Willmar tribune., 1900-11-02
POLITICAL COMMENT.
By a special contributor
tothe Wi11n1ar ribune.

ar l lribune.
be the foundation on which the Amer
ican people should stand. But the
republican poster breaches the demo-
cratic doctrine: that the gold stand
ard is burden, not support.
Over it all waves the flag. That is
to say, the great business of the flag
is protect the gold stand ard. The flag
waves not over the people (they are
hidden under their golden burden but
over gold coin.
Mckinley has planted himself and
his country's flag on top of gold
coin. This expresses more forcibly
than words can, the republican pros
titution to sordidest commercialism.
Commerce and spoils are all that the
Mckinley administration seeks to
gain; in money they trust, and to the
capitalist alone do they look for sup
port.
The American flag and president
supported by a gold coin and in re.
turn protecting the coin; the American
people loaded down with the double
burden of war administration and
the gold standard; money nearer to
the president than the American peo-
pie; is not this truthful delineation
OF the purposes of the platform and
candidates of the republican party?
,.,, =, There is no "secret al
lance" between England
and the United States.
There can not be. No
alliance could be made without a
treaty, and no treaty without three
fourth's con6rmatory vote of the
senate.
Furthermore, England needs no al
lance as long as she owns the admins
tration; and she owns the administra-
tiOn as long as Hon. John Hay is
secretary of state, and Senator Hanna
is the uncrowned emperor of America.
President Mckinley does not count.
An invertebrate of his description has
no opinions that even he himself takes
the trouble to respect.
Hon. John Hay was and is lucky
| dog. He was sent as ambassador to
the court of St. James. He came, saw,
and was conquered. The English poll
tician is sly fellow. He knows the
inside of the average politician, especi-
ally if he be English-speaking. A deal
of unctious Aattery not too thinly laid
on; continual taffy from the nobility
that the American has never seen be.
fore outside of novels; big doses OF
lionizing; and 10! the heart of John
Hay was won for all time to come.
Heneeforth, whether in America OF
Europe, he is as clay in the British
potter's hand. He doubtless, spends
all his spare time admiring British
institutions, and all his working hours
in transforming his benighted native
land into an empire as nearly like the
British as possible. Secretary Johr
Hay is worth ten secret alliances tc
England.
Senator Hanna is the in :arnation
head, and front of plutocracy. Eng
land, with all her vaunted democracy
is the paradise of plutocracy. Tht
British empire is managed entirely ir
the interests of the rich. To be sure
many boon is granted to 1.-THE
masses, but only when it can be cone
without sacrifice to the moneyed class
es. The masses are on the other hand
continually sacrificed for the richer
classes. Their present war with tn
Beers is, as all will admit, a capital
lists war for the possession of tn
South African mines. The Englis]
nation has gained and can gain nothing
by that war; but loses enormously il
in lives, treasures, public morality
and military prestige. Since the da
of Waterloo, the English have neve
drawn the sword for any but capital
istic interests, such a government mus
evidently be Hanna's ideal govern
ment. To make the American natio
second British empire is hence in
{ evitably his aim. If then these tw
capitalistic empires, these two pluto
cracies should join hands, it is evider
that the plutocrat would rule suprem
, over the whole world This is th
, '::devoutly to be wished for consumms
tion'' that Hanna and the inner rim
, of republicans work for.
II The crime against "plain duty" i
, Porto Rico, the ''criminal aggression
and slaughter in the Philippines, th
broken pledge to civil service, the ur
warranted delay in Cuba, the dastart
l ly surrender of American rights
: Alaska, all this and every other a.
| that has disgraced the present ai
. ministration-and such acts are man
r are parts of one stupendous whole