The San Francisco call., 1898-03-09
CAPTAIN CHARLES O'NEIL, U. s. N., Chief of the
 Bureau of Ordinance.

for the national honor and the national defense, we are ready to give ana give ungrudgingly. lApplause.J
 II hope wise counSeIS will prevail, and that if war shall come 1t will come upon a great and sufficient cause. l have no sympathy with those rash and incorporate spirits who would provoke war simply for the sake of hghtlng; and yet I would rather follow them and suffer all the miseries and mlsfor- tunes their heedlessness would bring than to follow these other contemptible mercenary creatures who are crying out for Peace at any price lGreat applause.l Peace is desirable, but not so desirable that it be purchased at the sacrifice of national honor. Let us in this way adopt the motto of our fathers in the elder and better days of this re- public, and let us say to all the world now as then: We are ready to spend millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute [Applause.] And let us add another and IJobler motto: We are for peace as long as it can be main tained with honor, but we are for honor if war is necessary to defend our flag or protect the rights of American citi- zens anywhere throughout the world. Applause This war, if war 1t be, will have another compensation. It will for
 
 countrymen those dreadful times of civil strife, and the men whose courage made the first Manassas one of the worlds historic battlefelds will join with those who immortalized Gettys- burg, and together they will consecrate new battlefield combining the glories of both." [Great applause.]
 Henderson (R.) of Iowa said: T have read of the elder days of the re- I ho in of the republic. [Applause.l The les son of this afternoon Is beautiful one. In the elder days there were Tories. l fear Tory would be thrown out of this hall this afternoon. (Applause). But. MT. Speaker, there will be no war. That is my judgment. I do not believe that war is hanging over the American people. In this republic our great aim should be for peace. The truest pa- triot is he who secures and keeps peace for his people. It is easy to be an ami nal. It is easy to use claws and teeth to fight He who can hold aloft in his country the white flag of peace-not of cowardice-Stands' nearest to his God. Applause. No country on earth would seek to avoid war as this coun- try does No country on earth need fear less than America. [Applause.] ] With our boundless resources, with our d matter what their past, we are abso- lutely united in standing as one man, say that no country is so we'll armed for war as the United States of Ameri- ca. 1 do not speak for Iowa. I speak as a citizen of the United States, and l believe that to-day we are heart and hand together for what is best for this republic.
 The young man who to-day pledges nf 1,s o,-lxy T for his country commands respect, but do not believe he will have to use 1t. l have had letters from people wanting us to take Cuba to punish spain. l simply write back that no in- ternational law makes the United States the regulator of the wrongs of earth. God has written no motto on mands of us the regulation of the wrongs of other countries to their peo- pie We all sympathize with the lb- erty-loving and fighting Cubans, but they are the citizens of another gov ernment. So long as that question is before us l follow the advice of Wash lngton in commanding that we mind strictly our own business. Applause. ] But if they touch the rights of this country or dare to lay unholy hands upon our territory or our rights, then 1 become fighting Quaker and will join the vigorous manhood of my young friend who spoke. Applause l But let us not lose our heads while our hearts are beating. He can fight best who keeps his blood the coolest. He can save his people the best who thinks most before striking. This ad- ministration, President and Cabinet, is as patriotic as any man on this floor, and I claim no more for it. Applause ] This administration will look before it leaps. This days work and to-mor- rows shows that when the leap is taken this country will be back of it.'' GApplause.]
 Shafroth (Sil R.) of Colorado gave three reasons for his support of the measure, as follows:
 First-Because it was a measure of defense.
 Second-Because 1t expressed conf1- dence In the President and was an as- surance that Congress and the country would stand by him.
 Third-Because 1t was declaration to the world that although the people were divided on political matters, when it came to a question of the national honor and the national defense we are united.
 Lacey (R.) of Iowa refused to even consume the brief two minutes of time