The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-21

l
recognizes the necessity and propriety OF
| the honest cooperation of capital to NEE,
new business conditions Such honest CO.
| operation is cognizable when the oil, sugar
| tobacco, and rum trusts unite to demand
| that Mr.. Mckinley shall violate his de-
clared plain duty" and defy the Consti-
tuition that they may hold the industries
Of Porto Rico in slavery.
There is another relation in which the
| honest cooperation of capital is beneti-
| cent. The platform makes a strong plea
to- the Hanna Ship Subsidy bill, which, ii
enacted into law. will take ninety million
| dollars out of the Treasury and hand it
| over TO a syndicate of less than dozen
! trust magnates who have made the most
elaborate arrangements to loot it.
And Hanna, through the pen of Root or
Magoon, or whoever turned this interest
| ing illumination into grammatical English,
| actually has the face to congratulate the
Administration upon its observance of the
| letter and spirit Of the civil service reform
law and regulations. Whether this means
conviction that the American people are
! blind or fools. or something else, We are
unable to say. But we think that it would
have been wiser to leave this plank out. as
the committee of one has been careful to
leave out Others OF all the wide open,
spoils. and nepo:istic regimes in history
this one of Hanna and Mckinley holds and
will hold the record to the crack of doom.
I. la
lican platform that did not throw out a
little sop to the colored brother He is
alleged TO hold the balance of power in
several States, and, although he is quite
negligible and utterly neglected in off
years, once in four he gets touched up a
little in his national party convention.
Thus the Philadelphia platform tells
him that lit was the plain purpose of the
fifteenth amendment to the Constitution
to prevent discrimination on ACCOUNT of
race or color in regulating the elective
franchise. 1t also assures him in the
most academic spirit imaginable that
devices of State governments, whether
by statutory or constitutional enactment,
10 avoid the purpose of this amendment
are revolutionary and should be con-
demned'
Perhaps it is useful to note In the con-
nection of the Philadelphia pronunc;a-
mento with the race question that it does
not pledge the party to any action remedial
of the alleged evil IT denounces. 1t is,
only negro in the Fifty-sixth Congress
represents a Southern constituency, and
that in the Northern Republican States,
where 1t is admitted the negro vote is
competent to turn the scales between the
parties, there Is not, nor could there be
elected, a negro member of Congress, and
We doubt very much If the roster OF the
lot of them will show colored member
of State Legislature. The love of the
Republican trust party for the citizen of
African descent no doubt is great, but We
never see any indication of it except when
national conventions meet once in four
years.
We favor home rule for and the early
admission to statehood of the Territories
of New Mexico, Arizona, and Oklahoma"
If the platform writer had added always
provided, however, that they contract in
advance to elect Republican Senators and
Representatives" the declaration would be
more frank. The Territories in question
have been outrageously debarred from
admission TO the Union for years for no
other reason than that it has been feared |
that their suffrages might be given to the |
party of the people and not to that OF the |
trusts.
I'VE favor the construction, ownership. |
and protection Of an isthmian
canal by the United States" Such an as
sertion by the party whose Administration
negotiated the ayPauncefo;e Treaty for
the express purpose OF preventing such
construction, ownership, control, and pro-
lection" is enough TO take ones breath
away What the party-meaning Hanna
and the Panama syndicate-does favor is
he surrender of control over any 18TH
nian canal 10 Great Britain. The Hay
'auncefote Treaty, which the Adminstra-
ion hopes TO Jam through next winter.
,rovides for that. And its secondary de-
ermina;ion Is to have the public money
'oured into De Lesseps' Panama rat hole;
nriched at the cost OF the Treasury, and,
that the transcontinental railway
lagnates may be satisfied IN the failure
the enterprise. That is as much inter-
st as the Philadelphia platform maker has
q the interoceanic canal proposition.
In conclusion, the platform addresses
tself to the fruits OF the Spanish war"
which are too thoroughly before us to
reed inscription upon bulletin board.
they are an army and navy honeycombed
With corrupt favoritism, civil service in
,ur colonies reeking with dishonesty, and
IN Administration openly and defantly
our new possessions for the
,enent Of capitalistic Adventures.
Perhaps the most noticeable features OF
he platform are its omissions. 1t is silent I,
N the question Of "our plain duty" to
ccord that free trade TO Porto Rico guar
nteed by the Constitution. 1t lodges the
act that, while the Administration de-
lares the rebellion in the Philippines to
Q at an end, 1t is afraid to withdraw one ,,
mall brigade from the archipelago to !
uccor our people in China. And it con- c
en,ently ignores the splendid diplomacy" t
trough which We secured the open door" u
4 China which has been undeniably
hown to be snare and humbug. But g
be platform is about as good a one as a
iscredi,ed and disgraced party control
,uld construct; which is not to say that
will in any wise mislead intelligent
eople. II 1t suits the persons responsible
~ lie Vfcta lnaa |
,ere is no just reason why all concerned d