The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-13
DEEP REPUBLICAN SCHEME.

Editors Messenger:

Maxton, ". G. July s.
Editors Messenger:
This war in the Philippines con-
dition brought about by President Nc
Kinley's administration without the
authority Of the war-making power of
the United States-is a f~ar-reachIng
scheme. that will yet prove disastrous
TO our republican Institutions
When the civil war ended and the re-
publican party enfranchised the ne
groes Of the south, its leaders thought
they had forever settled the question
of republican supremacy, and had Sc
cured such allies in the enfranchised
colored brother as hould bury beneath
an overwhelming ignorant vote the
democratic party.
For twenty years, re~publicanism as
defined and emphasized by the results
of the war held with an iron grip the
federal power; but the tidal wave OF
democracy that bore Grover Cleveland
on its crest to the presidential chair
in 1884 convinced the leaders of the re-
publican party that democracy was
not dead, and demanded of them tfor
they still had control of h legislative
department of the governmenD some
legislation that would look to a finally
~ AAA VI Ga
the government. Their most gigantic
scheme was the Mckinley tariff, for
which the present incumbent OF the
presidential chair labored with an in
dustry and zeal worthy of a better
cause. This tariff, amended by the
Dingley tariff, which is now, like some
mighty octopus, using its suckers 10
engorge the few, to the impoverishment
of the masses of our people, was the
spawning-bed of all the trusts hat
now control our legislative halls, and
robs more than sixty millions OF people
of their hard earnings through legisla-
ton tina claims to be in the interest
of the working masses.
Declaring in the platform of their
St. Louis convention for bimetallism,
we no oon see Mckinley, the pro-
tectiVe tariff man." and the tool of
the trusts, in the presidential chair,
than we also see steps taken that
should fasten upon the country the
gold standard, make silver token
money only, and give the working
masses over into the hands of vast
corporations who fix all values, ON
troll all prices, make money scarce or
abundant according to their sweet
will, and months before a pound of
tobacco or cotton is made decide
! whether the poor tenant shall close
the yea in debt or have enough left
to make another crop for the trusts.
We hear of prosperous times, but
test them by going into any country
neighborhood in the cotton n to-
bacco belt and trying either to collect
an old debt or borrow even a silver
dollar. 1t may be stated and accepted
as a fact that no country is prosper
Gus where the tillers of the soil are
without the money to make a crop and
when the crop is marketed have no
surplus. 1t matters not how many cot
ton mills and corporations are paying
big dividends, so long as the masses
are dead poor, and the Legislation of
the republican party for the past
thirty years has pauperized agriculture
n the working artisan.
How a poo farmer, or a wage
Garner, can affiliate with republican,
ism has been an astonishing mystery
to the writer in all these years in
which he has watched the drift OF
events.
Once more in the White house, il
now looks as if Mckinley, Hanna q
Co.. are determined to stay there, either
by craft, fraud or purchase.
1t was not without a purpose that
his war has been made and continues
in the Philippines. The republican
party can no longer count on a larger
ignorant negro vote in the south, for
each southern state is fast fencing
about her citizenship with wholesome
laws that shall give honesty and intel
ligence control of her affairs.
The republican party will make q
desperate effort to win this campaign
seat Mckinley for another four years
keep control of senate and house; ther
look out for legislation looking to in
undating the United States proper
with a Cuban, Porto Rican, Hawaiian
nd Philippine vote that shall be under
the control of the republican party
onI will hold tho hal nPa nf nnUar IN
naming future presidents. 'Tis not i'm.
possible that our children sehall see
a half-breed Filipino in the White
house.
No wonder Mark Hanna is accredit.
ID with saying with regard TO tht
Philippine question, Il am for taking
everything in sight" Like leaders. lii
porty.
WIN. d. HILL.