The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-08-09
A FATEFUL QUESTION.
Are We to Have Mckinley and
Permanent Imperialism?
WHAT HIS ELECTION WILL ENTAIL.

Less-As Imperialism Ascends the !
Individual Comes Down.
Are we at the end of great epoch |
in our national life and about to en-
ter upon period during which q new
order Of things Is to prevail? That !
Is the question which every man is
now asking himself, the world asks it
Of us and some Of the powers have
put 1t to us categorically.
This nation was founded in the will
derness upon theories that designedly
segregated it from the policies and poll
tics of the old world. Its government
was based on principles that recognized
the individual as the greatest factor In
human society. To make the citizen
strong free, self assertive and self sus-
tanning was its object, and to attain 1t
1t was believed necessary to guard him
and the government from the corrupt
ing influences of intimate contact and
association with the greedy privilege
breeding despotisms of the old world.
If then we are to claim partnership in
the associations which for 125 years
we have Stunned, we must clothe the
government with greater power and
the citizen with less. The necessities
arising from the first step to fellow
ship with the worlds great powers
have already compelled the president
and his administration to set aside the
constitution and to usurp the exercise
of powers which the people had reserv-
| o1 70 hor Ac INN
rialism ascends the throne the individ-
ual must abdicate.
Examine the social compact of any of
the great world powers, and it will be
found to rest on privilege and monopo-
ly. They are the roots that nourish i'm
perialism. If the United States Is to
accompany these great powers In their
predatory excursions around the globe,
we must sustain its government by the
same roots. We must not only give up
the fight that we are making against
greedy, vulgar monopoly that displays
itself in tariffs and trusts, but we must
ennoble it, making it institutional in
our system and dlsarm the people Of
the power to destroy or injure it as an
evil. If the new era that Mckinley Is
to inaugurate is good thing, If the ex-
ample Of the powers he proposes to i'm
itate is desirable then there can be no
bad trusts. Mckinley has blazed the
pathway and the trusts have mustered
their battallons behind him. They
await but for the sanction Of the people
at the polls in November to make i'm
perialism permanent VIII the people
give their consent? Are they willing to
submerge their individuality, their
business, their ventures, their hopes
and ambitions to the machinery Of
: great corporations and trusts and sub
, NIT to special privileges and monopo-
lies at home for greatness of empire
and national glory that bring profit on
ly to those who pilfer? That Is the chief
, issue today All other issues are bound
up in that one as in sack with which
they will have to sink or swim.
The policy Of establishing ourselves
as a new and despotic power in the
world is advocated alone on the greedy
and avaricious cry Of Commercial ex-
pansion." Mark Hanna, who Is now
s pilot to the ship of state, has declared
OAAAN~
e Washington, jefferson, Adams ant
S Monroe, were mere novices in the ar
n of government, narrow minded provin
) cial gentlemen who knew nothing O
y the great world and who in their senti
mental efforts to preserve the freedom
q and liberty of the citizens Handicapped
v the future and bound and gagged tn
# commercial expansion and greatnes
). Of the country. There never was
o greater falsehood The whole past his
f tory of our country rises up and thrust
;. it's indignant finger into his face ant
d says, MARK Hanna, thou hast led
If Before he became prophet to the ad
IS ministration and high priest of its pc
e litical NORA and while we were ye
&c under the influence and advice of tn
y founders of the nation and the princi
pies of the Declaration of Independ
ence this republic, although young Il
II years, did by leaps and bounds take tn
4 lead of all other nations in all that cor
" tributes to the material welfare, happ
q ness and prosperity of people.
q AS Washington, Jefferson, Adams
it Monroe and other patriots had bull
l. the republic on principles antagonist
De to the worlds great powers they II
1t tended that it should rise above all an
IL live without a peer. Their hopes wer
II realized before Mark Hanna came
sit in judgment. The motives and prir
ciples that animated their great soul
he cannot appreciate. He must weig
IS the republic in the bankers scales
r. When he shall have substituted in tn
n peoples minds the privilege of clas
o the robbery of wealth and the despo
# ism of foreign aggressions for the sin
q pie faith of the Declaration of Ind
" pendence, when he shall have cripple
% and ruined the individual and his sma
but indie edent enterprise by tn
deadly slf8de of colossal corporation
and trusts, then it will fall from II
r proud eminence and sink to the low
% vulgar level of Imperialism, where
e. can bedfellow with the despotic feud'
% eaten powers of the old world and
At.s