Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-08-17
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE.
Continued From FIRST page
nounced by our fathers, are of uni
versal application, and

nounced by our fathers, are of uni
versal application, and
Cannot BE Abandoned
while government by the people en-
dures.
I'VE believe in the constitution of
the United States. 1t gives the Pre-
sident and Congress certain limited
powers and secures to every man with
in the jurisdiction of our government
certain essential rights. We DENY that
either the President or Congress can
the constitution.
We are absolutely opposed to the
policy of President Mckinley, which
proposes to govern millions of men
without their consent, which in Porto
Rico, establishes taxation without re-
presentation and government by the
arbitrary will of legislature unfetter-
ed by constitutional restraint, and in
the Philippines prosecutes a war of
conquest and demands unconditional
surrender from people who are OF
right, free and independent The
struggle of men for freedom has ever
bNNAA q 81 GSE31S lOt SOnolllutlOlldl liDCk
ty. There is no liberty if the citizen
has no right which the Legislature may
not invade. if he may be taxed by a
Legislature in which he is not repre-
sented or if he is not protected by fun
damental law against the arbitrary ac-
ton of executive power. The policy of
the President offers the inhabitants of
Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philip
pines
No Hope of Independence,
no prospect of American citizenship, no
constitutional protection, no represen-
tatlon in the congress which taxes him.
This is the government of mon by ar
bitrary power without their consent;
this is Imperialism.
There is no room under the free
flag of America for subjects. The
President and Congress, who derive all
their powers from the Constitution.
can govern no man without regard to
its limitations
we believe that the greatest safe
guard of liberty is a free press, and
we demand that the censorship in the
Philippines which keeps from the
American people the knowledge of
what is done in their name to be abol-
ished.
I'VE are entitled to know the truth
and we insist that the powers which the
President holds in trust for us shall
be not used to suppress It,
Because we thus believe, we oppose
the reelection of Mr.. Mckinley. The
supreme purpose of the people in this
momentous campaign should be to
stamp with their final disapproval his
attempt to
Grasp Imperial Power.
A self-governing people can have no
more imperative duty than to drive
from public life a chief magistrate,
who, whether in weakness or of wick
ed purpose, has used his temporary
authority TO subvert the character of
their government and to destroy their
national ideals.
I'VE, therefore, in the belief that it
is essential at this crisis Tor the Amer
lean people again to declare their faith
in the universal application of the dec
laration of independence and to reaS
sert their will that their servants shall
not have or exercise any powers what
ever other than those conferred by the
Constitution earnestly make the follow
ing recommendations to our country
men,
First, tlat, without regard to their
views on minor questions of domestic
policy, they withhold their votes from
Mr. Mckinley, in order to stamp with
their disapproval what he has done.
Second, That they vote for those
candidates for Congress, in their re-
spective districts, VINO will oppose
The Policy of ImperiaIism.
Third While we welcome any other
method of opposing the reelection of
MIR. Mckinley, we advise direct sup
port of Mr.. Bryan as the most effective
means of crushing Imperialism.
I'VE are convinced of Mr. Bryans
sincerity and of his earnest purpose to
secure to the Filipinos their independ
ence. His position and the declara-
tions contained in the platform of his
party on the vital issue of the cam
paign meet our unqualified approval.
I'VE recommend that the executive
committees of the American anti
inperialist league and its allied
leagues continue and extend their or
carnations, preserving the lndepend-
ence of the movement and that they
take the most active possible part in
the pending political campaign.
Until now the policy which has
turned the Filipinos from warm friends
to bitter enemies which has slaughter
ed thousands of them and laid waste
their country, has been the policy of
the President After the next election
it. becomes the policy Of very man who
votes to re-elect him and who thus
becomes, with him, responsible for
every drop of blood thereafter shed"
The resolutions as reported to the
congress were adopted by viva voee
vote. Less than a score of delegates
voted against the resolutions.
Hanna is Not Wen.