Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-29

In his speech Monday evening Secre-
tary Shaw said that the democratic
party Is without an issue. This is so
co~nspicuously the fact that II seems al
most needless to assert II. The demo
cratic party started out in the national
congressional campaign with a flourish
Of trumpets regarding imperialism, mill
tarism, opposition to the trusts, so
called, and tariff reform, with which
II was proposed to sweep the country.
What Is left Of these issues?
The cry Of imperialism has ceased to
attract attention. Nobody pay any
further attention to It. Its folly has be-
come apparent to every body of common
n and SAM judgment. There is
peace in the Philippines, so far as the
civilized people Of the archipelago are
concerned. These are submitting with
out a question to American sovereignty
and are showing entire contentment.
They are experiencing no imperialistic
rule, but On the contrary are having
n measure of freedom which they have
never before enjoyed. AS to alleged
m%ilitarism. it is shown to have been
utterly groundIess by the fact that the
military establishment has been reduced
to the minimum provided by law and
that our army is today the smallest
relative to population Of any in the
world. Just as rapidly as 1t was ex-
pedient to cut down the regular army
this has been done and 1t has now been
reduced to a force which no sensible citi-
zen can regard as insufficient, or as in
the least degree dangerous to the inter
ests and welfare of our people and the
perpetuity Of our institutions. No ra-
tional man will apprehend any interior
ence with the liberty Of our people or
any menace to free institutions from a
standing army of less than 10000 In a
nation of nearly s0,oOO,0O0.
In regard to opposition to the great in
dustrial combinations the democratic
party is no more earnest and sincere
than the republican party. 1t must not
be forgotten that the only federal anti
trust legislation was enacted by the re-
publican party and that it was a demo
cratic administration which pronounced
this legislation inadequate and failed to
make a single effort to enforce 1t, al
though trusts were then numerous and
aggressive. The republican party was
first to declare against combinations In
restraint OF trade and for the control of
production and prices, and it has shown
it's good faith in legislation, national
and state, and in efforts to enforce the
antitrust laws.
AS to so-called tariff reform, every
body knows that the democratic party
has in view free trade-the overthrow
of the principle of protection to Ameri-
can industries and American labor. Yet
even as to this, that party Is not united,
some of its members realizing that If the
policy of destroying protection should
be carried out the effect would be
disastrous to a very large number of u
industries. The simple truth is that the
uemocfduC party hao no PloStlSaule Poi
icy regarding a single one Of the great
questions which await solution. 1t is
merely a party Of opposition. proposing
nothing that commends itself to the
sound Judgment and the practical wis
dom of the country. 1t is entirely out
of accord with the intelligent sentiment
of the time and therefore unworthy of
popular confidence and support