Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-06-18
DEMOCRATIC LETTER.
REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS ARE
PANIC STRICKEN.
They Soc the Signs of tho Times in
This Springs Local Elections-Mich-
iGsn, Indiana and Minnesota Are
Lost
(Washington letter..


If the Republican managers had any
doubt as to the prospects of Demo-
cratic success next November those
doubts were thoroughly removed by
the recent town elections in Indiana
and Minnesota. The Democrats swept
Indiana like a cyclone. Everywhere
the Democratic majorities were in
creased; everywhere the Republican
vote fell off. Towns which have been
reliably Republican for years were
engulfed by the Democratic tide.
Through the gas belt. which has been
a Republican stronghold, the Demo-
cratic gains were enormous. Ander-
didate for governor, always reliable
Republican city, was captured by the
Democrats after a fierce battle. All
the indications are that Bryan will
sweep the state in November by the
largest Democratic majority since the
days of Hendricks and Blue Jeans"
Williams. In Minnesota, the city of
st. Paul went Democratic by 1900,
reversing the majority Of over 5000
which it gave Mckinley in 1896. Min
neapolis elected a Democratic mayor
in 1898, making even a more marked
change from the vote of 1896. All
signs point to this state supporting
Bryan in November. In Michigan the
Republicans are panic stricken. At
their recent state convention they en-
dorsed Mckinley in the most per-
functory manner and adjourned with
scarcely a single issue presented in
their platform. A Hollander from
near Grand Rapids was made chair
man of the Republican state commit
tee in some faint hope of holding the
Dutch vote. which is very strong in
the state, in line with the party. This
will be impossible. The anti-Boer,
pro-British attitude of the administra-
tion has completely alienated this pow
erful vote as 1t has that of hundreds
of thousands of Americans in every
walk of life.
Out of the many elements which
have led to this marked reversal of
opinion in favor of the Democrats,
two are especially noticeable at the
present moment. First, the Occur
d'Alene investigation, now in progress
In Washington, has shown the work
Ing men of the country the serious
dangers Of military control. The fact
has been overwhelmingly demonstrat-
ed that neither the civil or military
authorities in the Coeur d'Alene dis
trict had any desire to arrest, con-
vict and punish the men who blew
up the Bunker Hill mine. 1t was
proven that the mine owners had nu-
merous spies present at the time the
mine was blown up and on the spot
Yet the criminals were allowed to es-
cape, because had they been arrested
and convicted the excuse of keeping
the military in control of the district
for over twelve months would have
disappeared. The military are still
in control, and the permit system
whereby workman must secure per-
mission from an illegal authority be-
fore he can even seek work is still in
fo-ce. The other cause for the change
of public sentiment lately manifested
Is the action of the administration in
regard to Porto Rico. Imperialism
cannot be a success unless a people
have been bred to accept the doctrine
of the Divine right of kings. That
doctrine holds to an extremely lin
/ tied extent in the United States, and
| the general public refuses to accept
1t. Mckinley too Is already con-
| fronted with the difficulties of occu-
pying an Illegal and unconstitutional
! position. No sooner had the Porto
/ Rican bill become a law than its am
biguities and crudities began to ap-
| pear. So serious are its defects that
the cabinet has been holding councils
to determine what shall be done to
remedy them, and further legislation
/ appears to be imperative. Had
/ Porto Rican legislature adopted so
crude a measure every administration
organ in the United States would have
pointed the finger OF scorn and re-
marked that the Porto Ricans were
unfit for self-government, since they
were incapable of drafting a worka-
Bile law.
But the tariff feature presents even
more difficulties. The treasury de-
pa-tment has already issued a ruling
! directly contrary to the spirit of that
law. 1t has ruled that goods export
ed to Porto Rico are not exports, and
are therefore not entitled to draw
| backs" which are paid on certain
manufactures to cover the amount of
the duties originally paid on the i'm
ported material used in their manu-
facture Judge Lochren of the United
States federal court, sitting at St.
Paul, has made an even wider decis-
ion in which he holds that Porto Rico
is a part of the United States and
therefore under the Constitution. He
went so far as to assert that had