Gilpin observer., 1904-08-18
iMPERIALIsM-WHAT 1T MEANS
AT HOME AND ACROSS
THE PACIFIC.


brutal incarceration without warrant
Of law for free born American citi'
zens; death for Filipinos and deporta.
tion for Coloradoans-suchh has been
the policy Of the Republican party
abroad and at home.
Roosevelt rides rough shod over the
little brown brothers by the uncertain
right of conquest. Peabody tramples
upon our own people by the divine
right of kings in an absolute monarchy
which he has arrogated to himself.
The President is a Caesar; the gov.
ernor is a Czar.
Both are Republicans.
And the United States is a republic.
Shades of Washington and Jefferson
and Lincoln, defend US!
OF the two imperialists Peabody is
the more dangerous, for his militar-
ism is directed against men Of his
own race, his own nation and his own
state. But the same broad principle
applies in both cases.
Back of Peabody stood corporations
whose tool he is. In front Of him is
a fanatical swashbuckler, a mono
maniac on the subject Of military su-
premacy.
The corporations dictate. Peabody
directs. Sherman Bell executes.
The dreary cold wastes of Siberia
are for the Russian who dares question
the autocratic acts Of the Gear and
his ministers. The hot, desolate sands
of the New Mexican border are for the
Colorado citizen who commits lese
majestic by criticising Peabodyism.
The remedy of the Russian is the
bomb. That of the Coloradoan is the
ballot.
A hundred thousand paper bombs
this fall will blow Peabody to OBJ
scurity, although his name will be per-
petuated in the annals of Colorado as
the man who set himself up as dicta.
tor of an American commonwealth.
Since British supremacy was over
thrown no such despotism has been
known in an American state as has
been exercised in Colorado during the
past six months. No President or gov
ernor ever dared go to the limits
reached by the Republican party OF
this state through it's governor.
On the flimsy pretext that because
acts of lawlessness were committed in
certain localities those districts were
placed under martial law, and the civil
authorities subordinated to the mill
tary. 1t was assumed that acts Of vio-
ience by some individuals constituted
open rebellion against the state, and
nnder such an excuse further acts OF
lawlessness were committed in the
name of law. Public officials. elected
by the people, were forced to resign
their offices, ropes being held over
their heads and threats Of lynching
offered them if they did not comply
with the demands Of the mob called
"law and ORDER" and backed by the
national guard.
Citizens, against whom no crime
was charged, were dragged from their
homes and families and thrown into
bullpen and there retained at the
pleasure Of a committee.
This committee sat as an inquisition
and condemned the victims brought in
by the military to indefinite imprison-
ment or exile, and its DEGREES were
carried out by the militia of the state.
the guardians of the peace"
The numberless outrages committed
by the military authorities are fresh in
the minds of the people of this state,
and ever Of the nation, for the unpre-
cedentetl condition that has obtained
in Colorado under the bayonet rule Of
Peabody has astounded the entire
country. The news from Colorado
up4er the reign Of terror read like un-
censored stories from Russia. The
people of the nation stood aghast, not
being able to comprehend that such
atrocities had occurred in the United
States of America.
Mob law is always to be deprecated.
but when 1t is exercised in the name Of
the State it becomes doubly dangerous
because of the precedent established.
II governor can establish q military
despotism in Teller or San Miguel or
Las Animas county, he can do tho
same in Denver or El Paso or any
other county. He can close up the
courts and subject citizens to drum
head court martial from which there
is no appeal. Any citizen may be held
in prison indefinitely, kept incommuni-
cado. or be banished. 1t is a revival
of Spains methods in Cuba, against
which the people rebelled, and in