Willmar tribune., 1900-06-06
the PRICE OF LIBERTY.

uu6 SNuOG " lt0ENuI.
1t is strange that after more than a
century of popular rule the old mon
archie idea that it is wrong to criticise
the government should yet be heard.
But such is the case every day. Men
who believe that the liberty they prize
so highly themselves should not be de-
MED to others are daily assailed by
the lackeys of Mark Hanna as trait
ors, for daring to express the opinion
that a war of conquest can never be
just Those lackevs are prating about
the "honor of the f1ae". There can
be no honor in doing wrong It'll be-
cause we love that flag so dearly for
what it has represented in the past
that we object to seeing it made to
shield the selfish schemes of land-grab-
bers, frauchise-hunters, carpetbaggers,
manufacturers of war material, brew
ers and distillers. For one hundred
and twenty five years that sacred flag
has tloated as the symbol of liberty.
Every wave of It's fold has been an in
vitation to the poor and oppressed of
every nation to come over here and
enjoy that greatest blessing of human
ity-freedom. The downtrodden ma
tions Of Europe have looked to it and
gathered courage in their struggles
for the right of manhood. Thinkers
have watched with increasing hope
this gigantic experiment in popular
government, to see whether it could
work out the temporal salvation OF the
masses, or fall a victim to the lust of
power that has destroyed every great
republic Ia the past. That flag has
twice waved in the front ranks of a
citizen soldiery fighting for independ-
ence and national recognition. It has
been carried by the hosts of freedom
in terrific struggle against foes of
human rights within our own borders.
From every one of these conflicts it
has emerged with increased luster.
It has been carried by American sold
iers in the most unselfish war that any
nation ever undertook-the war for
the liberation of Cuba. When the
American people ordered the begin
ming of that war there was no thought
of conquest or gain of any kind. The
flame of unselfish devotion to the
cause of liberty has meyer burned
brighter in any nation than it did at
that time. But oh, what pity, what
shame and disgrace, that at that
proudest moment in the history of our
nation, the Internal lust of power
should have seized our president and
made him turn the war into one ol
subjugation. The American people
never ordered that war against liberty.
They never had chance to pass judg.
ment on it. But they will have tha,
chance this fall, and it behooves every
true man, every lover of right and
justice, to speak out bravely against
this ''criminal aggression;" so that
the voters may not be blinded by the
glare of a false glory, may not be
misled by the specious arguments o
the willy orators paid to fool the peo.
pie. ..% =. @-~.-.:... !.
They may call us cranks; they may
denounce US as traitors; they may
heap on us all the vile epithets :tha,
the language can furnish, il will make
no difference in our course. We be
lieve that it is impossible for one ma.
tion to govern another justly. As
long as humanity is imperfect govern.
ments must be the same way. But a
government responsible to it's people
and dependent on them for continu.
ance in power will have selfish rea
sons for giving fair government. Al