The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-05

a.
hand or your Republic will be as fearfully
plundered and laid waste by barbarians
in the twentieth century as the Roman
Empire was in the fifth, with this differ
ence, that the Huns and Vandals who
ravaged the Roman Empire came from
without, and that your Huns and Vandals
will have been engendered within your
own country by your own institutions.
Thinking thus, of course l cannot
reckon Jefferson among the benefactors
of mankind
What American can read these words
now and look soberly about him without
recognizing the sinister signs of the
times? A cruel and almost irresistible
concentration of wealth-with every at
tendant circumstance of deliberate oppres-
sion-closing the gates of opportunity in
life to poor men; and arrayed against
this heartless and corrupt industrial aris-
tocracy the fierce resistance of organized
labor, with the growing spirit of social
ism filling up the distant background.
Is it possible that Macaulays solemn
prophecy is to be fulfilled? Is it really
true that liberty and civilization are in
compatible? Must a democracy always
end in anarchy or Caesarism? And if
the enemies Of the Republic have already
risen within our borders-the progeny of
our own American institutions-will they
be strong enough to destroy free govern
ment on this continent?
The leaders of the two great currents
Of political thought and action in the
United States today are Mr.. Mckinley and
Mr.. Bryan. Each is supreme in his own
party.
Mr. Mckinley has already repudiated
Jefferson's doctrine that "all men are
created equal" and has established colo
nies under the American flag--the first step
toward an imperial system. He has used
his power as President to secure large
permanent standing army. He has per-
mtted the overgrown trusts, intrenched
in government favoritism, to defy the
laws, over-awe or corrupt the executive,
legislative and judicial officers of the ma
tion, and to oppress the people by de-
stroying competition. He has relied and
still relies upon vast political corruption
fund contributed by criminal corporate
combina lonesome say to the extent OF
$4,000, ,000-to keep himself and his party
in power. And he has placed thieves in
office, knowing them to be thieves.
Is it not evident that the spirit of Mac
aulays prophecy is shared by men high
in power on this continent and that
what we are now witnessing are really
preparations for the government with a
strong hand. which Macaulay said would
bring democratic institutions to an end
in America?
Mr.. Bryan and the Democratic party
stand for individual liberty as opposed to
the tyranny of a military empire on the
one hand or the tyranny of state social
ism on the other hand. He is trying to
bring the rich and the poor closer to-
gether. He calls upon honest wealth. hon
est corporations, honest combinations to
assist the wealth producers of the coun-
try to bring the dishonest, rapacious Grim
inal trusts under the firm and reasonable
control of law. He protests against a
colonial system in Porto Rico and the
Philippines because it is not consistent
with free institutions to have one part
of the nation citizens and the other part
subjects. He opposes a huge permanent
standing army as the corollary of a colo
nial empire. He demands that each citi-
zen shall contribute to the support of
the Government in exact proportion to the
amount of protection he receives from
the Government.
Surely there is nothing of the dema-
gogue in this. 1t is the middle course
the path between the appalling extremes
pictured by Macaulay.
But if the cause represented by Mr..
Bryan is to be crushed, if the trusts and
Imperialism and militarism and increas~
ingly unequal taxation are to be indorsed
at the polls this year what then? Will
not the forces of socialism overwhelm and
engulf the moderate and time-tried poll
icxy Of Io T.
probable that the struggle of today will be
succeeded by the struggle foretold by
Macaulay?
My own observations in various parts
of the country this year convince me that
the Democratic party, under the lead
ership of Mr.. Bryan, is the one great bar
rier against the rising tide of socialism.
The party of the trusts and the party of
State socialism are both attempting to
destroy the principle of competition. Be-
tween the two stands the Democratic
party, appealing to the people not to per-
nit opportunity and hope to be taken
away from the young men of the coun-
try. So closely allied are the Republi-
cans and the Socialists in the war upon
the Democratic doctrine of individual
liberty and the right and opportunity
Hanna, the chairman Of the Republican
National Committee, is assisting and en-
couraging MIR. Debs, the Socialist candi-
| date for President.
But if McKinleyism and Socialism sue
ceed in defeating the Democratic party,
| is it not more than probable that the sit
uation prophesied by Macaulay will
presently appear? Is 1t possible that
we have an American Caesar or Napoleon
working steadily and in cold blood to-
ward conditions that will make mill
taryi despotism in America feasible? Let
us not forget how swiftly, how unexpect-
edly, how irresistibly, the change was
made in Rome ard in France.
OF one thing alone can we be certain
that there can be no military empire
or no socialistc government in Ameri-
ca so long as the people support the poll
icy eXpcunded by Thomas Jefferson and
defended by the Democratic party.
1t is said that the great moral truths
of the world must be repeated once in
every generation in new dialect.
1t is the duty of every good American.
whether he be rich or poor. great or