Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1900-08-24

rording TO his merits.
No one has a right to expect from
society more than a fair compensation
Tor the service which he renders to So
ciety. IL he secures more. II n at the
expense Of someone else. 1t Is no injus-
tice TO him to prevent his doing injus-
tice TO another. To him who would.
either through class legislation or In
the absence OF necessary legislation.
trespass upon the rights OF another. the
Democratic party says :'aThou shalt
not"
POLITICAL INCONSISTENCY.
Against us are arrayed a compare
lively small. but politically and fnan-
cia'ly powerful. number who really
profit by Republican policies; but with
them are associated a large number
who. because OF their attachment to the
party name. are giving their support to
doctrines antagonistie TO the former
teachings OF the.- own party. Republi-
cans who used TO advocate bimetallism
now try to convince themselves that
the gold standard Is good: Republicans
who were formerly attached to the
greenback are now seeking an excuse
for giving national banks control OF the
nations paper money; Republicans who
used to boast that the Republican party
was paying OF the national debt are
now looking for reasons to support q
cans who formerly abhorred a trust
now beguile themselves with the delu-
sion that there are good trusts and bad
trusts. while. in their minds. the line
between the two is becoming more and
more obscure; Republicans who In
times past congratulated the country
upon the small expense OF our standing
army are now making light OF the OBJ
tections which are urged against a
large increase In the permanent mill
tary establishment: Republicans who
gloritied In our dependence when the
nation was less powerful now look with
favor upon foreign alliance; Republi-
cans who three years ago condemned
"forcibie annexation" as immoral and
even criminal are now sure that II Is
both immoral and criminal to oppose
torcible annexation That partisanship
has already blinded many to present
dangers Is certain: how large a portion
of the Republican party can be drawn
over TO the new policies remains to be
seen.
For a time Republican leaders were
inclined to deny to opponents the right
10 crfticiss the ffkaipnlna pslicy OF the
administrations but UPON investigation
they found that both Lincoln and Clay
asserted ana exercised the right to crit
icise President during the progress
OF the Mexican war.
Instead OF meeting the issue boldly
and submitting n clear and positive
plan for dealing with the Philippine
question, the Republican convention
adopted platform. the larger part of
which was devoted TO Boosting and
decentralization.
In attempting to press economic
questions upon the country TO the ex-
elusion OF those which involved the
very structure OF our government. the
laQdaro OF
OF their abandonment OF the earlier
Ideals OF the party and OF their COM
piete subserviency TO pecuniary consid-
erations.
But they shall not be permitted 20
evade the stupendous and far-reaching
issue which they have deliberately
brought into the arena of politics
When the President. supported by a
practically unanimous vote of the
House and Senate. entered upon a war
with Spain for the purpose of aiding
the struggling patriots of Cuba, the
country. without regard to party. an
piauded. Although the Democrats rec
ognized that the administration would
necessarily gain a political advantage
from the conduct OF war which, in the
very nature of the case. must soon end
w complete victory, they Wed with
the Republicans in the support which
they gave TO the President When the
war was over and the Republican lead
ers began TO suggest the propristy of a
colonial policy. opposition at once mani
tested itself. When the President finally
laid before the Senate q treaty which
recognized the independence OF Cuba
put provided for the cession of the
Phiiippine islands to the United States
the menace OF imperialism became so
apparent that many preferred TO re-
.eSt the treaty and risk the ills that
might follow rather than take the
chance OF correcting the errors OF the
treaty by the independent action of this
country.
WHY HE FAVORED RATIFYIN,;
THE PEACE TREATY.
I was among the number OF those who
oeileved II better to ratify the treaty
hno end the war. release the volunteers
remove the excuse for war expenditures
ano then give to the Filipinos the in
dependence which might be forced from
Spain by new treaty.
In view OF the criticism which INV
action aroused in some quarters i take
this occasion to restate the reasors
given at that time. / thought 4. safer to
trust the American people to give in
dependence to the Filipinos than To
trust the accomplishment OF that pur-
pose to diplomacy with an unfriendlv
nation. Lincoln embodied an argument
% the question. when he asked, Can
aliens make treaties easier than friends
can make laws?" / believe that we are
now In a better position to wage a sue
cessful contest against Imperialism
than we would have been had the
treaty been rejected. With the treaty
ratined, a clean cut issue is presented
between government by consent and
a government by force. and imperia. lists
must bear the responsibility for all that
happens until the question In settled. II
the treaty had been rejected, the oppo-
nents OF imperialism would have been
held responsible for any international
complications which might have arisen
before the ratification OF another
treaty. But whatever differences of
opinion may have existed as to the best
method OF opposing the colonial policy.
there never was any difference as to
the great importance of the question
and there Is no difference now as to the
course to be pursued
The title OF Spain being extinguishe6
we were at liberty to deal with the
F1Hpinos according TO American prin-
cfpies. The Bacon resolution. introduced
month before hostilities broke out at
Manila, promised Independence 10 the
Filipfnos on the same terms that IL
was promised 70 the CuhanS \ ouDno.t