The Commoner. ..
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March 7, 190a
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. f FORUM OF THE WEEKLY PRESS- I
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Elizabethtown (111.) Independent
Star: The democratic party Is op
posed to the whole colonial business.
Pawnee (Neb.) Chief: A careful
reading of Governor Taft's testimony
convinces one that everything would
be lovely in the islands were it not
for the Filipinos.
Dayton (Wash.) Courier-Press: Mr.
Knox should get a fresh grip on his
duty. As attorney general of the
United States he is the servant of tho
people, not of the trusts.
West Point (Neb.) Democrat: The
ground hog doesn't draw a salary, but
he made tho United States weather
- bureau look like a republican Philip
pine report this year.
Rich Hill '(Mo.) Enterprise: The
United States ought to take royalty
and imperialism by tho nape of the
neck and seat of the breeches and
kick it beyond heljspoint.
Corning (la.) Free Press: Senator
Teller wants to protect the Filipinos
against foreign powers'. What tUry
need now is to be protected against
the United States senate.
Fairbury (Neb.) Journal: It is real
ly amusing to see- a republican sneak
around behind .the barn and cuss the
tariff on lumber every time he thinks
of how niuch if has'cost him.1 '
' Wo.Qdand,.CalJ 'Democrat: Ameri
can -sympathy for people fighting" for
their liberty will not be permanently
stifled because the. administration
deems -it necessary to send represen
tatives to the coronation of King Ed
ward. ' ' r, -
. Emmettsburg (la.) , . Pemocrat: If
"King Edward only' knew how hostile
public opinion is in this country to
representation at the" coronation ex
ercise, he would be-justified in turn
ing the cold shoulder to our special
representatives. '
' Hastings (Neb.) Republican: Presi
dent Roosevelt has said it that Samp
son and not Schley had command of
the fleet off Santiago wlien the Span
ish ships were compelled to strike their
colors. But Roosevelt saying so don't
make it so. Public Opinion still lias
the center of the stage."
Athens (0.) Journal: When Senator
Tillman and his colleagues argue for
justice to the inhabitants of the in
sular possession of the United State?,
they are doing no more than trying to
guarantee universal rights that are
considered in the Declaration ,of Inde
pendence and the constitution.
Belief ontaine (0.) Examiner: On
account of his openly expressed sym
pathies for "the cruelly' Wrdnged Fili
pinos, 'Senator Tillman has,, been
warned by Fdraker of the penalty for'
treason. Senator Tillman may well
reply to this threat that- if it has b
come treason to defend' the principles
of the American "Declaration, of Inde
pendence, the ultra loyal JForaker is at
liberty to "make tho most of It"
Coldwater (Mich.) Star: This fos
tering "the monarchic idea" should
be squelchefd at once by an aroused
public opinion and a political over
throw of the plutocrats while there is a
chance to do it civilly. "Eternal
vigilance is the price of' liberty?" Did
you ever, hear of it?
Watertown (N. Y.) Reunion: Sec
retary Long is rather ridiculous in
pretending to believe that Abraham
Lincoln, if living today, would ap
prove the Philippine policy. Mr. Lin
coln distinctly declared that no man
is good enough to govern another man
without that other man's consent.
Cisco (Tox.) Apert: Principally as
a result of the fixing of prices by
trusts the prices for the necessities of
life in tho United States have ad
vanced nearly 50 per cent since 1897.
Tt is possible that the days of feudal
ism are reaching us here in freo
America? It seems to be gradually
dawning upon us.
Towson (Md.) Democrat: When
Senator Tillman and his colleague ar
gue for justice to the inhabitants of
the insular possessions of the United
States, they are doing no more than
trying to guarantee universal rights
that are so considered in the Declar
ation of Independence and the consti
tution Council Bluffs (la.) Tribune: For
the 'first time in its history this gov
ernment will send representatives
abroad for the especial purpose of par
ticipating in the crowning of a king.
A century ago Americans believed thpy
had made great progress in a move
ment that would drive crowned heads
and crowns from the earth. What
chumps our foredaddies were!
Pennsboro (W. Va.) News: Leav
ing aside the matter of "manifest des
tiny" the Philippine fiasco has cost
uf $300,000,000 already arid by the end
of this year another hundred millions
will have been added. ThiB Is more
than one third of the sum that the
Napoleonic wars cost France in thir
teen years and is about one-tenth tho
cost of civil war.
Farmington (la.) Herald: It did not
require the brutal assaults on sou', 1
ern democrats, by the Chicago Chron
icle, to convince thinking men that
the Chronicle's mission is to place
the democratic party in a position to
"enjoy" perpetual defeat. That shet
has no use for the democratic party,
and only" poses as a democratic papp.r
for the purpose of making harmony
impossible. It is one of the best
newspapers in the country, and Is
brilliantly edited. It don't pay, and
never did, but certain interests keep
.it in the field in order to use itin de
fense of organized greed. We 'know
of no reason why it should have tho
slightest claim upon democrats. No
' republican paper in Illinois ever did as
much for the success of republicanism
as the Chronicle. It is the T)est. re
publican paper in, the United States,
Mankato (Kas.) Advocate: Just as
soon as tho important question Is sot
tied as to who will attend the coronn
tion of King Ed from this country, and
the still more important problem a?
to what they shall wear has been def
initely known, the country can settle
down to work again and help pile up
tho next dividends for our own kingn.
the Standard Oil and steel trust
magnates.
Bluffton (Ind.) Banner: While
Governor Taft is minimizing tho difil
culties to bo encountered in the Phil
ippines, the public Is reading the ter
rible march of our soldiers through
Samar. What the country wants Is
"the truth, the whole truth and noth
ing but the truth" about the Philip
pines. At present the administration
is giving out some statements that are
r.jt harmonious.
Santa- Barbara (Cal.) People's Pa
per: Such ceremonies are degrading
to true manhood. The king, llko a
little boy, will go through it all, but,
oh, the weariness of it all, and iti
utter emptiness. We want our presi
dent to be courteous in reference to
it, but above that we want him to be
wisely in earnest as the head of a
people who believe in manhood rather
than royalty.' ' ' " ' A
Ashland (Neb.) Journal: Tho height
of snobbery and toadyism was reached
the other day when two Americans
supposed to be citizens of this great
country appeared at an English
"royal" function attired in knee
breeches and carrying small swords.
They were supposed to represent the
American people. If they do, then
may the good Lord have-mercy on our
miserable souls!
Burwell (Neb.) Mascot: At last
American is toadying to a king. With
pomp and splendor a delegation goes
over to do homage to an imbecile king
at his coronation. Oh for the patriotic
days of Washington, Jefferson and
Lincoln. There are in this country
thousands of men that work from sun
to sun, that are better morally, phy
sically and intellectually than King
Edward,, the Boer oppressor and
George III.'s successor, ' the ruler of
our country's enemy.
Lincoln (Neb.) Independent: When
ever imperialism is applied to one
of its adherents, he rises up and makes
the most furious protests. .Dr. Lyman
Abbott first denied that "just govern
ment had anything to do with the con
sent of the governed," but when the
state of New York proposed to. govern
the city in which he lives without the
consent of the governed living in that
city, he grew almost frantic. He de
clared that the., thing was a horrid
crime and "that a law enacted, over
our heads we .rightly resent." .Wheri
the Filipinos .Ipr Boers resent, that
thing, Dr. Abbott thinks that thjy
ought to be shot until they stop their
resenting.
Shelbina (Mo.) Democrat: Tho im
perialists are afraid to meet squarely
the issuo of holding dependent col
onics. Somo of them claim this wa
settled by tho election of 1900; but
thpy would not meet the issuo then.
They put It off and said the war was to
bo carried on to uphold tho honor of
tho flag and securo order. Now tbey
refuse to define their position, by
saying it is time enough to cross the
bridge when we reach it, .etc. Thus
they dodge. This Is pretty good evi
dence that they think tho country is
against them.
Michigan City (Ind.) Dispatch.
Speaking of Senator Beveridge's re
cont denial of the press censorship
l:i tho Philippines the Chicago Record-Herald
says tho press correspon
dents say there was a censorship and
it thinks they know more about it
than Boveridgo. It is evidently dis
gusted with tho gushing senator anl
does not hesitate to let its feellngo
be known. It also condemns the cen
sorship as wholly unnecessary and un
justifiable and says tho American peo
ple are entitled to know the whole
truth about the Philippine conquest.
Fairhaven (Wash.) Times: Barth
oldi's statue, of. "Liberty Enlightening
the' World" in New York harbor will
have its light extinguished- forever by
the government on March 1. Congress
has been so busy shaping things for
our expanding empire, and figuring on
how to explain away the doctrines of
free government while seizing subject
colonies, that an appropriation to keep
Liberty's torch burning as a beacon
light of hope to the weak and bullied
peoples of the earth was naturally
overlooked.
Richmond . (Mo.) Democrat: Dem
ocracy may have its defects what sys
tem of politics or religion has not?
But its great cardinal doctrines that
repose confidence in the people to act
wisely and justly for their own best
ends stand forever and beyond compar
ison superior to the republican doc
trine of centralization of power and
distrust of tho people. Democrats
who falter under the discouragement
of temporary defeat, "should drink
again and drink deeply of the Jeffer
sonian spirit.
Fort Dodge (la.) Post: What is all
this talk about" sending representa
tives of the -United States to witness
the coronation of King Edward? Have
we, a plain people, any business to'
recognize monarchy? Has any Eu
ropean government ever recognized the
'Office of president of the United States
by sending a special representative
to Bee him inaugurated? Aro
the United States so small and so in
clgnificant that they must come when
Edward VII. whistles? Snobbery
reigns triumphant, and the good old
'democratic and republican spirit of.
Jefferson and Abe Lincoln Is crying
in the streets for recognition.
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