The Delawarean., 1900-09-01
The Crus ade Against Free
Government.

O14e ~ Tie aISaaIell.ss 10 Wn4cl I'LL
NAY De stated DrIeny as Ionoiwrs:
livery uNo years ID new house OF 1e-
pleseMuaielves is e4ec.ed 10y ,ne peopIe.
livery Iour Years a PfeS4denC US CHOSEN.
Inc poIIulcal complexion OF uhe Senate
can De changed wIuhln a period OF a
rev yeals. lhe Government, uhere-
fore, is Gn the hands OF che people and
lis controlled by them. Ii the people,
AFTER fair trial of AN imperial policy
and large standing army, should con-
clude UnaL militarism and imperialism
menace their liberties or endanger uhe
national welfare they would have mo
difficulty in overturning the adminils-
Itration and elec.bing "a Congress and
President who would restore cJnsti-
tutional government, reduce the stand
ing army, abandon imperialism and
reassert and re-establish the principles
upon which the Republic WAS founded
The average imperialist processes ITO
believe THAT this is an unanswerable
argument, but THE weakness as well
as the danger of this contention is
palpable. What guarantee have the
people of THE United States that THE
standing army (which will be created
to carry out the imperial policy will
be used ito perpetuate THAT policy and
not prevent full and free expression
of the popular will at the polls? Some
of THE ablest and most patriotic men
in this country are convinced that the
course which this Government has
pursued in THE Philippines lis in viola
tion of the Constitution. 1t is signifi-
can't that the Government has made MO
effort Ito secure "a ruling from the Su-
preme Court upon the CONS stitutionality
of its policy in Porto Rico In fact,
an opportunity which was recently
Offered i'm the case of Porto
Rican detained ait New York for viola
tion of the alien contract labor law
was deliberately evaded. Ex-senator
Edwunds, one of the most distin-
guished of THE Republican leaders,
prOnounces the Presidents use of THE
army in China without the sanction
of Congress an unconstitutional act
in a good cause. In view of the ad-
ministrations usrlrpa'tion of power in
carrying out its policy in the Philip
pines and in China, what security have
the people against a similar unsurpa
tion at home?
\ Let it be assumed that the people
trusting in their ability TO overthrow
any administration whose polio.
might prove harmful, should vote fo
the reelection of President McKinleg
) and Republican Congress. I'm
| perialism is approved and the war %
conquest in the Philippines continue
On July l, 1901, the army of THE Unite,
States, which now consists of 10000
men, must, under the act authorizing
t the increase, be reduced to a com
paratively small force Having a ma
jority in both branches of Congress
the Republicans can easily enact legis
lation creating another army of 100
600 men or as many more as they ca
enlist The Fifty-sevenl6h Congress
: will not expire by limitation unit
v March 4, 1908, 'or nearly two year
from the time the enlarged army wa
created. But, say the imperialists, tn
. Fifty-eighlbh Congress can remedy an
> abuses which may be authorized b
the Fifty-seventh. Possibly it migl
be able to do something if there WEI
S a free and fair expression of the wi
of the people at the polls in the elev
tion of THAT Congress. But am at
ministration which has done may III
t constitutional things already an
n which would have at its command
e powerful army might be tempted
o use force to prevent the election of
House lof Represe entatives hostile Ito il
policy lit might be as easy for
y President so little averse to usurpir
Ic power as Mr.. Mckinley to send trool
1t Ito various points in the United Stat
r ITO influence elections as it has bee
10 to land AN army i'm China.
70 Moreover, there are convinciI
reasons for the belief that the Fift
ie seventh Congress will, if it is Repub
can, cut down the representation
Congress and in the electoral collie
$ of the Democratic States of the Sout
,v while tine representation of Republic;
/. States of the North and East will
increased. If the Southern States 10
III Is or 20 members of the House of R
r representatives. and AN equal number
to electoral votes, while the Republics
States are given additional represe
tation i'm the House and more elector
votes, the aniti-imperialist party w
IN find lit almost impossible i'm THE futu
1y Ito gain control pf Congress or
IN elect President opposed Ito imperi
~ lism. An administration possessi