Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-09-17
HON. PERRY BELMONT
Gives His Views Upon the Matters Mt
Issue Between the Two
Great Parties.
Facts of the Greatest Importance to
the People of the Country at
Large-The People Are Regarding
Mr.. Bryan With Great Favor.

NEWPORT. X. l., Sep. 8, 1900.
Hon. John T. McGraw, National Com
mitteeman for West Virginia, Graf
ton, West Virginia:
My Dear Sir:-I am very sorry | can
not at present go to Wheeling as you
ask me and aid in the campaign against
the reelection of President Mckinley
Later on l may be able to do so.
The Republican idea, the imperial
istic idea, that all the millions of peo-
pie in our territories and islands, a
greater number than was our whole
population seventy years ago, can, in
time of peace, excepting those who are
aliens and protected by treaties, be gov
erned by Congress according to its own
fancy, unrestrained by the Constitu-
ton and the judicial power, and If Con-
gress shall not legislate can, by any
President, be he Mckinley or Bryan, or
anybody else, be ruled arbitrarily and
regardless of any other restraint than
"the usages of war;" will. / am conf
dent, be rejected by the voters of West
Virginia.
Such imperialism" was by the Kan
sas City convention made the supreme
issue, and voters are rapidly coming
to perceive that, in comparison with 1t,
other pending political issues are triv-
ial
The Republican leaders asked in their
Philadelphia platform the reelection
of President Mckinley because he. as
they say, achieved its ratification by the
Senate. Mr.. DENLY has been for twelve
years in the diplomatic service of the
faI nj v, "A ~,
President Mckinley in the Philippines.
He has recenctly declared that Mr.
Bryan accomplished the ratification so
that he might thereby create what Mr.
DENLY describes as the boyle of i'm
perialism" in order that he might fight
and overcome the monster" He i'm
AGNES that the "inRerialism'' which
the Democrats denounce is altogether
the treaty and is not the Republican
desire and purpose to govern the coded
islands in disregard of the Constitu-
ton.
The Republican national platform
commended the recent Republican fin
anciel law as an enactment "by which
the parity of all our money and the
stability of our currency upon a gold
basis has been secured" Mark the
word secured" But now Secretary
Gage and Republican newspapers af-
firm that Secretary Gage, or any Sec
rotary of the Treasury. can, without
rendering himself liable to impeach-
ment for violating the new law. easily
put the country on silver dollar basis.
After reading what Secretary Gage
has recently said of the inefiiciency of
the last Republican financial law of
March 4th, 1900, we may wonder whetb-
er or not there are, in the Republican
party. many voters who really wish for
the United States an effective gold
monometallie basis as in England,
where silver coins are only a token
currency and nothing is full legal ten
der excepting gold coin. Gold dollars
the only standard dollars. but silver
dollars and paper dollars at the same
time so far a standard as to be full
legal tender for all government and
private debts, are on the face OF it in
compatible and inconsistent. However
that may be, the compietest gold stand
ard that human ingenuity can make
would be poor compensation for the
abandonment by the United States of
their Constitution as "imperialists-
propose.
Frantically endeavoring to eyade and
shirk the issue of imperialism" the
Republican leaders count up the num-
Der of vacancies soon to be on the
Supreme Court bench, and announce
the names Of those Mr.. Bryan win pro-
pose to the Senate, after March 4th,
to al the vacancies. How infallib1e