Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-07-10

{, crushing with military force the efforts OF
our former allies to achieve liberty and self
government.
The Filipinos cannot be citizens without
| endangering our civilizations; they cannot
be subjects without imperiling our form of
government, and as we are not willing to
surrender our civilization or to convert the
republic into an empire, we favor an i'm
mediate declaration Of the nations purpose
to give to the Filipinos first stable form
| of government; second, independence, and,
| third, protection from outside interference
such as has been given for nearly a cen
tury to the republics of Central and South
| America.
| The greedy commercialism which dictat-
ed the Philippine policy of the Republican
the plea that 1t will pay. but even this sor-
did and unworthy plea fails when brought
to the test of facts. The of criminal
aggression against the Filipinos, entail! ling
an annual expense of many millions has al,
ready cost more than any possible profit
that could accrue from the entire Philippine
! trade for years to come.
Furthermore, when trade is extended at
the expense of liberty the price is always
too high. We are NOT opposed to territorial
expansion when it takes in desirable ter
ritory which can be erected into states in
the Union and whose people are willing and
fit to become American citizens We favor
trade expansion by every peaceful and
legitimate means. But we are unalterably
opposed to the Selling or purchasing of dis
stitution and whose people can never be-
come citizens.
We are in favor of extending the re-
public's influence among the nations but
believe that that influence should be ex-
tended, not by force and violence, but
through the persuasive power Of a high
other questions now pending before the
American people Is In no wise diminished
and the Democratic party takes no back
ward step from It's position them but
the burning issue of Imperialism growing
out of the Spanish war involves the very
existence of the republic and the destruc-
ion of in ct 20 I'd
as the paramount issue of the campaign.
Monroe Doctrine is Upheld.
The declaration in the Republican plat
form adopted at the Philadelphia conven-
party ''steadfastly adheres to the policy an
nounced in the Monroe doctrine" is mani
! testify insincere and deceptive. This con-
fession is contradicted by the avOwed pol
icy of that party in opposition to the spirit
! of the Monroe doctrine to acquire and hold
sovereignty over large areas of terri DRY
and large numbers of people In the Eastern
| hemisphere.
We insist on the strict maintenance of
| the Monroe doctrine in all its integrity
both in letter and in spirit, as necessary to
| prevent the extension of European author
| ity on this continent and as essential to
! our supremacy in American affairs At the
/ same time we declare that no American
! people shall ever be held by force in I'M
! willing subsection to European authority.
We oppose militarism. 1t means conquest
abroad and intimidation and oppression al
| home. 1t means the strong arm which has
ever been fatal to free institutions. 1t is
! what millions of our citizens have fed from
! in Europe. 1t will impose upon our peace
| loving people large standing army and
unnecessary burden of taXation and con,
! slant menace to their liberties. A small
/ standing army and d well-disciplined state
militia are amply sufficient in time of peace.
military service and CONSUMPTION. When
the nation is in danger the volunteer soldier
is his country's best defender The Ma
! tionaI guard of the United States should
| cherished tlp Of
! a free people. Such organizations are ever
an element of strength and safety.
| For the first time in our history and CO.
| evaI with the Philippine conquest has there
! been a wholesale departure from our time
honored and approved system of
lean, undemocratic and unrepublican and
| as subversion of the ancient and fixed
| principles of free people
Will War with Trusts.
! Private monopolies are indefensble and
intolerable They destroy competition con
troll the price Of all material and Of the fin
! ished product, thus robbing both producer
and consumer. They lessen the employment
! of labor and arbitrarily fix the terms and
conditions thereof and deprive individual
energy and small capital of their oppor-
| tunity for betterment.
They are the most efficient means yet de-
vsed for appropriating the fruits Of indus
try to the benefit Of the few at the expen e
of the many, and unless their insatiate
greed is checked all wealth will be aggre
gated in few hands and the republic de-
/ u.
trust evil by the Republican party in state
and national platforms is conclusive proof
Of the truth of the charge that trusts are
the legitimate product Of Republican poll
cies, that they are fostered by Republican
laws and that they are protected by the
Republican administration in return for
campaign subscriptions and political sup
port.
We pledge the Democratic party to an I'M
ceasing warfare in nation, state and city
against private monopoly in every form.
Existing laws against trusts must be
forced and more stringent ones must be ell
acted providing for publicity as to the af-
fairs of corporations engaged in Interstate
commerce and requiring all corporations 10
show before doing business outside of the
water in their stock. that they have not
attempted, are not attempting, to monop-
olize any branch CT business or the produc-
ton of any article of merchandise.
The whole constitutional power OF Con
gress over interstate commerce, the mails
and all modes of interstate communication
shall be exercised by the enactment of
comprehensive laws upon the subject OF
trusts. Tariff laws should be amended by
putting the products of trusts upon the tree
! protection.
The failure of the present Republican ad-
mniStration, with an absolute control over
all the branches of the national government,
to enact any legislation designed to prevent
or even curtail the absorbing power of
| trusts and illegal combinations to en-
force the antitrust laws already on the
statute books proves the insincerity of the
Understanding phrases of the Republican
platform.
! Corporations should be protected in all
their rights and their legitimate interests
should be respected, but any attempt by
corporations to interfere with the public
affairs of the people or to control the soyer-
eighty which creates them should be for
hidden under such penalties as will make
such attempts impossible. We condemn
the Dingley tariff law q trust-breeding
measure, skillfully devised to give the few
fayors which they do not desire and to place
upon the many burdens which they should
not bear.
We favor such enlargement of the scope
of the interstate commerce law as will
enable the commission to protect individ-
uals and communities from determinations
and the public from unjust and unfair
transportation rat eS.
Reafnrms 10 to 1 Plank.
We reaftirm and indorse the principles of
the national Democratic platform adopted
at Chicago in 1896 and we reiterate the de-
mand of that platform for an American
financial system made by the American peo-
pie for themselves which shall restore and
maintain a bimetal.ic price level and rs
part of such system the immediate restora-
ton Of the free and unlimited coinage of
silver and gold at the present legal ratio
of Is to l without waiting for the aid or