The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1900-10-05
STEVENSON ACCEPTS.
Formal Reply to Populist's Nomi-
nation for Vice President.
Imperialism Held to he the One Great
Issue mt Stake-Philippine War
Denounced One of
Conquest.

81, at the national headquarters of the
party in Lincoln, Neb. The letter
bears date of Bloomington, Ill.,, Sep
tember 25, 1900, and is addressed to j.
B. Weaver, j. II. Edmisten and J. A.
Edgerton, in answer to their formal
letter notifying Mr.. Stevenson of his
nomination. In his letter Mr.. Steven
son says:
Gentlemen: By your communication of
September / am officially advised of my
selection as the candidate of the peoples
party for the office OF vice president of the
United States, to fill the vacancy upon your
ticket occasioned by the resignation of
Charles A. Towne.
81 cannot too earnestly express my ap-
probation of this manifestation of the con-
fidence reposed in me by your committee
and the great constituency you represent.
Nor can / withhold the expression of my
admiration for the generous action of Mr..
Towne in his endeavor to secure the har-
monious cooperation of all the supporters
of Mr.. Bryan in the pending presidential
contest. -4..--.-A. ..ssas9
''The action of the peoples party in se-
lecting candidates outside of its own or
ganization is almost without precedent in.
our political history. The explanation is
found in your own candid declaration: The
members of the peoples party in all Sec
tions realize that we have reached cri-
Sis in which the very life OF free institu-
tions is involved-a crisis in which mere
party considerations are of secondary i'm
portance and should be laid aside until the
peril is averted. ~
imperialism the Great Issue.
upon the important questions of finance,
Of domestic administration and of reform in
our methods of taxation the platform of
the peoples party gives no uncertain
sound. 1t is no less emphatic in its de-
mand for a return to the policy of honest
and economical expenditures of the public
money. The further demand for wise and
efficient legislation looking to the sup
preston of trusts cannot fail to challenge
the attention of all thoughtful men.
I'm common, however. with the silver re-
publican and the democratic parties, you
recognize the important fact that all these
are but questions of the hour In the pres
ence of the overshadowing issue of imperial
ism others are but as the dust In the bal
ance. 1t is not strange, then. that there
should now be, concert of action between
those who sincerely believe that a crisis
has been reached in which mere party
considerations are of secondary impor-
tance.S
Involved in the settlement of this great
question are consequences of deep import
to the American people. The supreme grav-
ity of the issue cannot be measured by
republican senator: The question is great
er than parties. greater than administra-
tions, greater than the prosperity and hap
piness of single generation
Recent History In Reviewed.
"It is well even now to recall some of the
recent events of our history. Before break
ing the peace of the world congress, re-
ferring to Cuba, supplemented its declara-
ton of war against Spain with the words:
The United States hereby disclaims any
disposition to exercise sovereignty, juris-
diction or control over said island except
for the pacification thereof, and asserts
its determination, when that is accom-
plished. to leave the government and con-
troll of the island to its people,
1T was this solemn declaration by the
American congress that justified the war
at the bar of our own conscience and of
that of the world. The pretense now that
this disclaimer upon our part applied only
to Cuba and not to other Spanish depend
encies Is to palter with words in double
sense.
Existing conditions abroad now chal-
lenge our serious thought, whether we
will or no. Spain has been conquered and
the 'pacification of Cuba'-the declared pur-
pose of the war-secured. And yet we find
ourselves still engaged in war; a war too
against our former allies in our conflict
with Spain. 1t is a war against a people
5000 miles distant and of whom until re-
cent years We had scarcely heard. 1t is an
expensive war, having already cost near
$200, ,0o0, 900 In money and thousands of val
liable lives.
War Is One of Conquest.
1.-THE question to be answered by each
American voter now and in November is:
Why this war? What is to be our justifica-
tion at the bar of history? All mere words
and giorification of the flag aside, the sad
fact remains that it Is purely a war of con-
a n fra aipSf
pie who, as has been eloquently said, in
their struggle for independence have in
terposed the declaration of jefferson as
a shield against the attacks of his own
countrymen.
sixty thousand soldiers are now in the
Philippine islands; how much greater will
be the sacrifice of treasure and of human
life before the conquest is completed no
man can know. And when completed, what
next? How are these islands to be held and
governed? Does any sane man doubt that
1t can only be by force, by the power of
the army and the navy? And this is not for
day or a year. but for time All this
implies the exercise of power unknown to
the constitution. 1t is in very truth gov
ernment outside of the constitution II
means the adoption by the American pub
lie of the colonial methods of European
monarchies. 1t means the rignt ~ hold
alien peoples subjects. 1t enthrones
force as the controlling agency in govern
ment. In a word. IL foreshadows the en-
pire.
Sees Dawn of Militar.sm.
more than this. following close In the
wake of Imperialism as the night the day.
comes the immense standing army. The
dread arm of militarism Is to be made bare
In the new world as IT Is In the old. The
strong arm of power rs to be substituted
for the peaceful agencies which fer more
than a century have brought contentment
n a Vie
ing conditions in continental Europe-en-
failing taxation and misery to the verge
of human Observation-Disclosures by sad OBJ
5ect lessons the inevitable result of large
armies In time OF peace.
Conditions now existing In the Philip
pine Islands. for which we are in a meas
ure responsible. impose new duties upon
us. These people are entitled to our protec-
ton against the cupidity and aggressive