The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-09
IN THE NAME OLE PROTECTION.

During encampment week in Chicago
the Hamilton club gave a banquet to
prominent Republicans, among whom was
Speaker David B. Henderson The Ham
ilton club is an associa ton OF aristoera Is
pretending to follow the political teach
ings of Alexander Hani ton, while giving
those teachings application TO suit them
selves and their personal convenience or
desires. But it is immaterial how fac
the club succeeds in correctly Interpreting
Hamilton. 1t is sufficient To know that
his followers of today are extreme Re.
publican imperialists and aristocrats, and
no voice appears to defend the memory of
Hamilton from such association
But when the Chicago Hamilton club
has guests from outside in tie person OF
prominent Republican leaders, WHO de-
liver addresses, it is Always noticed that
they attempt to trace present Republi-
canism back to Hamilton, instead of rea-
soring from Hamilton down to the pres
ent. What we have now must be jus
titled, they argue, and if it is to be justi-
FED under the auspices of a Hamilton
club, they simply find word among the
vocabulary Of Hamiltou-s political doc
trineS and invite their auditors to behold
the perfect meaning of the word in
what the Republican party is now doing
That is what Speaker Henderson did in
his address before the club in Chicago.
Hamilton believed in protection, there
fore all the Republican party has espous-
I'd Imperialism, Violation of the consutu-
ton, and all is called protection" and
praised as such before the country by
Speaker Henderson.
We are in Porto Rico to protect" the
people there; we are in the Philippines
to protect the Filipinos, and in China
| to protect American citizens And
Speaker Henderson maintains that our
course in all situa tons has been one of
strict justice to rich and poor alike white
and black and brown. All have been
protected he maintains, therefore the
spirit of Alexander Hamilton would re-
joice if it could visit us today, and could
Hamilton speak he would urge the coun-
try to continue in the present course. All
of which might have been pleasing to the
aristocrats of the Chicago Hamilton club.
many of whom have found pecunfary
profit in the sort of protection the
Republican party has been comforting
upon the new possessions, but it is really
not worth while to examine into the rela-
ton between Hamiltons doctrine and the
open violation of the constitution in Porto
Rico at the behest of the Sugar trust
that is, the denial of the plea of the
poor because it conhicted with the plea Of
the rich-or the oppression of the Fill
pinos as preparation for giving them
the same treatment that was accorded
Porto Rico. Hamilton had theories
which sounded exceedingly well, and were
attractive to all men who listened to their
announcement; he would have govern
ment strong, just and protective The
Republican party has given the theories
application by demonstrating the ma
tional strength in crushing Spain, then
by protecting" the Porto Ricans by
compelling them to pay tribute to the
Sugar trust, meanwhile protecting" Fill
pinos by shooting them and denying them
any semblance of political equality, under
the flag and the constitution 'Protec-
ton is a softer word than imperialism"
it IS music compared with criminal ag-
gresssion.' and is much to be preferred
over anything that would approach truth
full characterization of the course
adopted by the administration
Speaker Henderson means well by his
party, but he goes too far in his discre-
ton. The argument of protection in the
premises can apply only so far in the
mind of any man intelligent enough to
vote, and there it will stick Somebody,
it is true, is being protected at the ex-
pense of the Porto Ricans and the con-
stituton, and the Republican administra-
ton is DESTROYS that the same interests
shall be protected at the expense of the
F1lipinos. The latter forcibly object and
aI0 O0AHS pIOlSCtSu WITH eating guns
for their pains. 1t is preposterous to
suppose that the people Of the new pos
sessions are being protected in the full
enjoyment of their material welfare, and
in their right to pursue wealth and hap
piness in their own way, and 1t is also
useless to try to convince the millions OF
wagearners in the United States that they
are being protected by this course toward
the Islands The interests being pro
tected are the same that are always ac-
corded that favor by the Republican
party, and the true meaning of Speaker
Henderson's remarks is that the party
does not hesitate to throw aside the con-
stitution and use the army, If necessary
to accomplish such protection.
Perhaps this is wholly logical from the
standpoint Of the Republican imperiaIists
for their party has been fleeing the
masses in the name of protection for so
many years that it does not know where
to stop, and has lost all ability to dis
criminate between good and bad, fair and
unjust. After all, Speaker Henderson
may bs more than half right. In q GER