Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-02-23
GONE LAME.

mcnt and progress, it will not stand.
*
.saiMPERIALISM GONE LAME.
And now Mckinley has another
"change of attitude" to his credit. In
all his long message to Congress he
did not put in a single word about his
wornout, threadbare, political hobby
OF protection" He was counting on
the acquisition of Puerto Rico, the
Philippines and other island posses.
sions, and he knew that the constitu-
tion forbade tariff duties within the
jurisdiction of the United States. So
he prepared to desert his protection
hobby and support policy of free
trade with the islands. Hence his
message was silent on protection"
This aroused the ire OF the sugar
planters, and tobacco growers, and
sugar beet producers and rabid pro-
tectionists generally throughout the
country. The President was seen, and
he heard their tale of woe, and the
Chicago Tribune says Senator Spooner
chad conference with the President"
and that they converted Major Nc
Kinley to his way of thinking" This
means that the products OF Puerto
Rico and the Philippines, likewise
Cuba. must pay tariff tax ON coming
into the old original United States.
In other words, we will set the consti.
ton aside in order to pander to pro-
lection leeches.
The attitude of the present admin
istration in this matter is indefensible.
Here they declare for expansion"
and tell of the "great benefits OF trade"
to accrue, and enlarge upon the bless
ings OF civilization" to be enjoyed by
the islanders. These have been the
rallying cries of the imperialists, but
they are about to lose their force and
power in the fact that Republican
protectionists oppose the necessary
adoption of free trade with the new
possessions" To illustrate the sor-
did character of the Republican ad.
ministration it is now said to be prac-
tically agreed, in order to crafty the
protectionists and remove their cruel
thorns from McKinley's political path,
that these islands shall be regarded as
"colonies" of this government, and
not really integral parts of the United
States. Hence the products of the
islands will be taxed on entering this
country, aud the inhabitants will not
partake of citizenship, but remain sub.
jects OF the empire sought to be set up
here to succeed the republic OF the
United States.
This strips the mask of hypocrisy,
falsehood and deceit from the admin
istration and shows how insincere are
its professions. 1t robs the imperial
ist of what little shred Of argument he
possessed to bolster up plea for ex-
pansion OF trade and for an enlarge
ment OF our boundaries. If "expan-
sion" is right, these islands must be-
come part and parcel OF the United
States, and the inhabitants thereof
citizens of our common country. This
is certain if we adhere to the constitu-
ton.
On the other hand, if we are to have
colonies" with the inhabitants
thereof simply subjects" of this gov
ernment, then we have abandoned our
republican form of government.
Viewed dispassionately, the candid
and honest citizen must take tire sit
uation with grave alarm and dePlore
the serious complications into which
Mckinley and his British sympathiz-
ers and imperialists have thrust the
country. This is the logical result of
straying from the paths of peace
blazed out by the fathers, the legiti-
mate result OF a war of criminal ag-
gression set on foot to trample Justice
under foot and snuff out of existence
the torch of liberty.