The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-11-02
Hill. On THE II L,
He Exposes Republican Dup|icity
and i3ypocricy.
IT WAS A DEMOCRATIC WAR.

WSO ~ DEW ~ ShS ~ WAN
He Shows Very Plainly that Had
ItNot Been For the Dem
ocrats Spain Would Still
Own Cuba.
In his speech at the Brooklyn Acad-
cmy OF Music on Friday night David
B. Hill made so clear and able pre-
sentiment of the hypocrisy, the duplic-
ity of the Republicans in their effort to
coin the war into partisan political
capital that We are moved to quote him
fully on this point. He said:
The achievements and elories Of the
recent war with Spain belong not to
any political party, but the whole coun-
try. This fact should be everywhere
conceded: but if there is disposition
to inject partianship in the considera-
tion of the inception or results of that
war, we need not shrink from com
parison with our opponents. We may
recall the plain facts of history.
The people have not forgotten the
great struggle in the halls of congress
less than a year ago, which preceded
the declaration of war-the fact that,
with few and honorable exceptions,
all the earnest pleas for intervention in
behalf Of Cuban liberty were uttered by
Democratic leaders. the arbitrary re-
fusal for months of Republican speak
er, backed by the dominant majority,
to even consider the Cuban question at
all; the steady, persistent and deter
mined efforts of the Democratic minori-
ty to force the Cuban question to the
front, aided by the powerful Democrat
ic press of the country and backed by
the patriotic sentiment Of the people,
until at last their efforts were crowned
with success and halting and reluctant
administration was forced to inaugurate
war in behalf of humanity and civ
ilization to which it was at heart op-
posed.
You have not forgotten the cold and
unsympathetic message of President
Mckinley in December last opposing
Cuban intervention of any kind, exag
gerating the difficulties in the way, and
unnecessarily reminding congress and
the people Of our neutral obligations.
You have not forgotten the attitude
Of Senator Hanna, the Warwick Of the
present administration as we'll as the
head of its financial syndicate-fresh
from his senatorial triumph at Colum
bus, purchased by bribery and corrup-
ton, who sent to the president in an
swer to his congratulatory telegram the
famous, or rather, Infamous, message.
God reigns and the Republican party
still lives" and who with tears in his
eyes, was pleading at Washington for
peace at any price, and lamenting the
threatened disturbance of the business
interests Of the country by so unne-
cessary war.
Neither need I remind you of the
dire predictions and lamentations Of
other Republicans high in the councils
Of the party who in those momentous
days were seeking to stem the tide OF
popular enthusiasm which was sweep
ing over the land, and protesting that
their party was being dragged" into an
unholy foreign war by their unscrupul,
Gus opponents.
But now that "this cruel war is over
and American valor has easily triumph
cd on both sea and land, and the Amer,
can flag proudly floats over our newly
acquired territory as it is fond
ly hoped, to be lowered again-these
postwar patriots who never lifted their
voices in behalf of Cuban liberty when
the cause was in dire distress and need
ed friends, come forward with unbe-
coming haste, not simply to share, but
to monopolize all the glories of the war.
Their perennial and moss-covered
orators, from Mr.. Depew down to the
village oracle, are perambulating the
State fighting over again with their
tongues the few battles Of the war,
giving vivid descriptions of war scenes
which they did not witness and detail
| ing warlike events which never occur
red. seeking vague and imaginary issues
rather than confronting those actually
existing.
Even the distinguished Republican
candidate for governor in one Of his re-
ent speeches went so far as to say that
the war would be regarded as having
been fought in vain if Democratic
victory should now occur. This is the
first suggestion which I have heard
from so high a source that the late war
was Republican war, or that it was
waged in the interest or for the benefit
of any political party, official or lndl.
vidual. Democratic soldiers as well as
civilians will resent the offensive and
untimely suggestion.
It was the nations war, undertaken
not for political effect but for liberty S
sake-for the sake of humanity-for
the defense Of the national honor; a
Just and righteous war which over
shadowed all political considerations,
and it will not have been fought in
vain, nor will its glorious results be
obscured, dimmed or affected by the
success or defeat in this State cam
paign of any political party-much less
Of that party which is held in public
estimation largely responsible for COM
pelling the Inauguration of that very
war.
1t is said that the president must
be sustained. This is silly plea at
this stage of events. The conflict has
ceased; no armed forces confront US
anywhere, and We are virtually dicta-
ting our own terms Of peace. No dan
gers confront the country except those