The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-28

i party has made a great and surprising
| record for itself during the past thre,
years 10 protecting citizen rights. For in.
stance when We went to war with Spain
about two hundred thousand citizens en-.
| listed in the Army. trusting that the rich
| est Government in the world would 'reat
/ them with at least ordinary humanity. As
| it happened 10 be under the control Of &
! party represented by such philanthropsts
| DIS Hanna, Alger Esgan. and the like, this
! expectation was disappointed. The rights
! Of the soldier citizen were protected by
! feeding them on carrion. and hiving them
! in filthy fever camps Later, to show its
/ respect for right principles" the party
! calmly and deliberately violated and defied
! the Constitution of the United States. in
order that new American Territories might
be held in proper condition for exploita-
ton and loot by trusts willing TO pay for
he privilege in campaign contributions.
The platform closes the trust incident
with the sage remark that the Republican
party may be trusted TO deal with these
combinations in such q way as to secure
the fullest liberty Of private enterprise
without working the destruction Of the
prosperity OF the nation"
Like other Republican State Conven-
tions OF the year. the one in Massachu-
sets ran away from the dominant con-
stitutioual issue OF the campaign like
small girl chased by a big snake. 1t
treated the subject in a long ponderous.
and platitudlnous paragraph, from which
We extract the single sentence al ali to
the point It is this: The same policy
which governed our fathers in dealing
with acquisitions of territory made in
their time should be pursued with re-
Spect to these new possessions"
We are not exactly sure as to what
particular description Of fathers Is
meant Perhaps in writing this portion Of
the platform. Mr.. Lodge was thinking Of
the Pilgrim Fathers. who fell upon their
knees and then fell upon the aborigines."
II We remember rightly, the Puritans
acquired territory in their time without
the consent OF the governed and without
much reference to the rights Of the poo
pie they dispossessod. II this is the exam
pie which the Massachusetts platform ad-
monishes US to initiate, it is entirely con-
sistent with Republican practice. On tire
other hand, If the Loui lana. Florida. Cali
fornia and other like proceed znts are TO lie
followed. it becomes at once plain that
the Lodge platform wickedly and, TO
doubt. knowingly STICKS a deadly knife
between the ribs of the party it pr5tards
to support. In all the instances referred
to the policy which governed our fathers
in dealing with the acquisitions OF terri
tory made in their time" was that Of at
once considering and treating new pos
sessions as American. and as under and
protected by the Constitution We cannot
believe that a principle SO violently in con-
dict with the trust theory Of the McKin-
ley Administration and the Repub lean
,arty could be consciously advanced by the
Convention. We are,
therefore, firmly convinced that the policy
advocated for the control and government
If our irsular empire is that Of the PHI
Trims in their oppression and robbery Of
he red Indians.