Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-04
IMPERIALISM TIE ISSUE.
W. W. BRANNoN. OF WESTON.
An Historical sketch of the Republic
can Party's Tendency Toward
aIonarchfsm-The Money Question
and the Trusts-Other Political
Items.


outlook for the Democracy he re-
piled:
Questions of great importance were
never before presented to the American
people. l regard the position of our
political enemies on the subject of i'm
perialism as of towering import. Still.
! it does not seem to me to be a new at
titude OF the Republican party. Its
origin and its history show it to be
party whose policy is Capitalization of
power. It's founder believed and advo-
Gated the docIyine, that strong gov
eminent could be secured only by con-
| ferring great powers upon the federal
executive. He insisted upon a plan of
government which would have made
each State in the Union mere depen-
dency, and whose chief officers would
have been appointed by the federal
head. He did not hesitate to assert
! that the rich and we'll born should
have a prominent place in the govern
| ment, and that the people were unstable
and vacillating, and that they could not
safely be trusted. These were the
earliest ideas of Republicanism, strong
ly advanced and supported by that most
able representative of Republicans, then
called Federalists, Alexander Hamil-
ton
"In opposition to these theories, the
great fathers of the Democratic faith
declared their belief in a strong gov
eminent, but they urged that this could
be best secured by leaving the sover-
eighty in the people, the great masses
OF the people. They believed and
taught that the people could be trusted;
| that mankind was capable OF self-gov-
ernment and that wealth and birth
| should not be considered in the selec-
ton of our representatives. They had
unbounded faith in the local self-gov-
| eminent, and declared that all power
not delegated to federal authority re-
| NAMED in the States and the people
! thereof.
these were some of the differences
| between the two great parties Whlcn
resulted in their formation.
| 1t has always appeared to me, that
the tendencies of each have been and
| still are to these tenets of government
all power and policy. l will recite
| briefly a few of the acts of the Republl-
can party to support this assertion:
| Not many years since, it undertook
! to pass what was known as the Blair
Educational bill. 1t was practically an
! attempt to place our own local educa-
| tional matters in the hands OF federal
authority. 1t was measure in exact
! line with the ideas of Mr.. Hamilton,
and in direct opposition to views OF Mr..
| Jefferson and his compatriots. A more
| centralizing act was never attempted.
THE Force bill, which came so near
! passing, was much worse. 1t was a
direct assault upon the cherished doc
trine of local self government. 1t was
disgraceful measure, and it seems
strange that the people have been will
| ing to trust the party which undertook
| such dangerous attack upon their lib
critics.
We all remember well when the Re-
! publican party in National convention
made great effort, which nearly sue
/ ceeded, to violate the unwritten law,
which torbids third term in the Pres
| idential office The delegates who. I'M
! der the able leadership of Mr.. Conk-
| ling, so faithfully supported Gen.
Grant have been honored since that
memorable contest by our Republican
/ friends. For some years they wore
distinctive badges of honor.
1t has not been a great many years
since Gen. Garfield, an eminently able
and representative Republican. ex-
| pressed his qualification that the doc
/ trines of Hamilton were fast waxing
and the doctrines of jefferson were fasf
waning in the hearts of the American
people.
/ But more recent acts of our political
adVersarles may be cited to show the
| present tendency OF that party 10 CEN
! tralization of power.
It's present plan of government of
CUBA and Porto Rico is almost exact
/ ly Like that proposed by Mr.. Hamilton
Tor the United states
Inc IDEA that the government might
tax imports without regard to limit of
! necessary revenue is imperialistic. The
theory OF tariff taxation for the benefit
o. favored classes, thus transferring the
taxing power of the government to
I private hands, is the worst kind of cen
trallZatlon. The establishment of the
gold standard is in the same line.
The Democracy has opposed these
measures, and believe and trust that
+, the people will be aroused to the dan
gers that threaten our country and our
institutions. There never was a period
in our history when a recurrence TO
fundamental principles and the true OBJ
ject and functions OF government was
more essential to-day.
The main purpose in certain quar-
tiers seems to be. and for years to have
been, to favor certain classes and in
terests by the power of the govern
ment. This is perversion of true
principles.
The taxation of Porto Rican imports
Is clearly unconstitutional, and indeed
is so regarded by the most able and
conservative Republicans; and Presf-
dent Mckinley was plainly right when
he said ii was our plain duty to" af-
ford free trade to the people of Porto
Rica. He was supported in this view
by the most brainy men of his own
party. Congress might with as much
propriety~lay tax upon western pork.
beef and breadstuffs, for the protection
of the east against their comDefition