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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
