The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-04-12

they have turned our financial system into the
hands OF individuals the volume OF circnia-
tion medium is now to be controlled ny those
individuals instead of the government Ma,
lional banks are to supply whatever our cur
rency lacks in volume under the Tree coinage
OF gold and the fixed amount OF silver,
greenbacks and treasury notes. They nave
placed in it the power of those who supply TINS
deficiency not only to fix the volume OF cur
rency but to expand and contract it al Will.
The value of property and price OF products
are governed by the volume of money in clrcu-
latton and the law OF supply ana demand Wnen
in no manner in'erfered with by legislation,
TO allow one class to thus fix and change the
value OF property and the price OF products ~
will is to permit them to put price upon tne
property, toll and labor OF the people ana
thereby govern and control their liberty and
Trusts a combination Of interests Of 2
given kind, whether commercial or 1ndustrial,
organized for the purpose of controlling the
demand, supply and price of that which they
purchase, make for sale or sell.
tions is clearly evident to one who stops to
observe their workings and to inform himself
with reference to their character and results:
tici Hs which they produce They destroy legit-
innate competition. They compel the consum'
er to take that which they offer and pay the
numbers Of mon out Of employment and com.
pei them to seek livelihood through other
avenues. They force the honest, legitimate
competitor Of limited means TO either surren
der himself and his business to them or retire
from his chosen vocation and engage in some
other line not affected thereby. They control
not only the price OF their own product to the
consumer, but the price Of the raw material as
WELL thereby fixing the amount OF the proceeds
OF his labor that he shall again return 10 them
when he is compelled to purchase ana use the
finished product.
One man is not free as long as some other
man has the power to fix the price OF his toll.
y the n 70 40 as @
rights OF others. A free man shoula not De
subject to any restraint unless that restrain
Is necessary in order to extend llperty 70 ON
ers. Every man has the right not only to i've,
end and aim of every being. 1t can only be
attained when we are In possession; . Of In io
ment. To be denied the comforts OF nome
and the necessities of life is to take away that
which is a sacred and vested right. You take
away the life when you take away the means
by which one lives. You take his liberty when
YOU take that which makes him free, and des,
troy his happiness when you appropriate e. sn ao
this is to subvert the ends and aim OF govern.
ment. Freedemocracy and mon1ed aristoc-
racy cannot survive together. They are dia-
metrically opposed; the one or the other must
perish. Which shall it BET
Imperialism is the power, authority or char.
acter of an emperor; the spirit OF empire; the
exercise OF those powers not warranted by the
object and purpose Of government, or autnor-
lied by the source OF governmental authority.
No other question that has ever confronted
importance to the welfare OF our people. and
institutions as this question OF imperialism.
1t involves the question as TO whether or not
government can exist part free. part slave:
1t means the doing away with the fundamental
principle that Governments derive their lust
powers from the consent OF the governed. = the
abrogation OF the selfevident truth that GOV
ernments are instituted to secure the inalicn
able rights of life, liberty and happiness, the
setting at .naught of the Declaration OF lnde-
pendence and the Constitution.
PiCo yatNrf0rilv surrendered Itself 10
the protection of the United States and by &C
cepting that protection we included II in our
territorial Jurisdiction. What justifiable rea-
son is there either in law or morals why its
people should be Disseminated against and
| the plain letter ana spirit OF the Sohsttutioii
violated!
We have not the time to discuss or even to
review the events that led up to the surrender
and possession OF Manila. What right had we
to attempt q purchase OF the Philippines with
out the consent of the FilipinOs? What lega
gate them by force and arms? The people Of
Cuba, Porto Rico and the philippines have 81
much right to be free and independent as any
people, provided they are able to establish ant
| maintain government OF their own. INA
\ they are capable OF doing this is not seriousi!
! common knowledge to all. The tyranny AM
| oppression exercised toward them in the sub
| jugation of one restraint OF another and lmpo
| sitiOn upon another is not only unWarrantei
so far as the wrong to them is concerned bu
| it strikes at the foundation OF free government
ut home. For the people of the United State
to consent to such action is to strike dow
| with their own hands, the fundamental pr1nc1
J pies that protect their freedom.
4 The aim and object OF those who are advoca
ting this idea of imperialism is not 50 muct
for the benefit by way OF money, place an,
mower that NAV cont to the favored one