Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-09-27
WAR DEPARTMENT ATTACKED
ACCUSED OF INEFFICIENCY, INDE-
CENCY AND CORRUPTION.
Mr. Stone Makes n Strong Argument
for Expansion but Is Opposed to
Holding the Philippines
FavOrs Annexation
of Cuba.

trict addressed q Democratic meeting here
to-day. Only a fair sized crowd was pres
ent and enthusiasm was lacking in a
marked degree. Both the speakers de-
clared that the silver question Is not dead,
and predicted that 1t will be the paramount
issue of American politics until Bryan and
free silver have triumphed. Turning to
the conduct of the war, Congressman
Dockery attacked the war department.
II grant" he said, that whatever credit
there is for the executive conduct of the
war belongs to the Republican party, and
whatever discredit attaches to the conduct
of the war the Republican party also must
stand responsible for
He declared Secretary Alger had been
convicted of incompetency. He declared
himself in favor of the retention of Porto
Rico, but opposed the acquiring of Cuba
at present, or the Philippines at any time.
Governor Stone took bold stand in favor
of financial, commercial and territorial ex-
pansion. He declared that he favored the
annexation of Cuba and Porto Rico, the
abrogation of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty,
the construction of the Nicaragua canal
by the American government and the en-
largement of the American merchant ma
rine and navy, which he asserted had been
the especial charge of the Democratic party
since the war of 1872. Defending his posi-
ton on the expansion question, he said:
Some Democrats have appeared to be
doubtful as to the position on this question
their party should take. They have appear
ed to believe that the expansion idea is not
in conformity with good old Democratic
doctrine. The Republicans say that it is
their policy, and that We are stealing
their campaign thunder. l tell you that
territorial expansion is the traditional pol
icy of the Democratic party. Had Jeffer-
son listened to the croakers who advised
against the purchase of Louisiana, the flag
of some other country might now float over
the place on which We now stand. FLORIDA,
Texas and the vast territory ceded to us by
Mexico were added to our domain byDemo-
cratic presidents. jefferson, in a letter to
Monroe, a copy of which I now hold in
my hand written while Monroe was pres
ident, pointed out the advantages that
would accrue to us from the acquisition of
Cuba and favored that policy. Every great
Democrat from Jefferson to Buchanan, IA
vored territorial acquisition, and Douglas,
in 1860. wrote letter favoring the annexa-
ton of Cuba. When I find myself in the
company of such men as Jefferson, Madi-
son. Monroe. Polk, Pierce, Buchanan,
Marcy and Douglas, 1 think I am stand
ing on pretty safe Democratic ground.
We'll, what do we want with Cuba? We
want it for commercial reasons. l want to
see our merchant marine built up again.
want to see our flag floating over the great
est merchant navy riding the seas of the
world. In the old Democratic days, when
our party was omnipotent in the land, it
was a mighty, progressive force: had great
ideas and fought for them. 1t was the
stanch advocate tf dominion on the seas.
We had then, nearly half a century ago,
chant marine second to none and only
equaled by that of England. But the Re-
publican party came into power after the
war, and our merchant marine melted from
the seas. We have no navy now. / want
to see our merchant marine revived and
as a preliminary to that, want this Mica
raguan canal built by the United States
and owned by it.
This, too is. good Democratic doctrine,
advocated by two Democratic conventions
of recent years and indorsed by our last
candidate for the presidency, William ].
Bryan, who introduced bill in congress
for the construction of the canal.
"I don't want it built by any corporation
or by foreign power, but to be under the
immediate control of the government of
the United States. 1 want the Pacific and
Atlantic brought together by this canal, so
that we can go out to the Orient for COM
merce without sweeping around 14,0GO miles
around the Horn.
I'VE raise an enormous amount of cotton.
Why should we not manufacture this our
selves in our own mills? 1t is shipped in
foreign bottoms and sold in foreign mar
kets. By manufacturing 1t here it would
give investment to capital and employment
to labor. We must have our own ships
and build the canal for their convenience.
Why should our wheat, our cotton and
other products be governed by the markets
of Liverpool? Why should not our own
markets be made the basis of exchange as
would be the case if we were carrying this
commerce in our own bottoms, to our own
shores instead of to the shores of other
countries? We can, believe, transplant the
seat of the worlds exchanges from London
to the United States. More than that, we
could go out through this canal to deal
with 60O,000,O00 people who are silver users,
and thereby encourage and strengthen the
cause of bimetailic coinage and the use of
both metals in the money of the world.
Every consideration requires that we
should put this as one of the great lead
ing issues of the future campaign. More
than that, it would mean the destruction
or modification of the Republican policy of
protection.
'.As far as am concerned, have favored
and will favor the acquisition of the Span
United States. Cheers) Porto Rico should
be annexed at once and it should be the
policy of this government, IN my judgment,
to annex Cuba whenever II can be honor
ably done. | believe it would be best for
us and for the Cuban people TO make that
Island part of the territorial domain of this
republic.
lieved. nor do 1 now believe, that the an
nexation of those islands is either wise or
necessary. l believe in the Monroe doc
trine, but If we require Europe to maintain
the Monroe doctrine, the spirit of that doc
we should not take into our possession
the territory of other continents or hemis-
pheres.
Il believe we can secure such a treaty
privileges, dock and harbor and coaling
privileges in that group of islands, that we
need without assuming the responsibility
of sovereignty over 100000 to 100000 of
people far from our Shores
Mr.. Stone did not fail to refer to the
crime of '73'' of which he said:
Before high heaven I solemnly believe
that that act of 1873 was clandestinely
enacted
He recited the stock arguments in favor
of free silver, and continued:
NO sir, the silver question is not dead:
the money issue Is not dead issue, and
ducers. the industrial masses of this coun-
try are made more and more conscious
of the. fact, as the years go by, that the
existing gold standard policy is detriment-
long as your properties are falling, as long
as 1t is difficult for you to make ends meet,
as long as industry is limping, as long as
enterprise Is crying out from behind its
prison walls for liberty, the people will
insist upon change in the financial poll
cies of the nation.
Nor is that all. / belive that 1900 is the
year of our independence. In 1886 we fought