The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-24
CIRCULATION STATEMENT.
SATURDAY. MARCH "a. 1900.


Can the People BE Defed.
The people Of Iowa are unalterably opposed t.
the establishment Of any tariff duties between
the United States and any territory acquired
result % the Spanish American war the people Of
which accepted the sovereignty Of this Guverumen,
without resistance and voluntarily passed under
the jurisdiction Of It's legislation and laws
The more the Administration forces in
Congress pondered over this unanimous
declaration by the Iowa House Of Repre-
sentatives. yesterday. the more uncom-
Portable and desperate they felt They
might defy the comments Of their own
party organs in Chicago. and refuse to
believe the evidence OF their senses con
corning the tidal wave OF denunciation
flowing toward them from the whole Mis-
sissippi Valley; but they could not ignore
a monumental and official fact like the
Iowa resolution. There Is every evidence
that the blow was as staggering as it was
unexpected. 1t was a remarkable COM
mentsry upon Senator Foraker's prediction
blow over and the country would forget all
about the lniquity In a short time On
the contrary each succeeding day has
only added 20 the popular excitement and
Indignation. At last the Administration
has overloaded that patient ass the Ameri-
can people II has submitted to every
thing from Eagenism. Algerism and
Sampsonism down to the deal between
Gage and the STANDARD Oil bank, with
scarcely an audible murmur But viola
tion Of a solemn pledge 10 Porto Rico and
deliberate inhumanity toward the people
Of that national territory. in defiance OF
the Constitution Of the United States,
and al the demand Of the trusts. is the last
straw.
Mr.. Mckinley and his principal advisers,
and the Republican Senator'S and Repre-
sentstives. are all amply convinced that
the country is thoroughly aroused against
them. and that, il they carry out their
purpose TO make the treatment Of Porto
Rico as foreign territory party issue. and
on that ground drive the Payne-Foraker
bin through the Senate they will incur a
terrible risk OF defeat in the impending
campaign. But long immunity from the
wrath Of man and OF God has rendered
them callous. and. 10 addition, they are
desperate. Prominent men close 10 the
Administration, declare with open Gym
ieism that the Payne-Foraker bill is a deal
with the trusts for a heavy campaign con-
tribution which can be secured in no other
way. The outburst OF national protest and !
anger IS much greater than had been ex-
pected. Nevertheless. as between public /
opinion and the cash promised by the
trusts. The Administration will consider /
the latter and force Congress to persist in /
the unconstitutional and criminal oppres-
sion Of Porto Rico
The natural presumption is that, in
adopting this course. the Administration
feels itself strong enough to defy the con-
sciences OF the American people and The
principles held sacred by them. The ex-
perience Of 1896 seems to have impressed
the Republican leaders with the convic-
tion that the people are a negligible guam
tity compared with the possession Of a
huge corruption fund. But can they be
right in entertaining such a theory? No
doubt there are as many purchasable votes
this year as there were four years ago.
and quite as many politicians Of the baser
sort ready TO stuff ballot boxes and per
vert returns. On the other hand, there
are vastly more voters who know the Re
publican party for what it is than were
thus Illuminated in the former campaign. |
It has pretty well thrown of the mask Of
hypocrisy by this time, and is hardly |
ashamed to acknowledge itself the servile |
creature OF the trusts and monopolies it |
most VIGOROUSLY is.
Therefore il is barely possible that the |
impudent position assumed by the Admin |
istration and its following. after the burst
ing Of the Iowa bombshell. is neither as |
good nor as safe politics as the trust-Re-
publican combination may imagine. But
any doubt on the subject is liable 10 be
dispelled on the sixth Of November next