The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-08-24
THE PROGRESS OF IMPER
IALISM IN THE UNITED
STATES.

republic in the light of the present ten
denotes
The institutions of our government
were founded upon the great princi-
pies that all just powers of govern
ment are derived from the consent Of
the people, and that, in Democratic
republic, the people are the sovereign
source of all power-the government
having no inherent powers indepen-
IDENTIFY of express delegations by the
sovereign will of the people. Z The
Declaration of Independence and the
Constitution of the United States con-
stitute the political bible of the Amer
lean people. In the former is a bold
enunciaIion of the two great princi-
pies that all men are created equal be-
fore the law and that all governments
derive their just powers from the
consent of the governed; and, in the
latter, are thee safeguarding reserva-
tons against the pernicious tendencies
which we are encouutering in this day
and hour: The enumeration in the
Constitution of certain rights shall not
be construed to deny or disparage
others retained by the people" and
"The powers not delegated to the
United States by the Constitution nor
prohibited by it to the States are re-
served to the States, respectively, or to
the people" With Us both the Con-
stitution and the government under
it are creatures of the people-created
by them and intended to be controlled,
held within bounds aud run by them
and for them. But the great principle
that all men are created equal before
the law, lost much of its vigor in this
country, when, under Republican rule,
cla,- legislation was euthroned under
protective tariff and national bank
legislation which conferred special
privileges and unfair advantages upon
the favored few vi the expense, incon-
veuiynce and uuspeakable deiriment
Of the many. The fundamental priu-
ciple> that governments derive their
JUS powers from the conssn; Of the
governed, thai the sovereign people
are the fouutaiu-soUrce OF all govern
mental power and that. in Demo-
cratic republic, the people must dele
gate q power to the government before
. the government can lawfully exercise
that power, are b-iug undermined and
weakened. and will be ultimately de-
stroyed unless pre.eat tendencies are
speedily checked.
The new-fangled doctrine that the
Cons 'itu,ion doe not follow the flag
and that Congress and the President
may acquire and govern insular de-.
Tendencies outside of the Constitution
Is Imperialism established Neither
Congress nor the President has any
power not granted in the Constitution,
and this doctrine negatives the idea
that our government must derive its
just powers from the sovereign people,
nullifies the principles of Unconstitutional
government and establishes imperial
ism in all its badness. But such doc
trine is in perfect keeping with the
policy of this administration and the
present Congress. 1t is in keeping
with the abandonment of the Monroe
Doctrine which has been the cherish
ed policy Of the American people for
over hundred years, manifested in
our invasion of the Orient and mixing
up IN European politics aud cross-pur.
poses; in keeping with the spirit of
criminal aggression, characterized in
our dealings with those who are strug-
CLING las our fore-fathers struggled
for that political, religious and civil
liberty which is 50 dear to us and in
which We are supposed to be the light
OF the world; in keeping with the per-
fidy and dishonor, enacted in our
treatment of the people of Porto Rico
who took our representative General
Miles at bis word and welcomed our
invading army with open arms-only
to find our promises no more sacred
than those of the treacherous Span
iards had been before US, aud in keep
ing with present efforts to convert our
Democratic republic of citizens equal
before the law, into an imperial re-
public of insular dependencies and vas
sal subjects to be governed outside of
the Constitution by au imperial Presi-
dent. The Republican party turned
the backs of the American people
upon these sacred promises made in
their behalf to the Porto Ricans at the
time of our peaceful invasion of their
island home, and imposed upon them
unjustly discriminating and heavily
burdensome taXes-not only without
their representation or consent or any
constitutional warranty, but in the
face Of our promises to the contrary,
at time when they were absolutely
helpless, aud relying upon that word
of national honor which they thought
they could cherish, had taken our yoke
upon them. This new doctrine that
the Constitution does not follow the
flag is eXemplified in the tendency of
the present Congress to clothe the
President of a Democratic Republic,
whose corner stone was laid upon the