The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-25

form our Union, TO preserve our national
life. to carry liberty and freedom to Cuba.
and to plant our banner In victory OIL
the islands of the seas. They are entitled
to the protection of the government for
which they have so bravely fought. 1t is
an inexpressibie shame that such pro-
lection is denied. AS they have shared
our labors and per1ls so must they share
our rewards. In what way their rights
will better be secured is an unsolved
problem, but until they are fully protect
ed, and Democratic prosecutions and de-
mails of constitutional rights have ceased,
there should not be any restoration of
the Democratic party to power.
Expansion.
But there are other questions of the
highest Importance. We are beset with
new and untried difficultes. We have
had war. We have changed the map of
the world. We have acquired new terri
tory, and with it have come to us new
duties and new responsibilities, We
have assumed them, and must
faithfully discharge them or stand dis
credited before the nations
The Republican party has an intelligent
policy on this subject. 1t has been pro-
claimed to the world. We have acted upon
1t. We have legislated to carry it into
effect. We are executing IL with success
have universal support, but instead it
has fierce opposition, 1t was attacked
last year as unconstitutional The Su-
preme Court has answered that assault
and now they are attacking the Supreme
Court.
The Supreme Court.
Mr. Bryan declares that its decision in
the Porto Rican cases is as infamous as
the decision in the Dred Scott case, and
calls upon Democrats everywhere to rally
for Its overthrow.
Senator Tillman denounces it as damn
able, and says that we are to have a
battle to the death before it is finally ac-
cepted Other Democrats, great and
small, say it means the end of the re-
pubic; that Mckinley is Emperor; that
our liberties are lost: and ell join in
declaring that the next great political
contest will be as to whether this de-
cision shall stand. II they make such an
issue we can afford it. 1t will be the
President, the Congress and the Supreme
Court-all the departments of the gov
ernment on one side, and the Democratic
party and its allies on the other.
1t viii not be the first time we have
had such an alignment of forces, and as
always heretofore, patriotism and
Apprehension will triumph
Porto Rico.
When we came to legislate for Porto
Rico we found there million people.
more. than five hundred thousand of
whom did not own one dollars worth of
any kind of property. and more than
eight hundred thousand of whim could
not either read or write in any language
None of them knew anything about our
institutions, our laws, our judicial sys-
TEN, or any thing else connected with the
practical administration of free popular
government.
They had no system of property tax
alton, no school system, and scarcely any
kind of social order or organization. They
had been wasted by war, and devastated
by hurricane. They were helpless as chill
dren. From the first moment of our oc-
cupation it was necessary to feed and
support them by tens of thousands to
prevent starvation.
If the constitution and all the laws of
the United States, not locally inappl!-
cable. had followed the flag and gone into
force and effect there as soon as it was
raised, as the Democratic party contend
ed, it would have been impossible to have
relieved their distress, or to have estab-
lished successful government of any
kind. Instead OF peace, order and pro-
gress which we have in that island to-
day, we would have had universal chaos
ana universal failure,
The Philippines.
The great work of the hour is the es-
tablishment of a stable and successful
government in the Philippines Had the
Democratic view prevailed this would
have been impossible. The way is now
clear and well defined We can go for
ward intelligently. This is not a mere
political matter 1t is also a practical
business question, affecting all classes Of
the American people, and no class more
directly than our wage workers. We have
reached a point in our industrial develop
ment where we produce more than we
consume. We must find markets for the
surplus, or quit producing it. We cannot
restrict without cutting down the pay
roll That is one thing the Republican
party never shortens, but always length
ems.
We can get partial relief by tariff re-
vision and reciprocity treaties with Euro
pean and South American countries, but
the greatest markets of the world are in
the Far East. We want our fair share of
them, and intend to have it, and the way
to secure 1t is not to haul down the flag
and run away, but to remain and hold
on to the position. the prestige, the adj
vantage and the opportunities that we
now enjoy.
When men talk about overthrowing the
Supreme Court decisions in the Porto
Rican cases, they are striking also a the
Philippines and are raising issues that
not only affect the vital character of our
government, but also affect the wages Of
every man in the United States who eats
his bread In the sweat of his face.
1t denied the power to preserve the
Union. II denied the power to abolish
slavery. 1t denied the power of recon-
struotion. It denied the power TO protect
our industries 1t denied the power to es-
tablish the gold standard, and now II
denies the power to hold pos
sessions, and govern them according
TO common sense. although the constitu-
tion Itself expressly so provides.
American Wage workers.
The laboring men OF this country are
men OF brains. of intelligence, OF judg-
ment, OF keen memory and OF good as
socia tions, and therefore they have denied
these appeals; they will deny them again,
for they know that II Democratic ideas
prevail. prosperity will vanish and the
pride and glory OF the hour will turn 70
shame and humiliation.
A Tribute 20 Mckinley.
Whatever else we may be. let us be
Americans, and be worthy of the events
with which we are associated This Is a
great histoTy-making epoch. Except only
Washington and Lincoln. no President has
had such opportunities as have fallen TO
Mckinley. Not one has escaped him All
have been Improved 40 the honor and
glory of the Republic. No emergency has