The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-05-15


and Funston would make good repub-
lican ticket, with imperialism as the
paramount issue. The reasons then
given were sound and they still hold
good, but the imperialistic spirit has
developed SO rapidly that the warlike
senator from Indiana and the oratori-
cal general from Kansas are passing
into inocuous desuetude. The former
has allowed a whole month to elapse
since he hurled verbal javelin at the
Declaration OF Independence or ridi-
culed the doctrine of self-government,
while the latter has entirely lost caste
since he denied administering that
benevolent and love-inspiring remedy
known as the water cure" But while
the popularity of the Beveridge-Fun-
ston ticket has been on the wane
new combination has been forging to
the front, and already the names of
Smith and Herod are being mentioned
with increasing enthusiasm in i'm
perialstic circles.
Smith and Herod. These are names
to conjure with, and there is no dis
guising the fact tnat they represent
the very essence of that bloody, but
to some attractive, theory of govern
ment by force and violence. General
Smith has achieved sudden yet undying
fame as the admitted author of an
| order directing his subordinate officers
| to kill all the male inhabitants of
Samar above ten years of age. to burn
| all property found and to leave the
| country "a bowling wilderness" while
| Herod made himself conspicuous nine
teen hundred years ago by ordering the
| killing of all infants under two years
| Of age. Smith and Herod together
would make almost clean sweep. To
| be sure, boys between two and ten
years would slip out between the two
orders, but if Smiths views are sup
ported by the American people he will
doubtless lower the age limit next
time and after while make his MUIR
ders begin where Herod's left off. His
tory will be searched in vain for an
instance of cold-blooded, heartless and
inhuman cruelty equal to that perpe-
trated by Smith and his subordinate,
Waller, and yet our Philippine COM
| miSSionerS who draw enormous sal
aries on the pretense that they are
looking after the interests of our Fill
pino subjects either never knew what
was going on or. if they knew, did
not care. What a blot on American
honor! What disgrace to the Amer
lean name! And yet this is natural
outgrowth of the teaching of imperial
ism. Every man who justities the pur-
| chase of trade with human blood or
estimates the commercial value of
human lives is sowing the seed from
which such orders grow. When we be-
gin to weigh inalienable rights against
money and to speculate on the pillage
of towns and the desolation of whole
provinces, we are not apt to be squeam-
ish about any mears that may be
thought necessary to silence protest.
BY all means let Smith be the i'm
perialistic candidate. The syndicates
organized for the exploitation of the
Philippines ought to furnish the cam.
paign fund, and there will not be want
ing men who think they see the hand
of Providence in it all.
If any one objects to Herod for vice
president on the ground that he is
dead, it is sufficient reply to say that
he is the only character in history who
is worthy of place on the ticket with
General Smith. And then, too, the
republican party will be as dead as
Herod when the American people thor
| oughly understand imperialism and
pass judgment upon it.
Mr.. Hanna processes great devotion
to the American workingmen. When
the ship subsidy bill was before the
senate, one of the opponents of that
measure charged that the Chinese pre-
dominated among the crews of the Pa
cifc steamships. Mr.. Hanna promptly
denied the charge, but when met with
proof in the shape of the statement of
a Pacific steamship captain, the senator
from Ohio had nothing more to offer
on that line. Mr.. Hanna voted against
the proposed amendment providing
that the subsidy should be paid only to
ships that employed American seamen.
Subsequently Mr.. Hanna voted against
the Chinese exclusion bill as it passed
the house. Can it be possible that Mr..
! Hanna's affection for the American
workingman is not even skin-deep?
If any one feels inclined to criticise
General Smith for allowing boys under
ten years of age to escape the Destroy
ing hand, it must be remembered that
those who have not yet reached fry
ing size" will grow up to the order in
a few years. If he killed the infants
now he would soon have no ten-year-
Odds to Stay, but as it is he can gather
a new crop every year.
A German paper has striking car
toon entitled "The Crown and the
Crisis This represents King Ed
ward holding in his hand crown,
and kneeling before the figure of the
Angel of Peace. "Put my crown on,
pleads King Edward. Wash the blood
off first" replies the Angel of Peace.
1t will be, indeed, a mighty bloody
crown that will be placed June rs, 1902.
The best way to secure the suprem-
acy of democratic principles is to at
tend the democratic primaries, put
none but democrats on guard, and
then make an enthusiastic campaign.