The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
ron vICE-PREsIDENT
Adlai Il. Stevenson.

AOla1 Ii. stevenson.
>-~-~~~~~~~~~~-~~-~-~~~
the United States, previously
known and applauded throughout
the world as the champion of
freedom, in the false and un.
American position crushing. with
military force, the efforts of our
former allies to achieve liberty
and selfgovernment. The Fill
ipinos cannot be citizens without
endangering our civilization; they
cannot be subjects without inn
periling our form of government;
and, as we are not willing to sur
render our civilization or to con-
vert the republic into an empire,
we favor an immediate declara-
ton of the nations purpose to
give the Filipinos. first, a stable
government; second, independ-
ence, and, third, protection from
outside interference such as has
been given for nearly century
to the republics of Central and
South America.
The greedy commercialism
which dictates the Philippine
policy of the republican admins
tration attempts to justify it with
the plea that it will pay, but
even this sordid and unworthy
plea fails when brought to the
test of facts. The ''War of
Criminal Aggression" against
the Philippines, entailing annual
ly an expense of many millions,
has already cost more than any
possible profit that could accrue
from the entire Philippine trade
for years to come. Furthermore,
when trade is extended at the
expense of liberty. the price is
always too high.
We are not opposed to terri
torial expansion when it takes in
desirable territory which can be
erected into states in the Union
and whose people are willing and
fit to become American citizens.
We favor trade expansion by
every peaceful and legitimate
means. But we are unalterably
opposed to the selling or purch-
asing of distant islands to be
governed outside the Constitu-
ton whose people can never be-
come citizens.
We are in favor of extending
the republics influence among
the nations, but believe that the
influence should be extended, not
by force and violence, but through
the persuasive power of q high
and honorable example.
IMPERIALISM.
The Importance of other ques-
tions now pending before the
American people is in no wise
diminished and the democratic
party takes no backward step
from its position on them, but
the burning issue of imperialism,
growing out of the Spanish war,
involves the very existence of
the republic and the destruction
of our free institutions. We re-
gard it as the paramount issue
of the campaign.
MONROE DOCTRINE.
The declaration in the republi-
can platform adopted at the Phil
adelphia convention held in June,
1900, that the republican party
"steadfastly adheres to the policy
announced in the Monroe doc
trine," is manifestly insincere
and deceptive. This profession
is is contradicted by the avowed
policy of the party, in opposition
to the spirit of the Monroe doc
trine, to acquire and hold severe
ignty over large areas of terri.
tory and large numbers of people
in the eastern hemisphere. We
insist on the strict maintenance
of the Monroe doctrine, in all it's
integrity, in letter and spirit, as
necessary to prevent the extern
sion of European authority on
this continent and as essential to
our supremacy in American af-
fairs. AT the same time we de-
clare that no American people
shall ever be held by force in un,
willing subsection to European
authority.
MILITARISM.
We oppose militarism. 1t
means conquest abroad and in
timidation at home IT means