Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-09-24

Dcp1oraDlc Conditions.
The last few years have doubtless
seen some dimming of our national
ideals. With colonies we find many
things to do that we never looked for
ward to, and that were, until recently,
supposed to be inconsistent with estab-
lished and well-settled principles. For
instance, it is manifestly impossible to
govern the Filipinos as we govern peo-
pie here Mt home-or rather as our peo-
pie govern themselves. At the very out
set We have to recognize the fact that
government in the Philippines is with
out the consent of the governed-at
least, for the present. Plainly, there
fore we have learned by our excursion
to the Pacific Islands that our boosted
principles are not universally applica-
Bile. SO trial by jury can hardly be
practicable in Samar or AIindanao. And
we find 1t necessary to impose severe
limitations on freedom of speech and
the press, and even to violate the con-
stitution by rcsorting to the use Of tor
ture.
glorify the strong man. to take exceed
ingly practical" views of things, to
talk about weak" races, and to rely
more and more on the strong hand.
This tendency is working out In many
directions. One can hardly pick up o
newspaper without seeing an account
of some act of shameless cruelty and
brutality perpetrated on q negro. But
the negro belongs to an inferior" race,
and so is entitled to no consideration
from us Anglo-SaNons. And we nctu-
ally hear voices demanding the repeal
not now discussing so much whether
what we have done Is right or wrong.
as the intellectual tendency that has
flowed from those acts.
In the Industrial world the same In
fluences are Mt work. Men combine and
which control State legislatures and
Congress, and then we are told that we
| must not attack them, must not even
deny them what they want lest In
weakening them we should destroy in.
dustrial prosperity. The vulgar rich
the millionaire Adventures, dazzle lis
with their splendor; and when we cr!tl
else their methods or question the
beauty of their ideals, we are told that
they are really benefactors of the race
Railroads and anthracite operators gel
together In an organization that is In
violation, ut least of the spirit and in
tent, OF the laws, md Cypress and rol
their men, and the latter are denounced
for raising the price of coal. Every
where is this slorification of strength
strength (which comes from riches OF
mere brute force.
And the answer to 1t all is that the
country is prosperous! This is "a sac
plea to make to a people whose ances
tors endured the most horrid privations
for years in order that they might es
tablish, as they thought forever, those
| great principles Which we now smile a
as the mere dreams of political ideal
| lists. The only duty of government.
Notwithstanding our owns t,
make the people prosperous. When the.
have done that, all their crimes are for
given. Believing as we do that Democ
racy is an immortal principle, and tina
we shall one day return to sounder AM
nobler principles, NC refuse to take tn
pessimistic view. But that there ar'
grave dangers ahead of us cannot, W.
think, be denied. We insist that TIL
pulpit has here chance that 1t is Ger
tainly not improving. We need to hea
call back to the old ideals and princi
ples.-Indianapolis News.