The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-20
EMPEROR NI,KINLEY AND HIS
THRONE

Senator Hoar, in his speech on the Phil
lipfne question. delivered in the senate on
Tuesday, expressed the opinion of great
many people when he said:
Il believe not only that perseverance in
the present policy will be the abandon
ment of the principles upon which our
government is founded, that 1t will
our methods of legislation. of diplomacy,
of administration, must hereafter be tho Sc
which belong to empires and not those
which belong to republics; but l believe
the defeat and overthrow of the Republic
an party"
This Is the belief of a majority of the
American people today. 1t is this belief
which underlies the popular sentiment on
the question of the imposition of tariff
on Puerto Rican exports and imports.
When congressman tell the people, their
constituents, that they misunderstand the
Puerto Rican question, and that it has
been misrepresented they simply display
their ignorance of the depth of popular
feeling and the true cause Of it on this
matter. 1t arises from a profound dislike
for and dIstrust of the governments pol
Icy In regard to these new island posses
slons. The people believe that that policy
is un-Amertcan; that it is opposed to re-
publican institutions and the spirit Of the
constitution. They believe that it Is a re-
version to the imperial policies and meth
DDS of European monarchies. This idea
is ineradicably impressed on the minds of
the people, irrespective Of political parti-
sanship, and the public mind is so fanil-
iartzed to the association Of Mckinley an4
his policies with what is termed imperial
ism that even Republican newspapers
make facetious remarks based upon this
impression. For instance, in the Mime
apolis Journal of Tuesday evening appears
an editorial paragraph which commences
with these words:
''The Siamese embassy called on their
old and distinguished friend, William Nc
Kinley, president Of the United States and
emperor Of Puerto Rico, yesterday -"
When the president of this republic is
even facettously described by the news
papers of his own political party as ''em-
peror Of Puerto Rico" 1t Is an indication
that one Of two things is going to happen.
Either Senator Hoar's prediction as to
the destruction of this republic is imrni-
nent, or the political end Of President Nc
Kinley and the clique which has placed
him In the presidential chair is approach
ing.
1t is not possible that the glories of the
American republic are to be sacrificed,
and that the patriot blood which encar-
mined Bunker Hill was shed In vain,
merely to satisfy the Unsuitable greed of
a band of commercial harpies. The sor-
rows and sufferings of those who won
their right to govern themselves can nevr
er be forgotten by the American people,
and the precious liberty they achieved can
no more be wrested from this free people
than can the spirit which the patriots of
1776 breathed into American institutions be
slain. Let the friends of President Nc
Kinley refer to him as emperor of Puer-
to Rico if they will. but Of this they
may rest assured: That presidential chair
was built for George Washington, and
will prove a most uneasy seat for the
greatest monarch on earth who seeks to
usurp it. It is presidential chair, and
can never be throne.