Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-09-11


party of expansion aid that policy has
given us continent. It gave us a new
seat of empire and dedicated it to free
dom. it gave us the sovereign States
guarding the home Of happy, prosper.
GUS people. 1t gave them OUR flag for
their glory-the symbol Of free citizen
ship, while it gave them the constitu-
ton for their safety and protection
Even the rights of the uncivilized ma
tives Of this territory was respected.
They were made guards of the nation,
given property of their own, and their
lands taken only by treaty for compen.
sation. The Democratic party expand.
ed" the trade and commerce of our
country until the flag waved from the
masts of an American merchant marine
that darkened every ocean and every
sea.
When one charges the Democratic
party with being the party of expansion
1t points to its glory-the brightest chap
tiers in Its history and in the history of
our country. 1t violated no principle of
the Declaration of Independence. In
the acquisition of more than one-half
of all our territory 1t never deprived n
human being civilized enough to up.
preciate the blessing of the right to lib.
erty, life and property which we claim
for ourselves. 1t never wrung hundreds
of millions from the people to sustain n
great standing army.
There is more involved in this policy
than the wrongs of the dead or living
Filipinos. The ADMINISTRATION policy
has, tciIiei to destroy the right senti-
ment of the American people. "1ndif-
ference to liberty anywhere, breeds In.
difference to liberty everywhere"
The Republican party has taught our
people to be Indifferent to the right to
liberty Of the late Spanish colonists. 1t
has taught them to excuse the admins
tration's violation of the principles of
free government. 1t has taught them
to suppress their real sentiments. This
indifference-tO human rights is the dam
ger to our institutions. 1t was Lincoln
who said, "What constitutes the bull
wark Of our liberty and independence?
1t Is not our frowning battlements or
bristling sea coasts, our army or our
navy, our reliance is in the love Of lib
erty which God has planted to us. Our
defense is In the spirit which prizes lib
erty as the heritage of all men, In all
lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit
and you have planted the seed of des-
potism ut your own doors. They who
deny freedom to others deserve 1t not
for themselves and under just God
cannot long retain It," You will find
these words prophetic of our attitude to-
wards England's war in South Africa.
Three years ago England, our hercdi-
tary enemy-the robber nation of Eu-
rope-without excuse, without Justice,
for national greed-to steal the rich
mines of the two South African re-
publics, commenced a murderous war
for their destruction. There was not q
serious pretense from any source that
the war was justified; that 1t was any,
thing but murderous. 1t was directed
against n people who had sought to go
SO far into the wilderness and across
the plains that they would forever es-
cape English rule, and the sight of the
hated flag. They carved out of the will
derness. conquered from wild beasts
and wilder sayages an arid plain where
on to build their homes. They organic
ed government after the form of our
own, which derived its just powers
from the consent of the governed.
For three years England has waged
the most merciless, exterminating and
uncivilized war that was ever urged
against a people. She has put the
weapon of war into the hands of savage
tribesmen. She has devastated the
country, burned its homes, destroyed its
property, imprisoned Its people She
has sent to this work of determination
the largest army she ever sent against
any enemy. She has been met by valor,
heroism. bravery, self-sacrifice, devo-
ton to liberty, surpassed by no people
in defense of their homes and their
freedom, and what has been the atti-
tude of our government?
A year ago there came to this coun-
try the accredited representatives of
the Transvaal and Orange Free State
republics. The doors of the State De-
partment were shut in their faces, ad-
ministration supporters were forbid
den to extend to them the sympathy
even that every American should feel
for any people struggling for liberty,
and Congress suppressed resolutions of
sympathy lest we might hurt the feel.
ing of the English friends of the ad-
ministration.
1t was John Adams who said that
whenever and wherever the flag of free.
dom was unfurled by my people strug-
Cling to be free there would be the
heart and the sympathy of the Ameri-
can people. That was true for. more
than n century of our national life. Po-
land, Hungary, Greece, Ireland had our
sympathy and our prayers for their
success, though none of them had a
government similar to ours, none of
them was in name even, republic
bul luey were iHSplreu WIN heroic
faith in the divine right Of man to en-
joy life, liberty and happiness unham-
pered by tyranny, and when their rep
resentatives came to this country seek
ing sympathy and aid, we honored
Kosciusko, Kossuth and Parnell,
opened the doors of government to them
and Congress after giving them the
right to speak in the halls of leglsla-
ton, passed resolutions of sympathy
that our expressed our sentiments.
Our ports have been opened TO En-
gland to buy material to carry on the
war, while England seized American
goods in American ships from under
the American flag on the pretense that
they might be sold to the Beers. No
word from the administration, fromgov-
eminent circles has escaped to express
the sentiments of our people, while En-
gland destroys sister republics and muir
ders people struggling for liberty ON
the plains of South Africa.
II we We're justified in going to war
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