Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-29
EMPIRE BEGINS IN EARNEST.

Mr. Mckinley has unmasked his pur-
poses. With the orders to General
Chafee to proceed to Chez Foo and
take command of the troops ordered to
China" this against the protest of the
Chinese Minister, the declaration of
war by the President is made too plain
to be mistaken. The Constitution which
was declared by Congress to be too
small to cover Porto Rico has become
too weak to restrain the Chief Magis-
trate and another long stride toward
Caesarism has been taken.
There is. Of course. a plausible pre-
tense for this high-handed action.
There always is. No step toward au-
tocracy has ever been taken but cogent
reasons were ready in justification
Now the excuse is, that the lives of
Americans in China are in danger. The
tender sensibilities of an administration
that poisoned our soldiers with rotten
beef. ordered the volunteers to pestilen-
tial camps where they died like sheep,
and sacrificed thousands of lives in an
unnecessary and unnatural war on for
mer allies. are nightly wrought upon.
Yet it would have been very simple
maher to have proceeded to protect
American lives in the constitutional
way. by asking authority of Congress
to make war. if war be necessary.
1t was not, in fact. to protect the lives
or Americans that this step has been
taken. If Americans in China can not
be rescued by the forces now in that
country, they will have been murdered
before General Chaffee and his 5000
troops can succor them. N1cKinleys
declaration of war had a double pur
pose-to stretch the compass of the
PRESIDENTIAL prerogative and to extend
the policy of Imperialism to China. He
mas decided once for all to entangle the
country in the Eastern question as a
good excuse for his pet scheme of a big
standing army. He was afraid of Con-
gress. subservent as 1t has been, on the
eve of an election. 1t might have put
inconvenient restraints upon him. AS
1t Is. he has a free hand with $4,000
900 surplus in the treasury. He has
gone after new batch of obligations
which later We shall be told it Is I'M
possible TO honorably escape.
Upon what meat doeth this our Gaze
S'@A ANSN - easily dtloMeIeu- lie QleC
has been constant since the subjugation
OF the Fiiipinos was begun and the
Declaration of Independence became
jest and a byword in the mouths of
trust tools and military funkeys. The
danger has been pointed out time and
again; the wayfaring man. though
lingo. could hardly fail to see the drift
OF things. There Is small use or neces-
sity to emphasize the fact that this
rank usurpaiinn- power that Mr..
Mckinley has no more right to exercise
than has the Governor of Indiana or
the Mayor of New York, is the perfectly
logical result of what has gone before
it. The country has seemed to view
with complacency Mr.. Mckinley caper-
ing in the role of the autocrat of Porto
Rico and the dictator of LuZon. He is,
in consequence. preparing to broaden
the stage and add TO the scenic effects
Two years ago Mr.. Mckinley would not
have dared do anything of the sort. If
he is reelected. two years hence the ar
my that he throws into China so jaunt-
lily will be put to other uses equally
novel and more dangerous.
The country has reached the parting
OF the ways. 1t can set its face reso-
lu;ely toward the high ideals of its
founders and go forward: 1t can take
up the DUTY. Destiny and Dust" shib-
boleth of our pinchbeck Caesars and go
backward. The choice will be final and
conclusive. Four years more Of Nc
Knleyism and the lineaments Of the
republic will not be discernible in an
unspeakably gross and brutal CONNER
cial and military oligarchy that will
have succeeded 1t.
The Government receipts for the