Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-11-09
TIE MONEY POWER AS A
81 PRIVILEGED CLASS.


AS a Democratic newspaper. the vir-
ginian-Pilot does not chiefly regret the
success of the Republican party as
SUCH
But this was no mere victory for the
Republican party. 1t does not mean
merely that the Offices of the country
are to be filled with Republicans. 1t
means that money has become the
dominant factor in American politics:
not only the dominant factor in the
sense that no party can win without
an enormous campaign fund-though
that is true--but even more: that mo-
ney has built up body of sentiment
that Will defeat any man or any party
that proposes to do Justice equally be-
tween citizen and citizen In the Repub-
lie. The recent triumph OF the Repub-
lican party spells Enthusiastically that
we have reached a point where no 20
litical party can win IL 1t do not first
pledge itself to grant favors to a group
OF men who constitute. under the pres
ent administration, privileged class,
at the expense of the whole people
This is the phase of the matter, con-
sidered exclusively in the light Of do
mestic politics. that must appeal to the
thoughtful citizen. regardless of party.
But the victory OF the Republican
party has another and a larger bear
ing. 1t amounts to a partial arrest If
not reversal, of the tendency In gov
eminent to recognize all men as pos
Eessed OF equal natural rights. For
that tendency the United States was
mainly responsible. 1t was the first
nation to declare 1t as a basis of gov
eminent and to show that it was not
merely theory, but workable postu-
late. No nation lives to itself. The
world has felt the leavening influence
OF the American example. Looked at
in historical perspective, this has been
our chiefest glory-that in our own
country man was man, and that
our example has loosened the bands
OF absolutism the world over.
Disguise 1t as we may, we have cut
icosc from this past. Whatever it was
that won the victory for the Republi-
can party, the world will understand it
az ON abandonment of the contention
that men have an inalienable right 10
be free and to have a voice in the gov
eminent that rules them. 1t was a
triumph for the European as against
the American idea in government; and
the effect OF 1t will be world wide,
everywhere throwing new difficulties
In the way Of men working their way
toward liberty, as we understand it.
We shall keep the Philippines. We
shall govern the Filipinos as subjects.
because there is no other way TO gov
ern them, just as England will govern
the Beers as subjects. because there Is
no other way to govern them. This is
not the politics, but the facts OF It, 1t
does not mean that the American peo-
pic have given Mr.. Mckinley permis-
sion to wear a crown. 1t does mean
that they have given him permission to
exercise over 100000 people in the
Philippines and 100000 in Porto Rico
oil the power he could exercise il he
wore dozen crowns. And In the ex-
ercise OF that power he is privileged 10
call upon the men and the resources Of
the country TO the last man and the
last doifur.~
The campaign is over. We have
ceased to be partisans. We are once
more merely citizens. AS citizens, we
can look at the situation without parti-
sun bias. AS citizens a majority of us
have told our President it Is right to
rule the Filipinos as subjects. because
they do not know enough to rule them
selves. IL, in turn. the better educated
aud The Weather Of our own people