Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-09-08

therefore the true question before
every citizen always is of the generals
attitude OF the party upon the vital is
sues of the day. and whether, in view
of that attitude, its success is not thes
best thing in eIght.
Such is the real issue now confront
ing every American citizen. Be it ads
mitted that the Democratic party, its
platform and its candidate are open TO
much just criticism, yet, all things
considered, would not its triumph be
the best outcome of the present Presi-
Dental contest?
In my judgment, it would be- Inv
my judgment, nothing S now SO import.
ant as that the American people should
take this their first opportunity to,
emphatically protest against that ex-
crescence upon original Republication
which may be called McKinleyism-a
term used solely for brevity and not
because Mr.. Mckinley is largely re-
sponsible for what it comprehends, ex-
cept as he has proved himself unable or
unwilling to resist the pressure of
political and personal friends or to,
Withstand the temptation of trimming,
his sails to every wind of apparently
popular doctrine. II may not be feast
ible to unto what has been done-the,
weakest and silliest of administrations
may involve the country in difficultiese
from which the strongest and wisest
may net be able to extricate it. Never
theless, the evil course pursued shoulds
be condemned and not condoned.
The future may be helped and safe.
guarded even If the past is remediless,
while, SO far as the injurious conse-
quences of past courses can be averted
or mitigated, something may be hoped
from those not primarily responsible
for them From their official authors
and justifiers nothing but persistence,
in them can reasonably be expected,
and, should McKinleyism prevail in
the pending election who will say-in
view of the Administration proved ca
pacity for reversing itself-that we
shall not soon find ourselves in the
tolls OF Chinese problem even more
costly, menacing and insoluble than
the Philippine problem itself? Sl.A iy
every argument urged in defense OF
our seizure of the Philippines can be
used a second time, with even greater
force, to Justify our appropriation of
slice of China.
ITO support the conclusion to which
l have come it is only necessary tod
consider what McKinleyism stands for
what is the necessary effect of ln-')
dorsing it-what =. will mean if thetl
American people now solemnly record'I
themselves as approving the Mckinley
Administration and all its works"
Mr. Olney .nen enters upon an indict-
ment of Republcanism which includes
the pith of the Democratic contention
that the people cannot possibly rein
dorse that political organization for an
other term of McKinleyism, because %
it would mean the sanctioning of syn
dictated President, (2) approval of such
legislation as the Dingley tariff bill, in
the interests of trusts and combines, CO
the UNFOLDING of a policy of greed and
of contempt for alien people, (4) APP
proval OF the brutal Philippine
policy of the administration, 60
acquiescence in the idea that the Phil
ippines, thousands of miles away on the
other side of the earth, are to become
an integral part OF our country, CO. ap-
prevail of the abdication of its functions
by Congress in matters which leaves
millions OF human beings outside OF
any code of laws, CD approval of ma
ticnal executive who fails to uphold the
dignity of his great Office, and who ex-
ercises his functions in subservience to
special pecuniary interests, 50 endorse
ment of the United States setting up
in business as an Asiatic power, and
CO. "that the American people either do
not see, or, seeing, approve the great
and growing, if not overwhelming, in
fluence of money in our politics. Our
Government was not conceived or franz |
ed as a money-making machine even for
the profit of all the governed-much
less for the profit of particular classes |
or portions of the governed It's vital
principle and its crowning merit are
that it stands for equal opportunities to
all; that by the maintenance OF order
and the administration of justice it is
designed to give every man free hand
in the struggle for the prizes of life
In closing Mr.. Olney says
I'm the defeat of the Republican par
ty in the coming election lies the only
hope of the reversal of those policies
and of the beginning Of a return OF
more wholesome conditions. Such a
defeat would be all the more significant
and emphatic because obviously due to
the cooperation of citizens in many
things quite at odds with the Demo-
cratic party and its leadership. And it
is a defeat that should come now and
not later because not to reject Nc
Kinleyism at once tends to fasten it
permanently upon the vitals OF the
country.
For myself, therefore find it toll
erably clear that a citizens duty in
connection with the coming Presiden-
tial election not only permits but re-
quires him to desire the success of the
Democratic party"