Washington sentinel., 1900-03-17
The Crime OF "Party hoyAIty.' y

The cause that more than any
other is back OF the ghastly trend
Of the Republican party today is
the crime of''party loyalty" Con-
stantlY, but fortunately not always,
and never by the thoughtful and
intelligent, we hear the remark,
"Oh, we'll find YOU in line on elec
ton day." The term sin line" IS
taken from the smatterinP OF war
most citizens have had, and has no
place whatever in civil life. In
war men act in the mass, and ac-
cording to orders from the top. In
civil life every individual is unit,
and should be the supreme arbiter
OF his own destiny. Indeed one
man has said to US: "We should
let those at the head of offairs do
our political thinking" Oicourse
such an one was born to be Sub
ject," and not alive to the grave
responsibilities and high destiny
of a sovereign citizen Of the United
States. A citizen OF a republic oc-
cupies the position OF juror in
every case that comes before him,
and is bound to decide them ac-
cording to his Judgment and his
conscience.
When parties change their
creeds or principles, therefore, he
is not bound to follow them unless
his judgment and conscience ap-
prove. The independent voter
who acts on this principle is the
hope oil the Republic. II many
act in the same way leaders will be
more careful OF changing princi-
Piles, and less certain "to whip the
party into line"
Take the Republican party as
led by Hanna and Mckinley. II
does not stand for a single princi-
pie on which that party was
founded, but the reverse. In the
first platform OF the party in 1886,
they declared for "the mainte-
nance Of the principles promul-
gated in the Declaration OF Inde-
pendence and embodied in the Fed
eral Constitution" and four years
later, in the platform on which
Abraham Lincoln was elected,
they declared that belief in the
principles that call msn are created
equal" and that government de-
rive their lust powers from the con-
sent of the governed are essential
to the preservation OF Republican
institutions. Yet now the party is
violating both principles in Porto
Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines.
In addition they are flying in the
face oi the doctrine for which the
Revolution was fought: No tax
alton without representation.
Another principle woven into
the Constitution bV the Republi-
can party is that slavery shall not
exist in the United States or any
place subject to its jurisdiction.
Today we have contract labor in
full force in Hawaii, and slavery
in the Sulu Islands. To get around
the constitutional principle that
taxation shall be uniform through
out the United States. the Repub-
lican leaders have raised the hith-
erto unhesrd OF propo siti that
the Constitution does not extend
beyond the States, and this in the
face OF a uniform line Of decisions
from the days oil John Marshall.
Those in charge Of the party man
agement have also changed attI-
tude on Bimetallism, CIVIL Service,
and a number OF minor issues.
How then can they expect the
members Of the party to follow
them, unless on the principle that
the latter are slaves, and have no
volition oftheir own. Fortunately,
however, such is not the case. The
revolt OF the masses OF the party at
the attempt to tax little helpless
Porto Rico at the instigation ofthe
Tobacco and Sugar Trusts is a
hopeful sign, and warrant that il
the Republican leaders persist in
their inhuman and un-American
policies they will 60 down to de-
feat in November by an over
whelming majority.