T - R. + J yu , * .1 I , I , . * " V,4 , 12 ICbe Conservative. idea of the equality of all moil , every where , and their inherent right , by vir tue of the principle of democracy , to form governments of their own choice , by themselves , and for themselves. I know of no specific prohibition in the constitution , of what is fitly termed "imperialism ; " but I do know that that great chart contains neither in terms nor by inference any such unropublican grant of. power ; I do know that the whole miserable and wicked conception is the antipode of every generous Ameri can sentiment ; is the child of cupidity and harbinger of shame ; the essence of rapine and murder ; the sulphurous stench of war's hot breath. Shall the United States , after more than a cen tury of national rectitude in the highest sphere of human government the genius of man has ever devised , now presume to make dependents and vassals of the Filipinos or dictate what their govern ment shall be , or when and by whom formed ? And if so , by what semblance of authority of law or principle of right ? Is it to be said that they are uncivilized and not capable of self-government ? That was the argument of the African slave pirates centuries ago ; it is the in famous position behind which the inhu manity of Spain was sheltered for three hundred years in its dealings with these same unfortunate people. If it is said that the possession and control of these islands of the sea will extend our com merce and increase our wealth , that is but to repeat the argument of robbers and creed of thieves of every ago and every clime. In this moment of peril I invoke the judgment and conscience of my countrymen. Let us pause , that the voice of reason and humanity may be heard ; let us read again the words of "truth and sobeiness" that fell from the lips of the great democratic apostle of human government , and then do the right , "though clouds and darkness encompass us. " "All men are created equal and endowed dewed by their Creator with certain in alienable rights , and among these are life , liberty and the pursuit of happi ness. " That to secure these rights govern ments are instituted among men , deriv ing their just powers from the consent of the governed. " "Equal and exact justice to all men , of whatever state or persuasion , relig ious or political creed. " "Commerce and honest friendship with all nations ; entangling alliances with none. " These love-guided rules for human conduct come to us "hedged about by Divinity , " for they are all easily re solved into the sublime code of 'Him who spake as never man spoke. " "Do unto others as you would that others should do unto you , " and "Love thy neighbor as thyself. " In the spirit and beauty of this law , luminous with wisdom , let us say unto our brothers who dwell in the glint of day , whoso far-away island home , the sun , in his coming , first salutes with the lass of morning , that we make them free andyive them their own ; because if the con ditions of the countries were reversed , we would want them to make us free and give us our own. Give , I pray you , to those people in travail , struggling out of the dawn into the noon of liberty , this simple lesson in practical and genuine Christianity and you will reach a higher plane of human action than over before moved to the demonstration of the uni versal brotherhood of man and father hood of God. But if the United States is now to enter upon a struggle for empire ; is to basely barter its humanity for cupidity ; its love of men for the "flesh pots" of the Orient ; then let the procession to our abiding shame bo at least as orderly as it would bo infamous , and first tear from the declaration of independence its most hallowed assertion ; burn your prisons ; destroy all penal and moral codes of law ; level to earth every tem ple of justice ; forge again the manacles of slavery ; strike the stars from our flag ; take the blue of Heaven from , its field , "but let its stripes remain , fit em blem of the nation's degradation and shame ; " and then , in the blackness of the night , chatter your infamous fare wells to liberty , love and God , and anar chy and hell will embrace you. Fellow members , I have tried to indi cate to you a general line of thought upon which all democrats may con scientiously agree and thus make the party invincible. I love the democratic party ; for a third of a century I have served it faithfully , and now gladly pay it my tribute of grateful devotion. Grand old party of my fathers 1 born amid the throes and agonies of revolu tion , its infancy was rocked in the cradle of American freedom. ; for more than sixty years it administered the affairs and developed the resources of the country of its love ; its genius meas ured the possibilities of free men ; and its wisdom lifted the nation from , one piano of glory to another , from one de gree of excellence to another , until the ob ject of its care and devotion stood forth , the most splendid .fabric of government in all the circuit of the shining sun. At all times and under all circumstances , in prosperity and in adversity , amid dangers from without and commotions within , in peace and in war , the demo cratic party has stood for liberty , justice and law. Party of Jefferson and Jackson and Cleveland ; party of the morning struggle of the republic ; party of its noonday glory ; I bid you "Hail and Godspeed ! " PAYING OF1T THIS CUISANS. Our readers may remember that the demand of General Gomez for fifty- seven millions of dollars in good Amer ican gold to pay off his "Cuban army" was reduced to three millions of dollars. This is reminiscent of the Western poli tician who applied to the president for the position of ambassador to England , and , on being refused , ran down the scale of offices successively until finally ho went away on being presented with an old pair of boots. Three millions of dollars is certainly much less than fifty- seven milliono , and it is also , with equal certainty , much better than an old pair of boots. Wo sincerely hope that Gen eral Gomez and his "Cuban army" may not get it. Fortunately , the money has not yet been sent to Cuba. There is intense excitement among the other "Cuban generals" of whom the army seems to bo principally com posed over the anticipated coming of the three millions. There was some acrimony at first because Gomez did not got fifty-seven millions , but now all the generals seem to be satisfied with three. They [ "are , however , fiercely quarreling among themselves over the distribution. One of the latest causes of riot in the "Cuban army" is the demand of the Cuban generals that none of the eleventh- hour workers in the vineyard shall get any of the three millions. It seems that large numbers of brave Cubans rushed into the field the moment it was seen that the Americans had the Spaniards on the run. The other gentlemen who went into the vineyard during the first hour and remained carefully hidden from , the Spaniards during the other eleven , are now kicking. But the Cubans have no kick coming. If it should so happen that wo should not send our good red gold to pay off these "Cuban generals , " and if their demands , like that of the politician , should fall from money to boots , the Americans ought to do the kicking , and we sincerely trust that the American boots will be applied where they will do the most good. PROPOSED LEGISLATION. According to a Western authority , the lower house of the Arkansas legislature has passed a resolution requesting the representatives of the state in congress to do everything possible to give life to the interstate commerce law. The leg islature of Idaho is considering a bill to fix passenger fores at 8 } c. a mile , and freight rates at varying prices per ton mile , the lowest rate being 7 % mills for distances over 800. miles. In the Illinois legislature there is a bill to allow railroads to run two through trains each way daily through a county seat without stopping. ( A case is now pending in the United States supreme court to compel the Cleveland , Cincin nati , Chicago and St. Louis to stop its fast express at a county seat ) . Mr. McGoorty has introduced a bill regulat ing street railroads in cities , which he claims embodies the public sentiment of Chicago. Mr. Bonuey has introduced another bill on the same subject. In Michigan there is a proposition to reduce fares in the upper peninsula. In