Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-24
THE PRESIDENT AND FREEDOM.


The administration Intelli-
gencer quotes approvingly from the
Cleveland Leader this editorial para
graph:
with the exception of Speaker Hender-
son. of the House of Representatives,
every prominent public man who attend
ed the Washington mass meeting on sun
day evening to express sympathy with
the Beers, was a Democrat, Popullst, or
an enemy of his administration on purely
political grounds. That was to have been
expected, not because Republican mem.
bers of Congress or officials connected
with the administration are lacking in
sympathy with the Beers, but because
the whole sympathy business is being eX-
plotted by the Democratic politicians Tor
partisan purposes. The main object is to
make it appear that the President Is zoe
to freedom"
This means that Republicans sympa-
thize with the Beers, but dare not pub
licly show their sympathy. 1t means
that the Beers, fighting for liberty, are
right, but Republicans are not per-
mitted to acknowledge it. 1t means
that the republican idea of freedom
has been squelched in the Republic
can party by mandate from the
White House. 1t means that our own
Declaration of independence, insisting
upon the right of self government as
a fundamental trueism, has been turn
ed toward the wall by the regime now
in power at Washington. And, more
than all else, it means that enemies
of the administration" Democrats
and Populists are the only elements
with nerve enough to challenge Will
liam McKinley's policy, and to ex-
tend to commissioners of sister re-
public battling for freedom against
an empire of overwhelming strength
and resources, words of welcome and
of sympathy. Truly, Speaker Hender-
son is greater than his party.
One or two sentences in the clip
ping from the Leader, which the Intel
ligencer approves as whole, deserve
notice. One is: 'The whole sympathy
business is being exploited by the Dem
ocratic politicians for political pur-
poses"
Since when has it become possible
for party to gain political ground in
the United States of America by ex-
pressing sympathy for sister repub-
lies fighting for the right to admin
lister their affairs in their own way,
and for the mere privilege of exist
ing? Surely it has only been possible
since the advent of William McKin-
ley, the deal with England, and the
inauguration of the imperial policy.
The American colonies rebelled against
England and declared war, because
England would not give us justice.
The case Of the South African repub-
lies is stronger than that of the
American colonies, because we were
dom, and rebelled,. while the
Transvaal and the Free State were
free and independent governments,
and as such declined to submit to
British dfctation. 1t is fundamental
element of government that every ma
tion has the right to regulate its in
ternal affairs in its own way. 1t can
levy tariffs and taxes. fix the term of
naturalization or forbid it altogether
as we do with the Chinese-and gen
orally be master in its own house.
Aliens going to an independent coun-
try must accept the laws and Gus
toms of that country as binding upon
them. If they don't like the laws. or
the system of taxation, or any other
element in the established govern
ment, they are at full liberty to go
some where else. The English are
in that situation in South Africa. They
are intruders in free countries, and
yet they early started out to run things
their way. The Beers, very properly