The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1900-08-23

against the arbitrary action OF exc
cutive powers. The policy OF the
president offers the inhabitants of
Porto Rico. Hawaii and the Philip
pines no hope of independence, no
prospect of American citizenship. no
protection. no repre-
sentation in the congress which taxes
him. This is the government of men
by arbitrary power without their
consent; there is Imperialism.
There is no room under the free
flag of America for subjects. The
president and congress. who derive
all their power from the constitution
can govern no man without regard
to its limitations.
We believe that the greatest safe
guard OF liberty is free press, and
we demand that the censorship i'll
the Philippine islands, which keeps
from the American people the know
edge of what is done III their name be
abolished.
We are entitled TO know the truth,
and we insist that the powers which
the president holds III trust for us
shall be not used to suppress it.
Because we thus believe. we oppose
the reelection of Mr. Mckinley. The
supreme purpose OF the people i'll
this momentous campaign should be
to stamp with their final disapproval
his attempt 10 aspimperial power.
\ self-gOverning people can have no
more imperative duty than TO drive
from public life a chief magistrate
who, whether in weakness or OF wick
ed purpose, has used his temporary
| authority to subvert the character
of their government and TO destroy
| their national ideals. We. therefore
I in the belief that it is essential at
this crisis for the American people to
again declare their faith III the uni
versal application OF the Declaration
of Independence and to reassert their
will that their servants shall not
have or exercise any powers what
ever other than those conferred by
the constitution, earnestly make the
following recommendations TO our
countrymen
First-That without regard to their
views on minor questions of domes-
tic policy they withhold their votes
from Mckinley in order to stamp
with their disapproval what he has
done.
Second-That they vote for those
candidates for congress, in their re-
spective districts, who will oppose
the policy of Imperialism.
Third-While we welcome any 9th
er method OF opposing the re cleo
ton of Mr.. Mckinley, we advise di-
rect support of Mr.. Bryan as the
most effective means of crushing i'm
perialism.
We are convinced OF Mr.. Bryan $
sincerity and of his earnest purpose
to secure to the F'ilipinos their indie
pendence. His position and the dec
larations contained in the platform
of his party on the vital issue of the
campaign, meet our unqualified APP
prevail.
We recommend that the executive
committees of the American anti
imperialist league and its allied
leagues continue and extend their
EXAMINATIONS, preserving the indie
pendence of the movement; and that
they take the most active possible
parts in the pending political cam
paign.
Until now the policy which has
turned the Filipinos from warm
friends to bitter enemies, which has
slaughtered thousands OF them and
laid waste their country, has been
the policy of the president. After the
next election it becomes the policy of
every man who votes to re- elect him
and who thus becomes. with him. re-
sponsible for every drop of blood
thereafter shed.
Sultan Permits 0utrages.