The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-10-12
OHIO CAMPAIGN.
Senator Foraker Opens It at
Wooster.
His Stirring speech in the Seventeenth
District Carried His Audience by storm
Warm Praise for Gov. Bushnen
and President Mckinley.


rousing speech to a large and enthu-
siastic audience by Senator Joseph b.
Foraker, in the course of which he
eulogized the state and national ad-
ministrations and predicted great
and glorious future for the United
States. He spoke in part as follows:
Fellow citizens: We are approaching anoth-
er election. This time we are to choose not
only state officers, but also members Of con-
gress Our action will have reference there
tore to both state and national affairs. As to
both we are attended by auspiclous circun-
stances. Republicans are to be congratu-
lated upon the success with which they have
been represented in both these fields of
public duty Never in the history OF our COM
nionwealth have we had a more crcdtable
state administration than that which Gov.
Bushnell has given US. Under his wise guild.
ance our finances have been freed from EN-
barrassment and the state has been able to
meet its obligations, not only Of indebtedness,
but Of duty generally. The public institutions
have never been in better condition. Economy,
good order and good r.suts are witnessed OH
every hand There have been no peculations,
detalcatons, or scandals Of any character The
canals, the penitentiary and benevolent insti.
tutions come up to the highest requirements
and expectations OF good government. All
honor 10 such a governor. His administra-
ton will long live in history as a model, sell
dom equaled, probably never to be excelled.
No words OF compliment and praise, graft
tude and appreciation are too strong to be
spoken in his favor. He merits all. No snap
ping and snarling or carping and sneering OF
spiteful maignants, who place selfish ends and
factional triumphs above party good, public
service and party honor, will affect his record
or conceal from his fellow citizens his noble,
generous. loving character as man, his ster-
ftffa or he itfs sf mr.
houored distinction he has achieved as our
chief magistrate.
Turning now to national affairs we see only
the most inspiring conditions. President Nc
Kinley has justified the most sangune expec-
tations OF his most ardent friends Great re-
sponsibilites and high duties have fallen to his
lot. He has met every demand and has tri-
umphed over every difficulty He enjoys the
admiration as well as the confidence not only
of the whole country but of the whole world.
His administration will live in history with
those Of Lincoln and Grant. The course OF
events has been such as to create new po.
litical atmosphere and new political life 1t
is as though old things had passed away and
all things had become new. Cleveland's ad-
rninistration settled the tariff question for so
years to come. 1t is no longer necessary to
resort to argument to show the benefcence of
protection.
The war' with its blazing enthusiasm has
killed "16 to /" and burned out all petty
heresies, sms and pessimistic ideas, which,
for the want of something better, have been
occupying the minds Of minor political or
ganizations. We instnctively realize that we are
to-day on higher and broader plane, with dif,
terent and more heroic questions to consider
than have been presented to us during the
last quarter Of century.
The war came while republican admins
tration was in power, and must now be set
tied by that administration For its origin, its
IL. e.
accountable. If we can give satisfactory an
swers upon all these points, we should be up
held and continued in power; ior fidelity and
success in these respects have been the highest
concern and Of greatest importance to the
American people. The beginning was in our
duty to Cuba. What that was cannot be fully
understood sind appreciated without taking
into accountNthe Monroe doctrine and its ap.
pcations to the case. N
In advocating the Monroe doc,eine Senator
, Foraker reviewed the oppression in Cuba dur.
ing President Grants administration, and held
that the cause OF humanity then called for as
sistance. He pictured Spanish tyranny in the
4 West Indies most graphically until be reached
the period Of Weylerisn, when he was as
herce in his utterances as the former captain
general was in his cruelties The senator
stated that after 100000 lives had been lost
through RECOMMENDATION and other expressions
that the cause of humanity called loudly for
interference. Congress waited until the pres
ident exhausted every effort in diplomacy
This country could no longer wait without our
selves becoming morally responsible for the
loss Of thousands Of lives and untold suffering
when the destruction Of the Maine forced the
issue The country had lost hundreds OF mil
lions annually in trade with Cuba and thou
sands OF Americans on the island were threat
ened, while many had lost all their property
and even been imprisoned Cubans could moi
belong to literary society or a social club
khawk al and pnf aft
any meetings without notice to the authorities
SO that an official might also report proceed
ings to the government, and for all these bur
dens OF taxation and deprivations OF personal
liberty there was no compensation. They
were denied schools, public highways, all the
facilities for enjoyment, and rebelio was
Inevitable. After reviewing the struggles OF the
insurgents the senator detailed the incidents
that led to the American congress declaring
war against Spain and took radical issue with
those who opposed that action, including ex'
Secretary Sherman who recently in an inter.
view said "1he entire responsibility for the
war with Spain rests upon the shoulders Of
congress 1t was congress that declared wal
and delivered to Spain an insulting and ex
asperating proclamation : - 1t was moi
| could have arranged treaty by
which Spain would have peacefully retired
from the island of Cuba. Spain was
in dire need OF money at that time, and l be
iicve that for less than hundred million Of
dollars she would have called her soldiers
home and given to Cubans such system
Of autonomy as would have rendered them
practically independent"
Senator Foraker proceeded: Other dis
snguished statesmen OF our party spoke t.
the same effect One said the war was moi
only unnecessary, but the work OF yellow jour
mails. demagogues and politicians It is scarcely
necessary now to say that the action of con
gress was not premature, or inappropriate, but
fully warranted. | had no patience with the
proposition that Spain should receive compen
sation for her abdicaton of the country she
had niisRoverned for centuries and despoiled
and desolated. l had no patience with the
idea that the Maine could be left for Just set
Element TO the Spanish sense Of justice anc
honor had no faith in the idea that autonomy
y for Cuba with continuance OF Spanish sover
eighty would be acceptable to the island OF
result in pacfcation or good government.
believed that the people of Cuba had sacri
feed their blood and treasure for independ
ence and were entitled to it, and that il was
onr duty to come to the rescue. And believe
that Spain not only deserved to be driven ouI
Of Cuba on the ground that she had forfeited
her rights there, but also that her offenses
VA against otr government were such that sht
4nerited punishment and that we owed II tc
ourselves to inhict It upon her. / said this al
the beginning and repeat it all now. There
has been much said recently about incompt
tencyi and mismanagement, on account ol
which our troops have suffered severely. Nc
doubt there have been some mistakes. Ii
would be remarkable Il there had not been
but full Investigation will Findicate the yea
and patriotism, the courage and the integrit)
~ ali who have been assailed. All have onIy
tears for the dead and those who have beer
stricken With disease and overtaken with af
Fiction. These are the inseparabe features d
ali wars and Notwithstanding all that may
have occurred OF this character. the fact re
mains that the record Of the three month,
during which that war continued is the mos
brilliant chapter in American history. It ha,