Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-07-23
What Doe, lt MeanY


sprung up in the Republican papers is
a sort of red herring across the trail of
the imperialistic fot. Not the slightest
doubt is warranted that the Republi-
cans are very much worried over the
possible fate of their Colonial schemes.
1t was only by a narrow majority of
one that these schemes were not given
their quietus by the Supreme Court;
and the reasoning by which the major
ity reached this decision in favor of
government by force was so devious
and so incoherent that the fears of the
pIotters have been augmented rather
than allayed.
So far from the anti-imperial propa-
ganda having lost heart or hope, there
are evidences that it has taken on fresh
zeal and that it has accepted the hint
of the Supreme Court and will center
its fire upon Congress hereafter. Had
this been done in the last election, 1t is
exceedingly doubtful whether the Eff
ty-seventh Congress would have had
majority which could be relied upon 10
attempt the governing of acquired ter
ritory outside the pale of the Constitu-
ton. As ii was the anti-imperialists
let Congress go rather by default, con-
centrating their efforts on the over
throw of Mckinley himself. This at
tack having failed and the question
still being open, the anti-imperialists
now see their way clear to a decisive
test of strength.
The question Of Imperialism in all its
badness and all its immortality and all
its cruel disregard of human rights will
now be brought home to the plain peO-
pie in the Congressional districts of the
whole country. No intervening ques-
ton Will be permitted to cloud the is
sue. No suggestion of ''repudia ton or
national dishonOr" or overthrow of
prosperity can be worked in by cum
ming political jugglers to confuse the
Jublic mind and brighten timid bust
ness interests into supporting the Presi-
dent in his brutal policy of foreign con-
quest. The people will be asked to de-
eide whether they are in favor of
American ideals and American princi-
Piles or whether they wish to abandon
these principles and ideals and go back
more than a century to take up with
policy which our fathers fought and
died to overthrow.
The Republicans undoubtedly see
that this Is going to be the line of at
tack. They are therefore casting about
for the best way to side-track the agi
tation. They know full well that the
people are restless under the frightful
burdens of Dingleyism, burdens which
the trusts make heavier by eXtortiOnS
of their own under its monstrous pro-
lection. But the Republicans have no
intention of wiping out Dingleyism or
of overthrowing the trusts. They do
intend to fool the people as far as they
can with plans for the modification of
the Dingley tariff and the curta lment
of trust robbery. They talk and will
continue to talk of reciprocity and per-
haps Babcock will talk and continue to
talk Of free-listing some truSt-made ar
ticles: but let no one be deceived. The
party Of public plumber, the party of
privilege, the party of plutOcracy, is not
going to put stop to public plumber.
Not if it can help it. But if this party
can divert popular attention from its
schemes of world-conquest by talking
of the tariff and by renewing the agita
ton along that line, what more likely
than that it should resort to this trick
in order to gain time for the carrying
out of its vast undertakings in colonial
ism?
That the tariff is attracting more and
more attention and that sooner or later
that issue must become defnitive one
before the American people is certain.
1t really ought to be the foremost ques-
ton before the people at this moment
and it would be but for the lamentable
fact that the Dingley party has taken
care to overshadOw that tremendous is
sue with one even more tremendous.
For after all the malta of preserving
free government is SIOre important
than the establishment of free trade.
Ordinarily Democrats would welcome
the precipitation Of the tariff question
into the arena of political discussion.
Indeed they would welcome it at this
moment if it did not come with the
suspicious suggestion that it is being
dragged in for the purpose of distract
ing notice from the more vital question
of whether we shall have a Republic
or an Empire. Democrats can hardly
avoid taking a hand in the fight where
the tariff is concerned and this fact
is relied upon by the imperial free
hooters to disturb the alliance be-
tween the Democrats and those of the
Republican faith who have Joined the
Democratic party on the issue of i'm
perialism. Whether the plans of the
Republicans will fail or not remains to
be seen.
But that this is really the inspira-
ton of all the stir that is recently
abroad concerning the tariff we have
little doubt. The plutocratic party has
enormous undertakings in view. 1t is
not merely seeking to govern Cuba,
it is not merely looking for the conquest
of the islands of the sea; it is plan
ming for the conquest of the United
States; and it has made the first steps
in that direction. 1t has already over
thrown free government in one of the
sovereign States Of the Union. 1t IS
only a question of time and of public
temper when it viii take further steps
along the same imperial road. And that
party may be trusted 10 resort to any
expedient, however desperate, to avoid
4 square issue before the people on the
vital question of Republic or Empire.
If it can keep the Empire in the back
ground by Juggling the tariff to the
front, it viii accept the risk of free
trade rather than challenge a return to
the old fundamentals of the Republic.
-JOhnstOwn Democrat.
Where Do Republicans Stand.
Senator Foraker is right, no doubt,
IN "a wing thar tho Dornooro +fn no rfv-