The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-12-19
An Honest Imperlalist.

| erankness that characterizes an article
which recently appeared in a Texas pa
per. Mr.. Scudday Richardson describes
himself as one whose people are demo-
| Gratis, but it is evident from his article
that he has wandered away from his
early training. The following extract
from his article is reproduced that the
readers of The Commoner may see the
imperialistic idea as it really is when
its possessors have the courage to make
their innermost thoughts known:
student who has communed deeply
with the muse OF. history and been en-.
lightened as to the 'constant mutations
of human institutions. particularly
those OF political nature, may readily
observe, from contemplation of all
the nations of the present day, de-
cided movement away from the ideals
which have pervaded the world more
or less since the days of the French
revolution. The dream that number
of men may govern is passing away;
gradually it is becoming apparent,
even to the people at large, that it is IA
contradiction to suppose that govern
ment means anything but somebody in
control and little by little the illusion
airy idea of the consent of the governed
is dying from the earth Not a long
while ago this was tested in the United
States. Our new imperialistic policy
was overwhelmingly upheld. despite
the protestatons and atfrighted cries
of journals whose editors became al
most hysterical in their warnings.
Edward of England has taken dom
inant attitude. Everyone remembers
what was said shortly before Queen
Victoria died-that Edward would
never be allowed to come to the throne
by the English people because the
people presumably had drunk too deep
ly OF liberty. AS q; matter of fact it is
not surprising that the prerogative of
the crown should have decayed under
the sway of woman. Instead of man
| ifesting her power, she was ruled by
her ministers.
| than under the empire, and while a
| good deal of foolish stuff is written
about military rule, yet that rule is
necessary to d nation surrounded by
enemies. In this world, despite the
yaporlngs of theorists, neither u ma
ton, nor an individual, retains any
thing long unless the ability to pro-
tect is present. 1t is not from any be-
nlficent lenity or moderation that we
DO not force our young men to undergo
a military service, nor keep so power
full an army as the European nations
1t is because we do not yet require such
systems. In time of necessity, we
force men into the army just the same
as is done by other nations.
Imperialism means an abandonment
OF our ideas of government; it means
apostacy from the doctrines that have
controlled the nation in the past Mr.
Richardson is in error in pointing to
the last election as an evidence that our
people are overwhelmingly imperial
lstic. The fact is the republicans de-
MED their imperialistic tendencies un-
TIL after the campaign was over, and
ever since the election congress has re-
fused to declare itself in favor of i'm
perialism. What it has done can only
be construed as Imperialism. but it is
difficult to persuade republicans that
their party really means anything an
tagonistic to our form of government.
1t is only question of time when the
real intent of the republican leaders
will be made known. Then and not
till then will the people sit in judg-
ment upon that issue. In the mean
time, there is an occasional republican
who admits his conversion to the Euro
pean ideas of government. When one
departs from government by the con-
sent of the governed he must advocate
a government based on force, for all
forms of government except free gov
eminent derive their authority from
superior force.
Imperialism is the polite term used
to describe wholesale killing and grand
larceny. The people who advocate it
would not think of applying its princi-
pies to every day life. They think, if
! they stop to think at all, that theft is
purged of it's immoral character if
islands instead of poclletboolls are
taken, and they see less criminality in
the killing of thousands of people who
desire government than they do in
a single homicide. Strange that any
human mind can be deluded into coun-
| tenancing imperialism; strange that
any human heart can consider without
horror the results of imperialism and
the means employed.
"a reader of the Commoner asks for
an explanat on of the term 'sgovern-
ment by injunction" 1t is phrase
used to describe a process of the court
which has been more and more free
quently abused of late, whereby the
court, at the instance of a corporation,
enjoins the striking employees from do
ing some act described in the order.
The object of the writ is to suspend
the right of trial by jury and give the
judge an opportunity to punish for
contempt of court in case the order is
violated. The democratic platforms
of 1896 and 1900 condemned govern
ment by injunction. If the court pro-
hibits the doing of an act already un-
lawful the order is unnecessary be-
cause those who violate the criminal
law can be prosecuted in the ordinary
way. If the court prohibits the doing
of an act which is not prohibited by
| law then it is guilty of craatinr Law,