Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1900-09-14


eral. in which be gives his reasons for
supporting Bryan in the present ma
tiOnal campaign MFR. Olney in bis let
ter Gays, i'll part:
The obligations of citizenship are
avoided. not performed. by standing
neutral in all election. There is always
a choice between the conseq uenc-s Of
one party's ascendency aud those of it's
opponent, and therefore the true Ques-
tion before every citizen always is Of
the general attitude of IA patty upon the
view of that attitude its success is not
the best thing III sight. Such is the
real issue now confronting every Amer
icau citiz-n. BE it admitted that the
Democratic party, it's platform, aud it's
candidate are open to much just critic
ism, yet, all things considered, would
not it's triumph be the best outcome
of the present presidential cOntest2
"lu my judgment it would be. In
my Judgment nothing is now 80 im-
pOrtant as that the American people |
should take this, their first Opp0rtun- |
| ity, emphaticalIv to protest against |
that excrescence upon original Repub |
licism, which may be called Mckinley
ism-a term used solely for brevity.
ITO support the conclusion TO which
l have come it is only necessary to
consider what McKiuleyisIn stands TOR
what is necessary in indorsing ii.
'First-It will mean that the Amer
lean people sanction syndicated PREF
idency-a presidency got for the Re-
publican party by money OF combina-
ton of capitalists intent upon securing
, national legislation III aid Of their
particular interests.
: 'Second-It will mean that the Am
: erican people approve the legislation
thus obtained and justify such legisla
: ton as the Dingley tariff bill, with all
} its devices for taxing consumers and
: wage.earners-that is, the great mass
q of the people-in exOneratiOn of accu
t INFLATED wealth. -
. "Third-It will mean that the An
t erican people uphold the policy Of greed
: and contempt for alien peoples whose
;; retributives consequences are seen in
recent events in China; approve OF our
r joining the ranks of international land
t grabbers and sanction the rapacity as
n Well as folly by which while pretend
J. ing to buy, we in fact f0rcibly expelled
,. Spain from her Philippine possession-
n responsibilities.
d "Fourth-It will mean that the Am
IS erican people approve the tactless and
It brutal policy pursued since the Philip
x pine acquisition was made.
If Fifth 1t will mean that the Amer
II lean people approve tbs extraordinari
e ly fatuous policy or impolicy. or M
y policy at all. by which the Philippin'
70 archipelago, many thousands of mile
II from our shores, becomes an integra
ep part of the United States, while Cuba
T. the cause and inspiration of the war
~ lying right at our door, the key to tn
Gulf of Mexico, and absolutely essen
tial to our defense against foreign at
tack, is declared alien territory an
:, entitled to all the rights of an indie
no pendent sovereignty.
~ "Sixth-It will mean that the Amer
no lean people approve an abdicAtion {
h. it's functions by the national legisls
Nd ture which leaves millions of huma
r. beings outside the pale of any recoe
l.. nized code Of law and signifies for OF
ds new possessions for an indefinite p'
10 riod mllitarism of the most unadulte
,as ated sort.
lie "Seventh-It will mean That til
nd American people, having in their pre-
to ident the sole representative of the n
he tion as a whole, have national ex
ers cutive who fails to uphold the dignit
re and the Independence of bis great 9
he flee; who exercises its functions in SUI
no servience both to other branches
L |
is special pecuniary interests; who. col
i'll demning the AGO uisItiOn of territory
LAT force as criminal aggression wres
to her possessions from a foreign state
> the menace of continued war; wi
fluids the plain duty of the governmel
to be one thing today and exactly tt
0S' opposite thing tomorrow. >.e
"Eighth-It will mean thatthe Ar
erican people indOrse the policy
which the United States of Amerit
sets up in business as an Asiatic pow,
ne and welcomes the large standing a
II mics, the international complication
oh and the entangling alliances, all
on which are the inevitable Incidents an
~ consequences of the Oriental role
ie- "Ninth-It will mean that the Al
re, erican people either don't see. or seeiD
o., approve the great and growing if d
~ ~ already overwhelming influence
les money in our politics. The natura
IA the inevitable result (Of protecti'
~ tariffs, subsidies. and the like) is tn
e. the money Of the country hotly pu
sues the control of the government
Der the source OF more mOney-that tt
flag figures as a sort of commercial a
set replete with possibilities of pecu
larry profit for its fortunate custodian
Should McKinleyism now again pr
{. vail it will not be because it il not &C
I daily distrusted and disliked by tt
4 great body of American electors.
I will be because of the influenced Il
purse and of felicitOus application
An enormous campaign fund-becau