Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-10

! COURIER: THURSDAY
inhabitants constitute a part of the
national household of the Union and
that to those inhabitants, Malays and
ALL belongs every right and privi-
lege of the constitution, which is
guaranteed to you and me and to the
Oldest American inhabitant.
"The republican party, standing up
on the express terms of the constitu-
ton, as interpreted by John Marshall
and by Daniel Webster, reaffirms the
utterance of its first national platform
made in 1856:
Resolved, That the constitution
confers on congress sovereign powers
over the territories of the United
States for their government
Upon that doctrine stood Thomas
Jefferson in 1908 while dealing sue
|cessfully with the Louisiana purchase.
Upon that doctrine stood James X.
Polk in 1916 when governing the new
territory acquired from Mexico. Upon
that doctrine stood Daniel Webster,
the expounder of the constitution,
when he declared that the constitu-
ton is extended over the United Stat
be extended over anything except over
the old states and the new states tina,
shall come in, hereafter, when they
do come in Upon that doctrine was
based the late treaty of Paris, by
which the title to these islands was
acquired and which expressly provides
that the whole question of the civil
rights and political status OF their in
habitants shall be reserved for the de-
cision of congress. And it is upon
that doctrine that the republican par
ty stands today, as it stood in 1856.
refusing to sacrifice the birthright of
American citizens to any lower level
of civilization and scorning to admit
that Uncle Sam was born cripple or
that the United States is inferior in
capacity or capability for government
to any other nation of the earth.
According to the present demo-
cratic doctrine, il the United States
should acquire Gibraltar in the sea
inhabited by cannibals they would be-
come at once full brothers in the
American family and would succeed
to every right and privilege under
the American constitution without
even an act of congress constituting
them territory. If such doctrine is
sound there is no longer any such
thing in our world as absurdity.
Il may be wrong in my Judgment
as to these great and vital questions
1t has not been given unto any man,
nor yet to any party nor indeed to any
age, to know the whole truth. We
simply do and strive and think and do
again the best we can, and what say
to you upon this subject OF our new
responsibilities and upon our new re-
Ilations with the world of nations, is
but brief, imperfect utterance of the
views which now entertain. The po-
litical party which has now the honor
to be responsible for the situation and
the condition of affairs may not al
ways reach conclusions that accord
completely with the views OF all of
its adherents, but while it steers the
ship of state in that illustrious direc-
ton indicated by our time-tried com
not desert the veteran crew nor yet
misanthropic barnacles to the slippery
bottom of that hopeless, wretched
rudderless and weather-beaten Cal.
/ houn barge which only blocks the
| way with pilotIess stupidity anc
| founders in the mud when given op'
portunity to move.
The Time to Choose.
''I'he choice of parties in America
must soon be made again. The issues
are tremendous and the consequence
worth consideration.
IF prosperity and national honor
were worth struggling for in 1896
| they are worth preserving now
The indications are that the battle
| will be between the same elements
which contested in that great cam
paign. The men who today contend
for an honorable and patriotic per.
Torrance of our duties and for faith
! full and unwavering execution of oul
obligations incurred by reason of the
recent war, constitute the same high.
minded class of citizens who, in the
campaign of 1896, fought the miserable
and shameful propositions of the Chi
cago platform to degrade American
are the men who labor and pre-
!
builders, the employers, the construc
+, tors, the citizens who are willing te
share the burden of being responsible
for future conditions, the promoters
of great projects and the faithful la
borers who execute them-the mer
who, think of building up and maintain
| ing that healthy and wholesome an6
permanent condition of business anc
| industrial affairs that will insure the
opportunity to earn an honest dollar
tomorrow instead of promulgatins
some temporary scheme of repudia
ton to cheat somebody out of fifty
cents today-in short, the affirmative
responsible, progressive, upright, con
scientious element of American citizen
ship.
New Elements In Politics.
Against this constructive and re
sponsible element of our national life
and politics will be arrayed Aguinaldt
in the Philippines, and several other:
Il :