The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-10-11

this election, that then the trusts will
be destroyed?
1t is not partisan question 1t is a
question of preservation. Shall the
syndicates run the government at Wash
lngton, or shall the people who do the
work of this country again take charge
of it?
Let me remind you that amid all the
vilification, amid all the misrepresenta-
ton, no man has yet arisen who had the
hardihood to assert that the trusts and
the syndicates control William J. Bryan.
McKINLEY'S FOREIGN POLICY.
Governor Altgeld now turned his at
tention to the foreign policy of the adj
ministration. He reviewed the Philip
pine and Porto Rican questions at
length, declaring that it is the monop-
olies and syndicates that are now
pushing this administration forward
in its career of Imperialism
There is no question of expansion before
the American people, my friends. Were
it proposed to make the Filipinos citizens
of this republic, to extend to them our
Declaration of independence and Consti-
tuition, it would present an entirely diff
ferent question. Good men might differ
upon the wisdom of such step, but that
is not the proposition. The men who tell
you that it is a parallel case to pre-
vious acts of our government are sup
pressing the truth. When we annexed
the great country west of the Mississippi,
when we annexed Florida, when we an
nexed New Mexico and California, even
when we got Alaska, it was provided that
the territory should form an integral part
of this republic, and they did not object.
In all of these cases we did expand that
was growth. We were true to the basic
principles of our government. We ex-
tended the blessings of our Constitution
to more people. But in this case we do
not propose to expand, we do not pro-
pose to increase the citizenship of the
United States; we are not proceeding in
harmony with the basic principles Of our
government; we are going to govern ac-
cording to the basic principles of the
Spanish government and of the other
despotic governments of Europe.
We are told that Providence is doing
this, that destiny has done it, and that
we are simply marching in the line of
our duty. This cant and hypocrisy be-
come wearisome. Was the British am
bassador the agent of Divine Providence
when he went to Mr.. Mckinley and urged
him to keep all of the islands and go into
the colonial business, so as to prevent
Germany from getting the islands? We're
the greedy syndicates of America that
wanted contracts, that wanted commits
sions, that wanted opportunities to make
money at the expense of the government,
were they commissioned by destiny to
urge the president to embark in this anti
American policy? Did Providence want
information about coal and mineral
wealth? Did Providence so far forget
himself as to demand of the philippine
people the recognition of American SOW
creignty on December 81, 1898, before we
had any treaty rights, or any other rights
there? Was it the Lord that Issued the
order to General Otis on December 81,
1898, practically commanding him to de-
stroy the Philippine army ard the Phil
ippfne government, commanding him to
begin war against those people who had
been our allies down to that time, prac-
tieally commanding him to burn their
towns, lay waste their country and shoot
down. their men, their women and their
children? Why attempt to shoulder on
the Lord these indefensible acts of Will
liam Mckinley, who was guided, not by
destiny, not by Providence, but by the
greed of American svndicatcs. Does the
Lord change with the seasons, 50 that
what is a crime in the spring becomes a
virtue in the fall?
THE OT-STRAP METHOD.
new construction of the Constitution
has made it's appearance, intended to de-
stroy it; and that is, that Congress has
unlimited and unrestricted powers with
respect to acquired territory, and that,
therefore, our government can be a re-
public here and despotism there, that
the Constitution does not follow the flag.
Congress is born of the Constitutions all
its powers are limited and specified; it
has no power except what is expressly
given it; it draws it's salary, it gets its
right to vote from the Constitution. Its
whole existence depends upon the Con-
stitution, yet we are told that when once
in existence it rises above the Consti-
tuition, and is greater than the ConStitu-
tiCn. Yet your great educational institu
tion near this city has, during it's whole
career, taught that no man can lift him
self over a fence by pulling at his boot
straps. But the existence of organized
greed of this country, the hunger for
commissions in the army, the hunger for
army contracts, for great governmental
contracts, for control of shipping and
amassing of great fortunes out of the
sweat of the American people has
brought forth a doctrine whereby it is
proposed that a Congress born of the
Constitution, getting it's very breath
from the Constitution, is to lift itself
over the limitations which the Consttu-
tion has placed around it by simply pull
ing at it's boot straps.
A GREAT WORLD POWER.
In concluding his discussion of the
issues presented to the American peo-
pie in this campaign, Governor Alleged
thus addressed the young men to
whom he was speaking:
For half century this republic has
been the greatest world power of the
earth and has welded more influence,
had more to do with shaping thought
and human events than all other ma
lions put together. Every great country
in Europe has had to pattern after our
Constitution. We have cast a light
against the sky that was seen by all
nations We did this, not through our
army, for we had none, not through our
navy, for we had none, not through a
display of brute force, for other nations
surpassed us, not through material dis