The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-16
Circulation Statement


can party to be listened 10 by its man
ayers and members when they speak. VIII;
are able to see, as do Senators Lodge and
Hale, the rocks ahead upon which botf
the organization and the country may
be wrecked, unless the Republican polio!
and system of lawlessness and loot which
came into being and action on March 4
1897, shall be quickly and thoroughly
abandoned. These two Senators have
sounded note of warning that ought ts
penetrate ears as deaf as those of Mr.
Hanna. or of his syndicate associates. II
could be no negligible thing that would
fmpeI the Senator from Maine to charac-
terize the course of his colleagues as he
did In the Senate on Thursday. Evidently
he felt this, for he said: There is moth
ing so thankless as to object when
schemes and interests are organized TO
loot the Treasury" And then he went
penditures constantly before our eyes are
30 demorsliziHs to our minds that we are
incapable of understanding or appreciat-
ing them. When the people once realize
the situation-and II is probably yet too
sarly-those who are responsible for
these expenditures will call upon the
rocks and mountains to hide them from
fha Ura tn of the peODle"
Senator Lodge supported the position
taken by Senator Hale. He denounced
the River and Harbor bill. loaded down
with appropriations of neither immediate
Dor imperative necessity" and was equal
II severe upon other Of his party's jobs.
I'VE are pushing along" said Senator
Lodge, ito the billion dollar mark. and
We have got to draw the line. We have
reached the point now when the people
are becoming alarmed"
Neither of these prophets. appealing
cselessIy to the Belshazzar of Republican
frust-rldden corruption. referred to an
other cause for the alarm and unrest
which are visibly affecting the masses. 1t
Is not alone that they fear the wssteful
extravaganza and dishonesty of their rul-
srs. 1t is that they begin to realize the
extent to which the sacred institutions of
the country have been assailed and i'm
periled, il not in part destroyed during the
past four years. A billion-dollar session
of Congress is sufficiently perturbing to
those whose toll must pay the bill; Con-
Sress which has shown itself willing TO
violate the Constitution at the behest Of
an Administration controlled in the inter
ests OF plutocracy and monopoly, and
which has surrendered its legislative au
thority over the Territories to the Presi-
dent without murmur, is a thing vastly
worse. There is today growing eonvic-
ton in the popular mind that the pine
nomena of the times point in a significant
and sinister manner TO the destruction of
the Republic in fact If not in name.
This opinion has not yet taken COM
plete form, and as yet it is unorganized.
But statesmen at least-if we have any
should be able to deduce the moral of
great and imminent danger, from the
IawIess and rabld temper which is OBJ
servsble among populations on the out
skirts OF the country, and which, demon
strably, is eating inward TO the centre.
The Leayenworth incident-that of the
negro who was burned alive at the stake
by mob OF Kansas Republicans; the wild
and violent outbreak of the female pro-
,;ibitionists OF Kansas. which has resulted
IN disorder aud, in places. anarchy; these
manifestations only prove tina, a heaven
of discomfort, of savage fanaticism in re-
Iation TO factional or SOLITARY fsds or be-
liefs. and Of readiness to defy law in sup
port OF them, is working nightly and may
produce terrible upheaval.
Subsidy grabbers. the men who can
crock their little fingers and cause the
United States Government to declare
economic war on a friendly nation for
their benefit, or who can force the Ad-
miEistration into real war with a neigh
boring State TO back their questionable
claims, all have good grounds upon which
10 pause and consider whittier they and
tha Irpfon mr.. driftfng Tho eap,a sngrif
which imbues the lawless saloon smash
erE and meeting house wreckers OF Kan
body of a Methodist college TO break up
bars-in their case mostly for the fun
of the thing-may be developed among
the populaee in quite other directions The
fact may not-in truth does not-appear
on the surface; but it is not the less a
fact that the common people of America
are rapidly losing the respect for law and
order that they had when Lawmakers and
administrators OF law were believed them
selves to respect 1t and the Constitution.
During nearly full Administration the
public have had the example set before
them of corrupt exploitation and public
plumber, and of complete disregard for
pledges and oaths OF Office. They have
witnessed the practical taking over of the