The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-10-06
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
speeial correspondence of the Advocate.

Special Correspondence of the Advocate.
WASHINGTON, d. c., october >, 1900.
The extm-constItutional assumption of the Re-
publican party has reached its logical result and
consummation in the policy of Imperialism devel-
oped in the present administration, which has so
much alarmed the conservative sentiment of the
conntry regardless of party ailiation; but the de-
velopment of that policy has been, though gradual,
quite manifest ever since the close of tbs CIVIL
War. The late Charles O'Connor the eminent New
York lawyer and statesman, who WAS rendered the
straight Democratic nomination for President
against Greeley in 1872, which he decllncd was o"e
OF the first sound the alarm aud give the note OF
warning to the country. No sooner had the single
issue TO which the Republican party owes its birth
been settled at Appomattox, than the leaders OF
that party inaugurated policy of "higher law"
government which Notwithstanding the turbulence
of the times alarmed the moro sagaeous OF the con-
seryative friends of the Republic. One of the last
messages given TO the people by that broad minded
juristand large hearted patriot, Mr.. OConnor was
published letter, in which he sadly deplored the
extn-eonstitutonal policies of the dominant party
in its reconstruction of the Southern States the
maintenance of the war tariff and its general pur-
pose of establishing strong paernal government,
administered in the interest of the classes and III
disregard of the masses. With solemn emphasis he
pointed out that our government was entering upon
the dangerous road of centralized executive power
which had led every previous attempt at republican
government in the worlds history 10 its downfall
This solemn admonitiou, coming from so highly
respected source, though il ante-dates the politi
cal observation of many of your readers, ana has,
no doubt escaped the memory of many others,
made quite profound impression upon the conser-
vative sentiment of the country at the time: 1t
furnished much of the inspiration which aided
ridden and Thurman and Bayard and German and
other great conservative leaders to fight the battles
of Democracy against unconstitutional usurpation
of powers until the Republican party. with its pol
icies met its downfall in 1881 by the election of
Grover Cleveland President
IAN only stating what is a commonly accepted
fact among the leading politicians of the country
when say that had the victorious standard OF the
democracy then been given TO TIlden, or to any
man approx imatng to his political sigacity and
executive ability, or in fact, TO almost any one else
than Mr. Cleveland the victory OF conservative con-
stitntional government would have been perna.
least But tins is not the time or place for such re-
pining. II is sufficient to say that the Democracy
lost its opportunity and that the extuhconstitu-
tonal party was. after short interval reinstated
in power.
power in an open fight between the classes and the
masses the Republican party has launched forth
on a career of imp ralsm which far SURPRISES any
thing ever conceived Of III tn previous history Of
the country Thencquisiiou Of territory in the West
India Islands AMI the far away hilipPine nrchipel-
ago coupled with the assertion OF the power to CO.
heir people by power ul arms govern Them
through higher law than the federal colsttu-
ton is sucha uSurrItion Of power was tdreamt
at ia the time o Charles Conner This ex traor-
binary policy may uieed he regarded as nm inevi
table enhance upon the course D." hich led other
republics 10 their destruction II the Roman re-
public fell by the policy of conquest upon cuntigu-
Gus territory its continent, how long shall
the American republic stand when it engages in
wars of conquest in the far away orient in defiance
of the cardinal principles of its constitution.
Aud while the present administration, in its for
eigu policy, thus does violence TO the Constitution
ami endangrrs the stability OF the Republic, in the
interest of the monied classes its domestic policy is
distinguished by quite as complete subserviency
to the same classes 1t has been Justly observed
that the Mckinley administration has proved to be
"an incubator of trusts" 1t is fact that these
combinations of capital have, i'll the past three
wears exhibited a greater degree of bodness and
have fastened their fangs into larger number of
the most ordinary industries than during the whole
period of their previous existence. This insolence
and apparent defiance of the people on the part OF
combined capital has been charged 10 the fact that
Hanna and the Republican management in the last
campaign, and their immunity from prosecution is
their share oil the profits of the business venture TO
which they then contributed largely of their pitl.
This trust question is now beginning 10 assume
large importance in the campaign, and the Repub-
csin campaign orators are not impress i've in their
defensive Efforts Reference was made in the last
letter to Chairman Hanna bad break in his chicago
speech in totally denying the existence of trusts,
and following quick upon that awkward strategy
came the RECOGNIZABLE Governor of New York, in one
of his ranting harangues in the far West III ustan
cling the New York ice trust, in which Richard
Croker and other Tammany leaders until recently
held stock ms example of Democratic trust.
Mr. Bryan. with his usual skill, took complete I'D
vantage of "Teddy's' mistake by showing that
every member of the directory of the New ork ice
trust by whom extortionate exactions made is a
Republican and that it is quite within the power
of the Governor of New York under their local law
to suppress that trust altogether.
Consumers generally have for some years past
nature Of The exactions of the trusts and the ex
pensive burdens they entail on the people, and the
trust question has been one OF more or less magnl-
tude in several past Presidential campaigns. But
this issue has acquired special significance in this
campaign by the fact that the labor unions begin to
realize that these national combinations of capital
are especially designed to sap the strength and
break the organization of the labor combinations in
their efforts to maintain living wages. Their IA
miliar and only weapon of self defense the strike.
is utterly futile in any industry controlled by ma
tonal trust because the suspension of operations in
the factories of one city, one State even sew
eral States will not materially affect the output of
a nationally combined manufacture. And even If a
labor union should be strong enough and bold
enough to inaugurate national strike, they would
be leading forlorn hope against the combined
capital of the nation.
SO the eyes of the factory laborers have become
thoroughly open to the fact that the violation of the
good old maxim, competition is the life of trade,
by the consolidation of the capital controlling man
ufacturing industries, will entail irreparabe loss
upon them, not only in their capacity as consumers
but as wage wen. and that the very exis
teuce of the labor unions is threatened by the trusts
And this is of the especial features of the pend
ing campaign
The labor vote of the country has heretofore been
properly reckoned by the Republicans part Of
their stock in trade, for. between deception and
coercion exerted by their employers they have cast
large preponderance of their votes for that party
But in these days of Australian ballot when cocr-
cion is longer possible and with The labor unions
sounding the alarm, the result promises 70 be quite
different in November. VERITAs.