The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-11-23
REPUBLIC OR EMPIRE
Time For Voters to Determine
Which They Want.
QUESTION OF IMPERIALISM.
People Of the United S.ates Face to
Face With a Serious Problem-Ths
Financial Situation-volunne Of Cir
ouIatins Medium Too SnslI-Else.
tion's Aftermath.
BY WILLIS }. ABBOT.

the way of politics is a matter now OF
political discussion and a matter Of
very great doubt Tho president has,
Of course, control of the situation. But
what the president is going to do must
be determined by the men who are
back of him aud with whom he joins.
He has been beaten in all the vital
elections in states which he thought
he could control. He was beaten In
Ohio, in New York and in Kentucky.
Men are claiming that he won in Ken
lucky. but as a matter of fact he lost.
The Kentucky success was not pres
idential success, but a purely local vic
tory, largely due to local interests. The
Roosevelt papers are insisting that the
result of the elections was an APP
proval for the administration. Nobody
knows better than Mr.. Roosevelt him
self that this is absolutely untrue.
Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Bryan.
Nobody will question Mr.. Roosevelt's
popularity before the people. The last
man TO question it would be Mr.. Bry-
an. In II somewhat extended acquaint-
ance with both of these gentlemen l
have never heard Bryan say one word
of criticism Of Mr.. Roosevelt, nor have
had occasion to listen to one word Of
hostility to Mr.. Bryan expressed by
the president. This does not mean
that they are absolutely friendly in
politics. I have listened to Mr.. Roose-
welt when he explained to me that Mr.
Bryan was not n dangerous man, but
was not wise man. What Mr.. Bryan
thinks of the president do not know.
When Mr.. Roosevelt makes up his
mind as to whether he will be once
more candidate, whether, unlike
George Washington and Thomas JEFF
ferson, he is willing to stand for a
third term, there may be some things
said concerning him. 1t is quite up to
him to make this determination, and
when made he must not object to what
may be said.
Can Il se King Roosevelt?
Two or three days ago lecturer In
the law department of the University
of Michigan, one Professor Drake, said
to his class that In his judgment Mr..
Roosevelt should be made king. The
class laughed, thinking that he was
talking satirically or at least humOr-
ously. He assured the class that he
was speaking seriously. Here in Wash
ington have heard at least twice men
who We're not strongly for Mr.. Roose-
welt and whose politics did not know
say to me that they thought the Unit
ell States needed king and that there
could be no better man for that impe-
rial position. l am but one of many
people interested in public affairs, but
it seems to me that If ! have had four
or five men talk to me about making
Mr. Roosevelt king or emperor the
same suggestion must have been made
TO great many hundred other people.
In 1900 the Democrats urged that
the question of Imperialism was going
TO become very serious one. At that
| time the Democratic party did not fear
imperialism at home, but it did fear
/, that it would be established in our
| foreign territories and might ultimate
~ come here. Today the people are
| face to face with the question of i'm.
perialism In the United States. 1t Is
not a matter to pass over with q
laugh. When prominent men dare tG
stand up before college classes and as,
sert that they would rather see king
than president 1t is time for pro-
test. 1t is high time that the voters
of this country should determine
whether they want republic or q
monarchy, a democracy or an empire.
The Financial Situation.
The difficulties of the New York
banks last week have resulted in very
serious troubles for western banks
But as a matter of fact. the difficulty
arises in Washington, proceeds to New
York and finally makes grave trouble
in the west. was told today by q
Washington banker that he dared not
| give draft on southwestern bank
His own bank is perfectly solvent
The bank upon which his customer
desired to draw is equally solvent, but
he doubted whether there was curren
cy enough I'm that section to enable
! 'hS paAiiNht VI thC uIuIt
The man who asked for the draft is a
man of national reputation. While moi
rich. he is in very comfortable clrcum
stances. He was not asking for the
money to hoard or to speculate. But
he could not get any assurance that
it would be paid. This shows what
the present state Of the currency OF the
United States Is. Some years ago thu
Democratic party asked that the cir
culating medium should be increased
by coming silver. 1t was not done
Today the banks OF the country are
urging strongly that the circulating
medium SHOULD be increased by allow,
Ing them 20 issue bank notes based
upon their assets. If this Is done We
will have currency back of which II
nothing except bonds and stocks such
ms we have found recently In New
York to have but little value. Unques
tionably the volume of circulation Ii
too small Doubtless 1t should be
largely increased. But when we find
one after another of the national banks
lending huge sums OF money on New
York traction securities or upon the
bonds Of the famous or infamous In
terborough- Metropolitan company one