The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-08
ADMIRAL DEWEY'S KEYNOTE.


ireSidehthai tsurpntion Great Is
sue of the Dag.
To the Editor Of The Times:
The week just closed is distinguished
by the candidacy of Admiral Dewey for
the Presidency. Comments inspired by
the political announcement OF the Admiral
are diverse. Some affect to see in it moth
ing beyond the ambition of his domestic
circle. Others behold the great figure
whose genius in war lifted the United
States to q world power in a day They
see a man whose every act in the Orient
manifested cloudless intelligence and SUI
preme judgment.
For months after his brilliant naval trI-
umph in Manila Bay by diploma never
surpassed. Admiral Dewey neutIai.zed the
jealousy of European nations and brought
their respective nayies to a recognition of
the paramcuntcy OF this country in the
Philippine archipelago. History will be
searched in vain to outmatch these
achievements. Later he returned home on
the ship whose name will never be forgot
ten in naval annals. The country rushed
to receive him. built triumphal arches in
his honor, presented him with a sword and
thanked him in every form of official ex-
preston.
Living at the Capital the Admiral soon
observed that the Presidency had swallow
ed the legislative department of the Gov
eminent; that members OF Congress on
their journeys 10 the Capitol stopped in at
the White House to be advised for the
day of the wishes OF the Executive IN re-
spect of their duties as lawmakers. In
the obsequiousness of Congress to the
Executive he saw the Government gradu-
ally changing from a democracy 10 an
empire, resting on the will of the Presi-
dent.
The empire so set up already prevails,
SO it is avowed, in all regions under the
American flag in which State governments
have not been instituted. Though the
power of the President begins and ends
in the Constitution, yet under the new
theory of outside empire the Constitution
does not accompany the authority of the
President or Congress outside the borders
of the States. Beyond those borders the
of the new empire is the District of CO.
lumbia, Alaska, Arizona New Mexico, Ok
lahoma the Indian Territory Porto Rico,
the Philippine Islands, Hawaii. Tutuila,
and Guam, containing many millions of
people. These people under recent the
cries have no inalienable rights. To them
the Declaration of independence is
platitude, and the Constitution a .delu-
sion.
Admiral Dewey saw at once that the
outside empire theory had its seat in Ex-
ecutive usurpation; that Congress was at
the feet o. the President in all this bust
ness. It occurred to him that the remedy
was to dismantle the Executive of its
usurpation and to restore to Congress its
self-respect. He saw that the discrimina-
ton against Porto Ricans. whereby they
are to be taxed without representation,
and excluded from equal rights under our
system is the result of Executive dictation
He yaw that if a member of Congress,
moved by deep conviction. opposed Execu-
tive instruction, his Political future was
clouded. He has struck the keynote IN
the disorder of the times in his declara-
ton that the people. and not the President
should be represented in Congress
A DEMOCRAT.