The Van Buren press., 1900-02-17
Gov. Jones at Van Buren,.

candidacy for the U. 8. senatorship to
succeed Senator Berry. last Monday
evening At the court house. When the
distinguished gentleman arose to begin
his address hardly vacant seat was to
be seen In the spacious circuit court
room. and quite number who arrived
later were compelled to stand up. The
governor WAS given the most respectful
attention by the audience, but it was
plain to be seen from the scant applause
which his strongest points brought forth
that his paytisans in Van Buren are not
numerous, and that while our psople
have all due respect for the ability OF
Gov. Jones they will cast their votes ut
the primaries for Jas. H. Berry for
senator.
The governor opened his address by
defending his use Of the pardoning
power. quoting q number Of cases that
would appeal to the sentiments Of his
audience. With all due respect for the
governor, and that his pardons have
been extended from the best motives,
we yet believe that he has In quite a
number of cases allowed his feelings to
get the better Of his judgment But
this has no hearings on the duties OF a
U. 8. senator.
He then took up the question of his
adherence to the Democratic platform
Of 1895 and stated that the charge which
had been made that he had gone back on
his views Ia charge we never had heard
of) WAS falsehood. that he stood
identically on the same platform as in
1895. Next the question of the enJoin
ing power of Federal judges WAS dwelt
on by him, and there he made his first
charges against the administration OF
the Office by our junior senator, saying
Senator Berry should have introduced u
rneasure--or done something, 1t matters
not what--to curtail their powers; had
he been there HE would have done some
thing. To those who remember how he
fell back on himself last summer, when
he came in conflict with Judge Rogers
this charge will fall fiat.
On the trust question he made like
charges against Senator Berry, because
he had not framed bill TO increase the
powers Of the interstate commerce com,
mission. Now that may be one way of
reaching the trusts, but all men do not
agree on the same plan, and perhaps
Senator Berry 8 views differ from those
of Gov. Jones on that subject, but there
can be no doubt where Senator Berry
stands, taking the subject as whole.
Next the Nicaraguan canal question
war taken up by him and here he again
charged Senator Berry with neglect OF
duty In not framing bill for the build
ing of such q canal, charging that the
senator had been opposed to all the canal
bills that had been before congress ex'
cept the last one-when his vote, Jones
says, was not needed--on the grounds
that they were steals SO much the
more honor for Senator Berry that when
he saw they were steals that be should
fight a bill or bills that 1t was hoped to
rash through under popular clamor.
n the bills had been passed, as Senator
Berry during one of his addresses stated,
the Northern Pacific steal would have
been a mere bagatelle beside 1t. He
then introduced one Of the most I'm.
portant amendments to the bill under
consideration that had been offered,
doing away with any partnership OF the
government and the Warner Wood
pulp) Miller syndicate, but Gov. Jones
forgot to mention that, So much for
this.
Then Gov. Jones launched his stron.
gest shaft--his Endorsement OF the ex-
pansion policy Of the Republican ad'
ministration. He followed the same
line of reasoning rs Is brought forth by
every advocate OF expansion, the com
mercial necessity Of our finding markets
| In the Far East, To strengthen his
argument he dragged in Mr.. Bryan,
saving he was favorable to expansion,
even covertly intimating that he WAS
willing to expand rs far ~ the Philip
pines. Now, in as. much Ms MIR Bryan
has left no doubt as to his position on
this question, expressly meeting this
charge which was made some time since,
with n published statement clearly set
ting forth his standing, we think the
Governor came dangerously near per
verting the truth. He then brought In
Jefferson Louisiana Purchase, the
Gadsden Purchase, the Oregon Pur.
chase, and the case Of Texas TO show
shat the Democratic party was the party
OF expansion. These arguments have
all been answered before at length by
men competent to do so and 1t is not
necessary to again 20 over that ground
Then he made q grand stand play re
garding the pulling down OF the flag
over territory we had purchased from
Spain (territory Spain could hardly have
claimed TO own when she sold H., for if
left alone u few days longer, Aguinaldo
would have had Manila instead Of the
Spaniards the islands) and IN one breath
saying they would be given free gov
ernment and In the next that they were
incapable Of self government, But the
Governors strongest point In favor OF
expansion, according to his view, was
that it would make ten cent cotton II
certainty. Along the lines Of Col.
Mulberry Sellers and HIS eye water
scheme he had figured out how many
people there were In the Philippines and
In Asia proper and then allowing each n
certain amount Of cotton goods he found
we couldn't supply the demand, and
they would be compelled to purchase II
at our own price. Gov, Jones uses the
old argument that trade follows the
flag but to make this hold good one
must make 1t impossible for other
nations to trade there, otherwise trade
will follow Its natural channels and 20
TO those who offer the most acceptable
articles ut the lowest cost, Our com
merce with those countries will grow,
even though we do not expand In the
manner the Governor wants us to, IN
fact IN many lines we have invaded the
markets. Of those counties which Jones
says would shut % out unless we become
y "world.power like England and
other European nations Gov. Jones
also tried to explain his hop from anti
expansion u year or two ago to expansion
now, but we could not see that he ex.
plained anything; he apparently would
be willing to put the whole country head
over heels In debt, have large standing
army II powerful navy and sundry other