The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-10-21

addressed a great Democratic mass
meeting in the Academy OF Music
Brooklyn, Tonight. The hall was
packed and the enthusiasm Of the peos
pie was extraordinary. When the for
mer governor stepped to the front Of
the stage the cheering was deatenlng
and the women IN the boxes and all over
the house waved their handkerchiefs.
The applause was continued for sever
al minutes and It was renewed again
and again.
Mr.. Hin said: The paramount issue
in the present campaign is that of hon-
est government There are no war is-
sues, so-called. to divide or embarrass
the people. The achievements and glor-
les OF the recent war with Spain belong
not 20 any political party, but TO the
whole country. This fact should beev-
erywhere conceded; but Il there = Q
disposition to inject partisanship In the
consideration OF the inception or results
OF that war, we need not shirB from .
comparison 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 year ago, which preceded
the declaration Of War-the fact that,
with e 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 q Republican
q
jority, to even consider the Cuban Ques-
determined efforts Of the Democratic
minority to force the Cuban question 10
the front, aided By the powerful DEM
ocratic press Of the country and backed
by the patriotic sentiment OF the peo-
pie. until at last their efforts were
crowned with SUCCESS and hating and
reluctant administration was forced 20
lnaugurate war In behalf of human
ity and civilization to which II was ~
heart opposed.
But he was For Peace.
;You have not forgotten the cold ana
nnsympathetIc message OF President
Mckinley In December last. opposing
cuban intervention Of any kind, pxaE-
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 well as the
head OF its financial syndicate, fresh
from his senatorial triumph at Column
bus, purchased By bribery aud corrup-
tlon, 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 lamenung the
threatened disturbance OF the business
interests of the country by 80 unnec-
essary war"
Neither need 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 pOpu-
lar enthusiasm. which was sweeping
over the land and protesting that their
party was being dragged" Into an un-
holy foreign war by their INSCRIPTIONS
opponents.
But now that "thIs cruel war is over"
and American valor has easily trl-
nmphed on both sea and land and the
American flag proudly floats over our
newly acquired terrltory-never, as II Is
fondiy hoped, to be lowered again
these postwar patriots who never lift
ed their voices in behalf OF Cuban lib
erty when that cause was In dire dis
tress and needed friends come forward
and with unbecoming haste. not simply
20 share, but TO nonOpollZe all the
glories OF the war. Their perennial and
moss-covered orators, from Dr. Depew
down to the village oracle, are peram-
bulatlng 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 detailing war-llke events which
never occurred, seeking vague and im-
aEinarY issues rather than confronting
.those actually existing.
Il Certainly Would.
Even the distinguished Republican
candidate for governor In one OF his re-
cent speeches, went 50 far as to say
that the war would be regarded as hav-
ing been fought in vain II Democratic
victory should now occur. This is the
first suggestion which have heard
from so high q source that the late war
was n Republican war, or that It was
Waged In the interest or for the bene-
ut OF any political party, official or In
divlduai. Democratic soldiers as well
as civilians will resent the offensive
and untlmely suggestion II was the nO-
tIon's war, undertaken not for political
effect, but for libertY's sake-for the
sake Of humanlty-fOr the defense Of
the national honor; justiand righteous
war, which overshRdowed all political
considerations and It will not have been
fought In vain, nor Will its glorious re-
suits be obScured. dlmmed or affected
by the success or defeat In this state
campaign OF any political party, much
less OF that party which is held In pub
lie estimation largely responsible for
compelling the inauguration OF that
very war.
II Ia said that the President must be
sustained. This Il a silly plea at this
stage OF events. Never in the history
OF the nation was a President more 10y
ally supported By an opposition party
and bV the people generally than dur
ing the recent conflict. Men, supplies
and money were voted ad ilbltum.
bat You Have spoiled lean.
Democrats vled with Republicans in
the endeavor to give the ndmlnIstra-
tlon everything It desired and while
differences OF opinion necessarily arose
as to the methods and details, there
was but one common purpose mani
tested. which was to asRlSt the PrOsl-
dent In every legitimate way In Wig
orous prosecution OF the war. That duty
having been abunddntly discharged,
there Is now no obligation resting upon
anybody to sustain tho national adj
ininlstratiOn, unless we really approve