k ir WyjK W
2
- Why Not Harlan?
Tlie gold democrats seem anxious to find a
presidential candidate who is not "tainted with
the silver horo&y'land insist that cthat wasitheir
main objection ito the tioTcet nominated dn 1890
.and in 10.00.
Why do ihey not urge the nomination of
.Justice Harlan.? Of course, Mx. Harlan is .not
,,a democrat, but that objection ought not to
weigh with the gold democrats who voted for
Mr. McKinley. Mr. Harlan has not only placed
himself on record against imperialism, but he
also wrote a dissenting -opinion in the income
tax case, and opposed the position taken bythe
supremo court in the sugar trust case. He has
a. splendid record on throe prominontiquestions,
but ,this is the very reason why the gold demo
crats would objeotto him. They prefer adem
.ocrat who (endorses .republican policies to a re
publican who .supports democratic policies.
The Growth of Imperialism.
It is an old saying that a truth fits into
every other truth, while a lie fits nowhere.
Likewise, it can he said of a correct principle
that it "harmonizes with everything that is
riglit, while an erroneous .principle is in conflict
with all that is good. "Let .a false theory he
once adojpted and It requires a conatant re-arrangement
of views, methods of thought, ,and
ideals. It is not strange, therefore, that the
doctrine of imperialism is manifesting itself
;in a multitude of ways never, .contemplated
.or imagined by thoso who first proposed it.
The Boston Herald in a rownt. ofH toriol dis
cusses the third term idea in the light of recent
events. "Washington refused a third term and
Jefferson declined io consider it, and thus an
unwritten law prohibiting a third term was es
tablished. The precedent was never disputed
until the friends of President Grant prevailed
upon .him to become a candidate for a third
time. Grant liad the prestige of a successful
military career; he was the commander of a
victorious army, the leader of his party and the
"idol of a grateful people. At the close of his
second terra iie took a trip around the" world
and was the recipient of honors and attentions
-never 'before paid to an American in foreign
lands. And yet, so deep-seated was the senti
ment against a third term that vhe was defeated
- in a republican convention.
The Herald, however, argues that imperial
ism lias so -altered our government, and so en
larged the responsibilities of the executive
;as fto remove the objections made to a third
term. 'The following 'extract from the editor
Hal ipresents -the -main reasons given by the Her
aTd: Our government Itself has undergone a change
lin Tits 'Character mruoh greater ithan .anything that
is implied in accejpting this third-terra idea Tak
ing the case from the present standpoint, and it
may ho said that the greater can he (brought to in
clude the less with an effect upon public opinion
.proportionate the one to .the other. Pour' years
ago ours was a differont form of government from
what it now is. It was then a republic of states,
ito which wore added territories in preparation to
(become states. There was not a foot of it in
cluded in any dther category. Since then it has
ibeen made, in effect, a trepublic of jatates towning
provinces which stand toward it in the relation of
dependencies. They do -not Share in that privilege
of self-government, present or prospective, which
The Commoner.
was accorded to all the nation as it was earlier
constituted. This nation is still, and it is intended
to continue to be, the United States of .America.
Very few advocate making it the Utf JB 'Wfefttes
of America and Asia. We hold tne Philippinel
jandgsasiQl us, rtmt jnever to become a part of iwj,.6
wan ,-all ithat Misled In ?fihe nation Jhef ore the Sna
iflh war changed iit character.
'To "hesitate about agreeing io.-atthlrd term in
the ipmiliency, as i&olng violence to the tnational
traditions of the people, While accepting this vastly
more important change, is to strain at a small
point While accepting a large one. Xet it "here T)e
noted that we fare rfipt arguing Sf or -this 'Change in
the presidency. We are simply looking at facts
.as they .are, accepting 'them in .their -natural rela
tions and considering what may logically grow out
of them. The nation is not as it was wlien it was
composed onlytff contiguous .territories, ;and baaed
on 'an agreement ithat there should be equality be
tween the peoples that inhabit them. It extends
now seven thousand miles away into another con
tinent; it is not to allow the people there over
whom it .holds sovereignty representation in -its
home government; they are to be controlled Ijy the
lhome government as jit is .administered by' (con
gress and by the president. The president is to he
the executive officer in this. He is-to select its gov
iemors, its judges, its .commissioners of customs, all
its more important officials. Il is mot a logical
operation of this system to make frequent changes
in the occupant of .an office that has 'such extra
ordinary powers. Enlightened students of gov
ernment would not 'have framed our present sys
tem ;of .government tas it is -now in operation asone
best adapted to working that feature in its opera
tion. They would have -said that the term of the
jprosident ishould 'either lhave Jieen Honger or it
should be open to greater .extension. It is entire
ly natural that this latter should be made to apply,
if .not to the term of President McKinley, -to that
of his successors.
The Herald puts orth this (proposition ten
tatively to .ascertain puhlio .sentiment .on the
subject, and it reports that theprcss among it
exchanges "has much commented .upon it, .and
.almost invariably admit its plausibility, af
nothing .more." It concludes by saying:
The attempted, ,and what, in .many quarters has
been assumed to be" the accomplished, rigid rule
ithat there shall be no third term in the presidency
of the United States may have to yield to these
conditions.
There is nothing startling in the above sug
gestion. If imperialism becomes, a settled fact
in this country it will be difficult to invoke tra
dition,, a iixed icustom,-.or ..even a written iconsti
tution against anything which the people may,
if or the time being, desire to do. Not only is
a third term a small innovation compared with
the Changes which have .already been .advocated,
Imt it is in perfect haranony with the colonial
idea. In the jlast campaign the republicans
claimed that 'the Filipinos were .enoouraged 'by
the prospect of a change in administration.
The same argument can be made .at jmy -time
when .a .state of war .exists .anywhere in ithe
empire and ;a istate of . war generally .does ,ex--ist
somewhere in an empire. Imperialism
-would not Tje tolerated but for the spirit of
commercialism which is .abroad in the land,
.and commercialism, equally with imperialism,
protests .against irequont elections. We meed
.not too surprised, therefore, to hear of sugges
tions in the line of extending the president's
term. Next will come the proposition to al
low the president to hold office during life
This would be tetinrely. satisfactory alromacom
morcial :and .an imperialistic standpoint, but as
even this seystem would involve .an election
when the president (died, .a hereditary presi
dency would (be 'even more an harmony with
bhe mew order of lthings. -If you teaoh a boy
tthat it is cnightfto iStoal.an article of jsmall value
jhe will he ;aMe ito jraise the limit without fur
ther .-advice. uJ3o, when ;you .admit ithe princi-
.i '
pie of imperialism those who are placed in
charge of the government will be able to en
large upon the principle juiiil i&l-uptf the trutha
once sujyiQsed to J)e self evidon are denied and
dethroned. 'The Herald's discussion shows the
growth and (extension tof the (imperialistic prin
ciple. WtiQ South Carolina Situation.
In view of the action of .Senator McLaurin
in wiiMmwinghisjtesignation, the reader jnay
be interested in reviewing the dialogue which
brouglit -about the resignation.
AVajmeeting at Gaffney Senators Tillman
and McLaurin met in joint debate and the
former in the course of his speech said:
"Let McLaurin resign and go before Tthedemo
cratic primary this -year, and I'll go home , and jkeep .
my mouth shut and let the other fellows attend to
him. If vou .elect him 1 will take it .as notioe that
you idon't want me. If he is a democrat, then I'jn
not."
Senator McLaurin replied:
"Oh, yes. Tillman says, 'Why don't 'I resign:'
If i'm elected it will mean ithe people dontt want
him. But he stopped there. -He's smart. You'll
never catch "him committing himself too far. He
did not say If I'm .elected he'd -resign. Oh, no.
YauUl mevor hear of Benjamin, the Tillmanite, re
signing." And the dialogue continued as follows:
Tillman: I will say it, and do say it!
McLaurin : Agreed.
Tillman: I will resign right now, 'if-you
will, and we will go ibefore ithe people.
Mc.'Laurin: Agreed.
Tillman: Draw up the paper and we will
Bignit right jiow.
Mc. Laurin: Thatisuits me.
In pursuance of -this agreement 'the resigna
tions were prepared, signed and deliverecl to
the governor, who, after a few days considera
tion, addressed communications to the senators
.advising them to recall their resignations and
giving lasHiennain -reason -therefor that, a cam
paign this year would involve the people in an
unnecessary and harmful political agitation.
Senator Tillman promptly replied that great
issues were at .stake, that the next session of
the senate would deal with questions of the
highest importance -and that South Carolina
was entitled to a voice in the settlement of
these questions,. He renewed his assertion
that .Senator 31cLaurin was misrepresenting
the wishes .and interests of .the people of the
state :and nought to bo replaced by3some one
who would reflect theisentiment iaf the people.
He insisted that he was willing ito risk Jiis own
term in torder to Nenable the people to got rid .of
Senator McLaurin.
Senator McLaurin,, however, seized with
.alacrity mpan the suggestion made by 'Governor
McSw.oenoy and withdrew his resignation. ;Qne
paragraph .of his letter to the Governor is
worth reproducing. He says:
"I appreciate tullj the force of the reasons
given by you and the effect upon the people of the
state of a heated and strife-producing -contest for
United .States .senator tthis oar. For the ;sake of
the peace, prosperity and happiness "of the people
oi this state, I am willing to hold on to my com
jnission ,as United States senator and to continue
to serve the state as I have done in the past to the
hestof my ability."
His willingness "to ihold on to" his commis-
siou "f or the sake of the peaoe, prosperity -and
ihappiness .of the people" .of his state recalls a
rgtory (told :by John Allen tof Mississippi. A