The Portland daily press., 1898-10-27

selves received IN their encampmen6 rath-
| er than prison at Portsmouth with
Christian kindness, their wounds bound
up a nd every want provided for The
lesson has not been lost on the olvillza-
tion of the time when Cervera, returning
to his seat in the Spanish Senate, pro-
claims the humanity of America, and
| suggests to Spain that she benefit by our
example, waken from her bondage to old
! limitations, and follow the lead of Amer
lean enterprise and American institu-
tions.
ing the navy, l agree with the evident
proposition that with the recent extern
sion of our territory, the new duties that
are upon US, and the now enlarged i'm
portance of our sea power, the increase
in onr naval forces should go on. But
l nm not one of those who would have it
extravagantly expanded, and I would
prefer reasonable increase oommensu-
rate with the increased need. Too rapid
development will surely lead to reac-
tlon in the popular mind and tendency
| to the other extreme, as happened aIter
| the war for the Union. Nor must we
forget that the increase of the army ana
| the navy Is necessarily attended with a
| very great increase in expenditure and
| therefore, in taxation, and that In the
zeal of the present moment we must
stand on the old fundamental principle
that under no circumstances should this
| become a country where the military arm
| is a burden instead Of defence, and that
| the military establishment must be sub
ordinate by long interval to the educa-
| tional ana the Industrial
But why dwell on the navy, when that
| is only part of the triumphant, respon-
| sible and glorious administration OF Pres
| ident Mckinley? Is there an American
who is not proud of that administration!
| Is there an American who will not sus-
tain it? What were you all saying SIX
months ago-you Republicans; you Dem.
| ocrats; you reformers; you sound money
| men; you patriots everywhere? What
| were you saying then, except words OF
praise for the President and his perform
| ance of his duties; for his firm stand for
the improvement of the Civil Service; for
his confirming and assuring words in be-
half of sound money; for his generous
effort at reuniting. in the bonds of a
union of heart as we'll as of form, all Sec
tions of the country; for his efforts to
avert the grim visage of war and to
maintain peacep Where then was the fail
ure? What did you mean when you
crowded about him with congratulations;
when in editorial and press depatch you
had no word too cordial in his behalf; /;
when if you SAW him Or any member of
his Cabinet you had only expressions of
satisfaction with his course? Is it pos
sible that now in the mesner Zest of a po
litical campaign any of you will forget
all this? Does he deserve less at your
bands beoause, reluctant to prosecute the
war which Congress declared, he has pros
ecuted it with the utmost vigor, with un-
f1inehing perseverance. and with swift,
sure triumph of your arms on land and
on sea or because on the 1iyst intimatlon
of the possibility of peace ne has led the
way to it by the most generous terms
that ever conquerOr granted to the con-
queredp There have been faults and short
comings; mistakes here, and mistakes
there. But when you sweep the held from
the hill top of fairness and good sense,
and not from the 6wampS OF part1sanshlp,
what cancer of corruption or dishonesty
has been exposed, and what is the result
but the most complete success won at the
expense of the least possible extravaganza
and failures? 1t is true that new prob
lens of the gravest import have been
suddenly sprung upon the country. The
Administration was resposible when Con-
igfs5s declared the war; that it should be
prosecuted with view to the completest
and most comprehensive success. But 1t
is not responsible for the fact that success
has brought with it new phases of terri
torial expansion and the grave question
Of dealing with the tremendous RESPONSE
bilities which the war mas tossed upon
the shoulders of the American govern
ment. They will be dealt with with all
the wisdom that the Administration can
bring to bear, and with all that it can
gather from the best intelligence, senti-
ment and counsel of the American people.
1 t is not new thing for 8 President of
the United States to meet sudden and
weighty problems. 1t is not the first
time they have come, of the same kind as
now, though not perhaps to the same de-
gree. 1t is not the first time that the air
In1 xr,f& rir,o 0ria ont
one hand, or dark prophecies of ruin and
shipwreck on the other. But the repub-
lie has swung clear hitherto and moved
on to its place in the worlds destiny.
Hitherto the man has not been found
wanting And he will not be found
wanting now. I speak with some knowl-
edge of him upon whom the greatest bur-
that If ever there was a man who loved
his country, a servant of the public whose
sole pur pose was to do his duty, and who
WAS guided by prayerfui sense OF ao-
countability to God and fellow men, It
is President Mckinley. For two years 1
have sat at the Cabinet table, and l re-
call not one occasion when in the discus
sion there Of any question, one word has
been uttered with regard to Its e1ect or
bearing on the personal or political Tor
tunes of the President or of any mem Der
OF his Cabinet, or ofsthe party of which ne
was the choice two years ago, as Uouay ne'
is the choice of all the people.
Senator Lodge, upon being introduced,
was also given a most cordial reception.
He praised the navy and especially the
head of the department.. He said Score
tary Long had brought glory to his state
as we'll as to the nation. In referring to
New York politics he said he believed
Theodore Roosevelt would be elected GOV
ernor of that state at the coming election.
He said the independent voters who sup
ported Hon. Seth Low in his campaign
are supporting him now in the campaign
no is making for Colonel Roosevelt. He
closed by saying that a vote today against
the Republican candidate is vote Tor
free silver; and vote to reopen the tariff
question.
The speaker appealed to every ore to
sustain the American President, William
Mckinley. He was loudly oheered at In
tervals as were the preceding speakers,
the gathering being one of the most en-
thusiastic during the seven years exist
ence of the club. When Senator Lodge had
finished large majority of those in at
tendance proceeded to give a personal
greeting to Secretary Long and the other
members of the club, while the meeting
broke IN shortly aftervyards hafnre anv