The representative., 1900-09-06
SOMETHING FOR THE
YOUNG MEN TO THINK OF
The Pending Contest Means Far More to Them
Than to Older Men.
James Cree1man, One of the Editors of the New York
Journal, Writes to the Young Men
of the Country.

The young men Of the United States
will decide the approaching struggle for
1t is interesting to observe the attitude
Of the two great political parties to-
ward the youth of the nation.
What the young man seeks today is
ppportunity-a fair chance to compete.
The Republican party says, in effect,
to the young men Of the country that
the natural and inevitable development
of the trust system is narrowing oppor-
tunity at home. that to attempt to
cramp or prevent the growths of trusts
would be unscientiflc and hopeless, but
that there is endless opportunity for
young men in the Philippines and in
China, and that an American colonial
system will furnish an outlet for the
energy and ambition which seeks in
vain for field on the American CONT
nent.
The Democratic party says to the
young men of America that there is
room enough for them on their own soil
and that, when industrial, financial or
commercial developments tend to lessen
or destroy opportunities it is the duty
Of the government to intervene and re-
open the channels of competition which
human greed is closing
One is a policy stained with the
crimes and damned with the failures of
European civilization. The other is an
American policy.
Mr.. Hanna seems to be convinced that
the imagination Of the young men of the
United States has been fired by visions
of empire in the far East, that they are
tired Of the platitudes of the declaration
of independence and the provincialism
OF the Monroe doctrine, and that they
will enthusiastically support policy
of conquest and adventure. So every
Republican orator dwells enchantingly
on the glittering, mysterious, easily-got
wealth of Asia. He points to the pos
sessions of Great Britain and other ma
tions in the East as an evidence of their
wealth and progress. But he says
nothing about wholesale butcheries Of
half-armed Asiatic peoples, of the burn
Ing of cities, the laying waste Of pros
porous agricultural countries, the plum
dering and extortion, the violation Of
innocent women and hundred other
crimes which have attended the extern
sion of European power in Asia.
Talk to a Republican leader today
about the necessity for restraining the
trusts and restoring to the young men
of the country the chance to compete
in life which their fathers had, and he
will tell you about the great future. Of
the American in China and the Philip
pines-twO Over-crOwded countries.
The idea of empire is and always
must be associated with the idea of
force. Empire can only rest upon force,
and the Republican party appeals to the
young voters to follow Theodore Roose-
vent, the slashing, dashing, Rough
Rider, the man who believes In war for
the sake of war. 1t hopes to arouse in
America the corrupt and corrupting
spirit of militarism which has sustain
ed the young men OF Europe and made
them the unconscious enemies of their
own liberties.
The question which cOnfronts the
young man of America today is this:
Is the American continent exhausted,
and must Americans look elsewhere for
opportunities. If not, how are oppor-
tunities to be found at home?
Is 1t true that the government has no
right to interfere with the trusts? The
government interferes with man who
drives his horse too fast in the streets.
Why? It is his own horse. The gov
ernment interferes with man who dis
charges his gun in the streets. Why?
It is his own gun. The government in
terferes with man who sets fire to his
house. Why? It is his own house.
The interference OF the government is
justified by the old-fashioned idea that
one mans rights end where another
mans rights begin, that one mans
property must not mean everybody
else's poverty. This is the basis Of the
appeal of reformers to the young men.
This Is the policy of Jefferson and OF
Lincoln. The highest duty which the
government owes to it's citizens is to see
that their chances of life are not de-
creased. All must start equal in the
race. The man Of brains will rise and
the stupid man will fall. That is not
the fault Of the government. No sys-
tenn OF lawyers will put virtue or en-
ergy into a vicious or lazy man. But
the chance Of each must be the same.
II Is the duty Of the government to pre-
serve that equal chance. It II I poor