The Forrest City times., 1900-10-12


 plness or the people, and even casts A sinister shadow over the prospects Of tbe race. Now. believe that this issue before the American people represents the att tempt on one side to overthrow all that has made for human progress, and on the other an honest enthusiastic determina-
 "To avoid any possible confusion of thought springing from the use of ambigu- ous terms. perhaps 1t would be we'll for me to define here exactly the issue in such terms that there can be no division of opin- ion as to the thing that we are discuss- ing: l think that discussion is always fa- cilitated andimproved by an accurate state ment Of the problem before us.
 , stated In It's very narrowest compass the issue before the American people is the right of this government to seize distant territory. govern it against the will of it's inhabitants, not under our constitutional government, but through officeholders to be named by the president. who will ad- | minister their functions outside the con- sutution and independently of it's limits.
 Now, l apprehend there can be no diff terence between republican and demo- crat as to the statement of the issue. Upon the one side the republicans contend that lnasmuch as the extracons titutional pow CTS are 10 be exercised outside the United States imperialism. so far as this country | IS concerned. is not an issue of this cam paign, and they go on to say that even If | It were eminent and dangerous, they would sull be bound to vote for it. because to to defeat it would be to bring about money panic, and that would be too great
 
 | cratic institutions.
 ''ro that the democrats answer that such policy would be a violation of the prin- | ciple that government derives its just pow | CTS from the consent of the governed. and that 1t would be infamous to repudiate m our hour of strength the principle which We invoked in our hour of weakness. They l contend further. that despotic or arbi- | trary powers cannot be confided to officers or a republican government without en- dangering the integrity of democratic in- 1 stitutions.
 Once a Fountain of Prosperity.
 And, lastly. they contend that, since re- | publican government is shown by the his- | tory of the world since the establishment Of this government to have been the foun- tam of the greatest prosperity that man. 1 klnd has ever enjoyed, its preservation cannot endanger prosperity, but must con- 1 tribute to its permanence and to its growth. There IS the issue. We must have little difficulty in disposing of it if it were not for the bewildering and intoxicating effects of | certain expressions which we find the presi- dent of the United States justifying his l chase.
 Because the United States have expand | ed their form of government over the west | ern territory he undertakes to say that this i annexation of islands beyond the sea, which are not to be governed according to our con sututional system is also expansion. and, by that use of the word, seeks to justify | by precedent of liberty an attempt at suhjugation and conquest which is an out rage.
 "I need hardly say to such an audience as this that expansion, if it means anything, means growth. Now, growth may be bene- iieial or injurious, according to its direction. An inch added to a mans stature makes beauty. An inch added to the length of his nose would be a deformity. We might be l glad to encourage growth in a legitimate te | direction, and We call in the surgeon to prevent it's growth in a vicious direction. The expansion that the democratic par | ty has always supported is that. The ex- | pansion which the democratic party first | introduced into the system of this country
 wste was the i expansion or our coTstitnStionai r I democrat is opposed to-day. If there were | a proposal of that character before the country it would be supported nowhere SC enthusiastically as in democratic gather | ings.
 Benefit to the Artisan. ''The English crown would lose the CD appoint few aristocrats to office in Can 1 ada. but the English artisans and mechan' | ics and merchants would gain mucf
 larger market Tor their wares and conse | their prosperity, while on both sides O. this frontier the benefits of both partie: would be immeasurable and almost incon | ceivable.
 That is democratic expansion to whicl | the democratic party is tied and for whicf
 1t hopes with every fiber of its being ant with every pulsation of its heart. | But this imperialism which we are dis l cussing Is not expansion of our politica
 system into new country It is the cree l another government wholly distinct iron it and radically different from it. and, there
 fore irresponsibly hostile to it. You ma, | perceive this is expanding not the scop, | of our constitutional system, not the au
 thority of our government, but 1t Is ex | banding the authority of our ofttceholders | expanding II SO far as to make II inde | pendent of the constitution which create: | them.
 Imperialism Means Armies.
 Such a system can only be enforced 1 against the resistance of the nations. I | means armies must be put in the field tha | American lives must be sacrificed and tht lives of helpless people must be destroyed and if the resistance be subdued now theil
 resentment will be undying. Resentmen | will seek opportunities and expression il the future. We. therefore, as wrongdoer: will be haunted by the wrongdoer's fear O. l retribution.
 | "As the man who injures another expect: | revenge even when none is planned, so tho | alien foreign government which has robbed | the people of its birthright of liberty con stantly fears resistance even when none i: | planned and then must make preparation | all the time for contest and conflict il the field for the safety of its own citi
 zens To think that such system should ever have been submitted to the American people and attempted to be justified by tho | purchase of Louisiana is, perhaps, the mos | Extraordinary instance in our history. | "Youwill observe, my friends. that the re publican party in its attempt to justify its | | upon the assumption that when he declared | in the Declaration of Independence tha
 the consent of the governed was the solt | foundation of authority he did not mear | what he said That is to say, 1t argues tha l this country. the most civilizing infiuencs | in the history of mankind, was born witt | lie upon its lips.
 Not the Policy of Jefferson.
 "It is difficult to discuss that patiently | and yet, If this statement were true, If tn, | purchase of Louisiana by Jefferson were 1T | any way analogous to the enterprise il | which MT Mckinley is now engaged and or | which he has launched this people, | should hesitate to condemn 1t, because any | thing which formed feature of a policy | of this government for 100 years. in view o | the results which this government ha. | borne could hardly be considered preju | dicial to liberty or dangerous to progress. | But 1t is not true No two transactions | could have been more dissimilar than ths | expansion of Jefferson and the imperialism | of Mckinley. So much has been said or | the question that if you will allow me | will state this evening briefly as can the l actual facts of that momentous transaction | so that hereafter every person in this hal | who shall hear the sacred name of Jeffer. | son to justify the deal of Mckinley vii | find the means of refuting the islander anc