Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-08-23
The Revolutions. :

future depends in such large measure the
hope of freedom throughout the world.
For the first time in our countrys. his
tory the president has undertaken to sub
jugatc foreign people and TO rule them
by despotic power. He has thrown the
protection of the American flag over
slavery and polygamy in sulu islands.
He has arrogated to himself the power
to impose upon the inhabitants of the
Philippines government without their
consent and taxation without represent
tation. He is waging war upon them
for asserting the very principles for the
maintenance of which our forefathers
pledged their lives, their fortunes and
their sacred honor. He claims for him
self and congress authority to govern the
territory of the United States without
constitutional restraint.
1--WE believe in the Declaration of indie
pendence. Its truths, not less self-evi-
dent to-day than when first announced by
our fathers, are of universal application
and cannot be abandoned while govern
ment by the people endures.
eve believe in the Constitution of the
United States. 1t gives the president and
congress certain limited powers and Sc
cures to every man within the limit Of
our jurisdiction certain essential rights.
We deny that either the president or con-
gress can govern any person anywhere
outside the Constitution.
Opposed to Mckinley.
1--WE are absolutely opposed to the pol
icy Of President Mckinley. which pro-
poses to govern millions of men without
their consent, which in Porto Rico es-
tablsh. S taxation without representation
and government by the arbitrary will Of
a legislature untettered by constitutional
restraint and in the Philippines prose-
cutes war of conquest and demands I'M
conditional surrender from people who
are of right free and independent. The
struggle Of men for freedom has ever
'SlIsq!t lpuonnansuoo IoJ 7I55nlls us7o
There is no liberty if the citizen has no
right which the legislature may not in
wade, if he may be taxed by legislature
in which he is not represented, or II he is
not protected by fundamental law against
the arbitrary action of executive power.
The policy of the president offers the in
habitants of Porto Rico, Hawaii and the
Philippines no hope of independence, no
prospect Of American citizenship; no con-
stitutional projections; no representation
in the congress which taxes him. This
is the government of men by arbitrary
power without their consent; this is i'm
perialism.
'There is no room under the free flag
of America for subjects. The president
and congress, who derive all their powers
from the constitution, can govern no man
without regard to it's limitations
eve believe that the greatest safe
guard of liberty is a free press, and we
demand that he censorship In the Phil
ippine islands. which keeps from the
American people the knowledge of what
is done in their name. be abolished.
eve are entitled to know the truth,
and we insist that the powers which the
president holds in trust for US shall not
be used to suppress it. <.-.'
-. .'Imperia1ism: :, ,,.,-ta,!. s.s''-''
because We thus believe, we oppose
the reelection of Mr.. Mckinley. The SUI
preme purpose of the people in this mo-
mentous campaign should be to stamp
with their final disapproval this attempt
to grasp imperial power. A self-sovern-
ing people can have no more imperative
duy than to drive from public life chief
magistrate who, whether in weakness or
of wicked purpose, has used his tenn
porary authority to subvert the character
of their government and to destroy their
national ideals. '"-"--s.s,ss->
1--WE therefore, in the belief that 1t is
essential at this crisis for the American
people to again declare their faith in the
universal application of the Declaration
Of Independence and to reassert their
will that their servants shall not have
or exercise any powers whatever, othel
than those conferred by the Constitution
earnestly make the following recommen
dations to our countrymen:
Frst-That without regard to theil
views on minor questions of domestic pol
icy. they withhold their votes from Mr.
Mckinley, in order to stamp with thei
disapproval what he has done.
"Second-That they vote for those can
didates for congress in their respective
districts who will oppose the policy O.
imperialism. ..t,
For Bryan.
''Third-While we welcome any other
method of opposing the reelection o.
Mr. Mckinley, we advise direct support
Of Mr.. Bryan as the most effective means
of crushing Imperialism.
1--WE are convinced of Mr. Bryan's sim
certify and of his earnest purpose to Sc,
cure to the Filipinos their independence
His position and the declaration contain
ed in the platform of his party on this
vital issues of the campaign meet oul
unqualified approval.
1--WE recommend that the executive
committees of the American Anti-Jm-
perialist league and its allied leagues
continue and extend their organizations
preserving the independence of the move
ment, and that they take the most ac-
tive possible part in the pending politi
cal campaign.
Until now the policy which has turn
ed the Filipinos from warm friends to
bitter enemies, which has slaughtered
thousands of them and laid waste theil
country, has been the policy of every
man who votes to re-elect him, and wht
thus becomes, with him, responsible, fo
every drop of blood thereafter she'd"
go. K.' Passed ON by the Court.