The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-08-15

the prosperity bringing American pol
icy of protection so absolutely sure al
ways that we need never fear lest
there be change?
1t has been seldom indeed that as
many as forty eight enlisted men have
been promoted to commissions in the
United States army, and the friends of
the soldiers should rejoice that the
President has had the power to raise
these men to their new honors. The
people of the United States maintain
such small army that as rule the
graduates of West Point are enough to
I'll all the vacancies. But there are
men in the ranks who are sufficiently
American in spirit to look at second
lieutenancies with longing eyes. In
many cases no educational bar exists
to their advancement Moreover, as
the biography of some of our highest
army officers shows, the American en-
listed man has not bad record in
comparison with the officer who goes to
long and difficult service with West
Point resources to draw on. Above all,
he is intelligent, and such an attribute
is frequently worth dozen heads full
of undigested instruction in the tech
nical aspect of military skill. Promo
ton among enlisted men is one import
ant particular in which our Army is
superior to that of Great Britain.
Bryan would give absolute indie
pendence to the Philippines. This of
course means that the flag shall be
furled and the army recalled. Will he
explain how this can be done? Is
there any constitutional provision for
alternating American territory? If
there is one constitutional argument
against acquiring territory there are
dozen against abandoning territory.
The rebellion settled that question
once for all. AS we'll talk about aban-
doning Texas, Alaska, Kentucky or
Ohio. Methods of administration are
legitimate questions for party differ
ences, but to deny fact solemnized by
treaty and ratified by Congress is to be-
tray objectionable ignorance of the
powers and functions of government.
Hon. James M. Beck of Philadelphia,
one of the leading lawyers of that city,
says: 81 am no longer Democrat.
don't believe in free silver, nor do
believe in hauling down the flag in the
Philippines" MIR. Beck has executed
a very intelligent and businesslike exit
from the party of Bryan and Aguinaldo.
Here is another-one of many: ~ was
a Democrat and bolter in 1885," de-
clares the Hon. Thomas M. Waller of
Connecticut, "and as the situation has
not changed, l am Democrat and
bolter still" The Democratic editors
have devoted many columns to abject
failures to answer this Connec ticut
Democrat.
The letter by Hon. William Chaplin
on the subject of oleomargarine legisls-
ton in 1884, was written before Mr..
Chaplin had seen the JOURNALS recent
article on the same subject. AS has
been stated, Mr.. Chaplin was a men,
Der of the Senate of 1884. He is one of
the few men that does not forget what
he remembers. His statement respect
ing the proceedings and the feeling in
the Legislature of 1884 on the two bills
in question comes as a gratifying con-
firmation of what the JOURNAL has al
ready printed on this much discussed
subject. With all who know him, Mr..
Chapin's words will have conclusive
weight.
Those Democratic papers that are
trying to guy Governor Roosevelt on
his military record are painfully silent
about the record of William j. Bryan.
Both Mckinley and Roosevelt have
marched through the enemy's country,
charged the enemy's lines and faced