Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-10-01

writer who rushed to the defense OF
Major Thomas H. Norton some days
ago, and who has since been devoting
a large portion of his time to con-
sideration of the best way in which to
justify the administration at present
in power and answer the comments OF
the Register. After mature considera-
ton and deep thought, wv. H. r. has
evidently determined to confine his let
tiers, at least for the present,
largely to a justification of his
own political course There was
no especial necessity, however,
for a plea in his own defense, for
his oscillations from one party to an
other and from one tenet of faith to
that diametrically opposite can have
little interest for the public, which is
concerned about larger questions.
Dismissing, therefore, "W. H. RS"
personal plea in mitigation and at
tempt at justification as inconsequen-
tial, the few grains of material asser-
ton in his letter of this morning may
be briefly considered.
He speaks of the prophetic vision
which came to the Eighth Congress and
to Thomas Jefferson OF expansion "un-
der the Constitution, and affects to
believe that those old time statesmen
and directors Of the public affairs OF
the country foresaw in this year
of grace 1900, ninety odd years in ad-
vance OF the time when they were en-
gagged IN their work of legislation and
Of governmental rule in the light of the
declaration adopted at Philadelphia and
ratified by the people of the thirteen
colonies, the coming Of the en-
pire, and that they, while pretending to
be republicans and to administer the
government OIL republic, whose recent
declaration of freedom still rang in
their ears and around the world, were,
in reality, the followers of the doc
trines of Alexander Hamilton, and were
paving the way for McKinleyism and
Hanna. The thought is one creditabie
to wv. H. r. s" mental ingenuity, but
is not otherwise worthy of more than
passing notice.
Expansion under the Constitution"
There is no such thing as expansion"
to islands and countries in distant
seas. What we now have. and which
Republicans term expansion is col
onialism and imperialism-gov government
by pro consuls, and without the limits
OF the Constitution entirely. We have
expanded" for instance, to Porto
Rico, but the island and it's people are
not under the Constitution. It's inhab-
itants are not citizens Of the United
States of America. On the contrary
they are taxed without representation,
and ruled by appointees from Wash
ington. The same thing is true as to
SO much of the Philippine islands as
we have "pacified' through the medium
OF fire ard sword, rife and rapid lire
gun, and the four hundred gin mills
and the innumerable brothels OF Ma
Mia, the pension to the slave holding
Sultan of Sulu and the recognition Of
his harem. These, indeed, be fine ex>
amples of expansion" under the
Constitution, and remarkable re-
alizations of the prophetic dreams
of Thomas jefferson and the
members of the Eighth Con-
gress, composed of men who yet re-
membered the American struggle for
liberty and the rebellion against the
very wrongs, monstrous and not to be
endured, which the political friends Of
CIV. H. r." with his aid, knowledge
and consent are now thrusting upon
others at the point of the bayonet and
at the muzzle of the revolver. Truly,
the doctrine preached by "W. H. R."
requires some patience as we'll as some
stretch of the imagination. wv. H.
Rs" idea that he has proven" the
/ Register Ito be in error" is the mere
assertive assumption Of sanguine
nature
IVY. II. RS" talk about his having
seen a new political light is matter
purely personal to himself. and of no
interest to the community at large.
His remarks, however, suggest the
passing thought that one possessed of
such an enquiring mind and DISPOSE
ton to seek after truth, might invests
gate little farther in the hope of final
and complete regeneration through a
renewed faith in the old party of the
people.
In like manner his assertions as to
the benefits of the Republican protect
i've tariff are simply imaginative. The
| tariff benefits a few, but not the many,
as wv. H. R." well knows He is per-
| fectly informed of the fact that the
tariff does not benefit the workingman
nor the farmer; but that, on the con