Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-01-24
MPERILSTHE NATION
Former President Cleveland on
Constitutional Limitations.
DepIOres Present Policy of the United
States Towards PhfIippines-
Dangers OF National
Greed.

DA1kGE8 O1 NAAAOAAA
Greed.
At the sixteenth annual dinner of the
Holland Society of New York on tbs
night of January II Grover Cleveland
expressed in unmistakable terms his
opinion of the imperiaIistic policy of
the present administrator. The for
mer president was the center of in
terest among several hundred guests,
and in response to a call for a speech
said:
The cordial welcome you extend TO me
is exceedingly grateful and comforting,
for it gives me a grain OF satisfaction in
the ordeal that confronts me-. I am con-
WINGED that the art of making an after
dinner speech without distress IS for me
a sealed book. and as the years pass I
am only saved from complete wretched-
ness in my efforts in that direction by
the kindness and liberation of those who
are good enough to listen TO me. | can
not resent the charge that | am apt to
preach a sermon on occasions of this
kind. for / am afraid this accusation is
justified.
1T has been my lot to be much on the
sober side of life. and to feel the pressure
of great responsibilities. Besides. 1 be-
lieve it sometimes happens that an ex-
cess of light-hearted gayety creates a
condition of popular thought and impulse
that may probably be Steadied by sedate
suggestions and the expression of con-
sentative sentiment-eTen though ii may
be called sermoniZing. AT any rate, / am
quite willing to take an humble place
among the -sermoniZers. in this time of
~headlong national heedlessness. and to in
woke the cultivation and saving grace of
Dutch conservatism. This is the kind of
conservatism that counts the cost. but
for the sake of principle and freedom
will disregard TIE cost; that. lays out q
~ aoa NV ahorT ond mn 9 and fol-
lows chart and compass to the end: that
loves the liberty and happiness which
rest upon tried and sure foundations;
that teaches reverefSe for national tradi-
tons and encourages the peoples salts
faction with their country.s mission.
1T is the kind OF conservatism in which
our constitution had It's birth and which
has thus far been the source of our ma
TONS safety and strength-the conserva-
tism of justice. of honor, Of honesty, OF
industry. of frugality and Of contented
homes.
In this assembIage of those who know
so well the meaning Of these things, the
question is suggested whether IN present
conditions this conservatism character
ICES the conduct or guides the sentiment
of our people. There can be but one
answer to this question. Conservatism
has in a great degree been jauntily cast
aside, or condemned as opposed to our
; country's welfare and glory.
War, even with the worlds advanced
| civilization, may still be sometimes nee
| essary and tustifabfe. but whether neces-
sary and justiiable or not the democrat
iZation that follows in its train can never
be evaded 1t teaches bloody instruc-
! tons. which in a country whose citizens
do the fighting cannot fail to leave their
impress for a time at least upon public
and private life in time of peace.
Thirty years after the close of the war
for the preservation of the union a treaty
of arbitration vas formulated between
- - C+1&-- @-1 GrnaN Rrifnf
which. If completed, would have gone
far toward removing every pretext Of
war between the two countries Thus
these two great English-speaking nations
then assumed leadership in the path of
peace and in advocacy of the abolition
of war. with the hope and expectation
that the Xample would be followed oy
other nations, and that a more general
adoption of arbitration as a means of set
Ting international disputes would result
in a great advance toward the abandon
ment of war throughout the world.
This treaty failed of confirmation in
the senate of the United States. Less
than five years passed, and these Eng
disappearing champions Of peace and ar
bitration are still operating on parallel
lines-cne in the Philippines and the
other in South Africa-but no longer for
peace and arbitration. Both are killing
natives in an effort to possess their lands
This indicates a sad relapse, and IN
our case it Is a most serious one. Il
1 TLlIS4dII0 SdC1CCdS III AACA (~AAAP ~ oSNNAA
Africa she viii but add another to her
list of similar acquisitions; a brave peo-
pie viii have been And be-
cause OF our engagement In a similar
venture in another quarter they will miss
the expressions of American sympathy
which we are accustomed to extend TO
those who struggle for national life and
independence
our effort a new, untried and
exceedingly p~erilous situation will be
forced upon us. We can conquer the
Philippines, and after ~conquering then
can probably govern them
1T is in the strain upon our institu-
tons, the Generalization of cur people,
the evasion of our constitutional limita-
tons and the perversion of our national
mission that our danger lies. As a dis
tinguished bishop has said: The ques-
ton is not what We shall do with the
Philippines. but what the Philippines viii
do to us
Our country will never be the same
again. For veal or woe. we have already
irreVocably passed beyond the old lines
The republic viii in some sort be saved
Shall it be only in name and semblance
with fair external appearance but witt
the germs of decay fastened upon Its
vitals. or shall it, though changed. still
survive in such vigor and strength as t.
remain the hope and pride OF free Anleri'
cans?
The problem is a momentous one. Its
olution depends upon the extent te
which the old patriotism and good sense
of our countrymen can be rescued from
impending danger. Thus these are sober
days for thoughtful citizens-days fol
preaching, days for sermonizing.
IF we are to be saved from disaster
it must be through the cultivation an
enforcement of that sort OF conservatism
that should find a congenial home in the
Holland society. In the midst OF reck'
less tumult and in the confused rage OF
national greed and bloodiness this con
servatism should defiantly stand fortf
and demand a hearing
dom and popular rule cannot perish ex
cept through the madness OF those Wnt
have them in their keeping. and by ths
blood and sacrifices of our fathers. by
the lofty achievements of the free instl
tutions they established. by cur gloriou:
victories Of peace and by our reliance OF
the romise of God Let Dutch conserv,
etism enioin upon our people a faithful
discharge of their sacred trust
PRESS PUNGENCIES.