Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-02-21

whole protective system will be broken
down and our trade ruined"
And thus far the commercial argu-
ment has prevailed. What answer the
Supreme Court will return to the ques-
tion as submitted to that tribunal re-
mains to be seen, but the legislative
and executive departments OF the Gov
ernmeot have both abandoned the path
of. '.plain duty" to go in the way of
commercialism.
These are, in brief the facts that
moved ex-President Harrison to break
with the traditions of the past. to over
come his natural reserve, and TO warn
his countrymen of the certain end OF
the course upon which the nation has
entered.
In the article in the North american
ReUieas, to which we have referred and
from which we have quoted, it Is not
the politician nor the office-seeker that
speaks, but the statesman and the
patriot. Mr.. Harrison had nothing in
the way of material advantage to gain,
but much to lose by espousing the un-
popular side of the question of COM
mercialism. In writing as he did he
was moved by sense of duty, not by
self-interest.
lone who has retired from the SER
vice, hut not from the love of his coun-
trv," SAYS the ex-President, ''must be
pardoned if he finds himself unable to
rejoice in the acquisition of lands and
forests and mines and commerce, at
the cost of the abandonment OF the old
American idea that a government OF
absolute powers is an intoleraole thing
and, under the Constitution OF the
United States, an impossible thing
The view of the Constitution | have
suggested will not limit the power OF
territorial expansion; but it will lead
US to limit the use CT that power to
regions that may safely become part
of the United States, and to peoples
| whose American citizenship may De
allowed. 1t has been said that the
flash of Dewey's guns in Manila Bay
| revealed to the American people new
mission. | like rather to think of them
as revealing the same old mission thai
we read in the flash of Washington
guns at Yorktown"
But the flash of Dewey's guns re-
| vealed to commercialism only the pos
sibilitv of enlarged foreign trade, and
nothing of enlarged human rights
| Nor is this commercial spirit peculiar
to this country; it is the spirit OF the
age. But for the lust for empire anc
for gold the Boer republics, instead O
living waste to-day, would be enjoying
peace and prosperity. 1t was the same
unholy lust that forced opium upor
China, and that by injustice and op
preston, practlced in the name of civ
ilization and religion, goaded to dee
peration the Chinese, making possible
the scenes of last summer.
The Chinese must submit to all sort
of restrictions in this and other 'tChris
tian lands" but the doors of that em
pire must stands invitingly open to tn
Christian nations" No matter
Chinese junks and boats rotted at tn
docks while China's coastwise and rive
traffic was carried on by steam vessel
owned and operated by Europeans
no matter if Chinese factories wer
idle aud Chinese goods and wares oe
. came moldy or tarnished upon tn
shelves while operatives and shop
} keepers starved; no matter II bank
, ruptcy overlook China and famin
claimed her people as lawful victims
} if only the golden streams were turne
from the Golfers of the Orient into tn
: safety deposit vaults of the Occiden'
! However much blood might How Sh.
: lock must have his pound of flesh. An
. this worldwide reign of selfishness
5 a significant sign of the times.-Sent
3 mel of Liberty.