other oues-
/ tons. Looking at questions from the
standpoint OF the producer Of wealth,
rather than from the standpoint of the
Spectator, the populist recognizes In mil
itarism constant and increasing burden.
The army worm which occasionally de-
stroys a field Of wheat is not nearly so
dangerous an enemy to the farmer as a
large standing army, which invades every
field OF industry and exacts toll from
every crop.
II 100000 men are withdrawn from the
ranks Of the producers and placed as q
burden on the backs Of those who re-
main, II must mean longer hours, harder
work and greater sacrifices for those
who toll, and the farmer, while he pays
more than his share Of the expenses Of
the army, has no part In any contracts
OF developing companies, his sons are
less liable to all the life positions In
the army than the sons OF those who, BY
reason Of wealth or political prominence
exert influence at Washington.
At the present rate we spend annually
upon the army approximately half as
much as we spend for education IN the
United States, and this immense sum Ia
wrung from the taxpayer by systems
Of taxations which overburden the poor
man and under-tax the rich man.
In the presence OF such an issue as
nilitarism II Is impossible that any pop
ulist should hesitate as to his duty.
But even the menace of militarism n
but part Of the question Of Imperialism.
Ths policy contemplated by the republic
an party nullihes every principle set
forth in the declaration Of independence,
strikes blow at popular government
and robs the nation of its moral pres
tge. Already the more advanced sup
porters OF the colonial idea point to the
economy Of system of government
which entrusts all powers to an execu-
tive and does away with the necessity for
legislation. The Army and Navy Journal,
In its issue of August l. commends the
English system and declares that as a re-
suit Of this system fifth OF the worlds
area, containing fifth Of its popula-
ton, Is ruled with an administrative
economy which Is an administrative mar
vel and adds:
One million, two hundred thousand
dollars spent in London is the price OF
administrative order over a colonial rula
whose total budgets aggregated sl,7a,-
sS,SS, or 50 per cent. more than our
total Of federal, state, county and VII
iage expenditure for every possible pur-
pose for which taxes are paid. In con-
rast to the results Of this system OF
executive administration, the fact is
cited that the American congress has
spent an entire winter wrestling with
the tariff, the taxation, the administra-
ton and the personal rights of two little
Islands. The English executive is an
Imperial executive. The British parliament
Is an English legislature. To the same
system we are coming by the decress Of
circumstances as inevitable as that Of
fate. II this be Imperialism make the
most OF 1t. So far as citizenship Is con-
cerned the British empire is one, but be-
yond the limits Of the United Kingdom
the citizens live under a rule essentially
ponarchical and not restricted by the
constitutional limitations Of the parlia-
nentary system"
Thus does imperialism bear out its
supporters backward turning toward the
dark ages. There is no middle ground be-
tween the American policy and the Eu-
rOpean policy. If this nation remains
true to its principles, its traditions and
It's history, 1t cannot hold colonies. II II
enters upon a colonial career 1t must
repudiate the doctrine that governments
derive their just powers from the con-
sent Of the governed.
Where the divine rights of kings is
recognized the monarch can grant differ
eat degrees Of liberty to different sub
jects. The people OF England can DO
ruled in one way, the people Of Canada
In another, the people of Ireland In an
other, while the people Of India may be
governed according to still different
forms. But there can be no variance In
republic The doctrine Of = republic
differs from the doctrine OF a monarchy
as the day differs from the night, and
between the two Soctrines there Is, and
ever must be, an irrepressible conflict
Queen Victoria has recognized this nee
essary antagonism between the demo-
Gratis and imperial form OF government.
In Sroroguing parliament few days ago
she said:
Believing that the continued political
independence OF the republics would DO
q constant danger to the peace Of South
Africa l authorize the annexation OF the
Orange Free State"
A republic Is always a menace to a
monarchy, just a. truth is always q men
ace V error. Self-gsy6rnment, being the
Natural government, must necessarily
svsate dissatisfaetion among the subjects
Of these governments which build upon
some other foundation than the consent
c: the governed. What the Grange Free
state and Transvaal republics are 10
South Africa, our republic is to the world, |
and only our Increasing strength and the
wide Atlantic have protected US from
the inextinguishable hostility which must
ever exist between those who support Q
tarone and those who recognize the cit |
lien as the sovereign.
Every step taken toward Imperialism |
by this nation meets with prompt and
effective encouragement from Europe. |
Lincoln pointed to the interest which |
European powers have in the abandon |
ment here Of the doctrine Of equal rights. |
He said:
+ The principles Of Jefferson are the |
definitions and axioms Of free society. And |
yet they are denied and evaded with no
small show Of success. One dashingly
calls them 'glitterng geneTalities.' An