Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-02-23

t!SuouS territory in the acquisition 80
Florida. Louisiana and Texas o'
IN 1893. under I'illinores Presid4nc,. -
had been wise enough TO reject these w We
ISLANDS; We had also rejected the nrot,r..
OF st. Thomas. and under the ad,ofrie yi.er
ton of President Grant CONGRESS IA. d,
voted down u proposition to pnrcbasa
san Domingo. Only once had We d1,''.,
cd from the rule--in the p,lrcbaedi '' =
AlaSka-and only the future could A. w
terminc whether that had been a NJ ",
move. wise
Possession Of extraneous Territory. MAJ.
a constant sourc" Of Irritation. II n,an
urged that the Sandwich Islands ,' "1S
the KEY 10 the fdcliiC, as if guns mountaa
lherc could command the Nicaraano
canal and the Pacific coast. thousands nt
miles away The annexation If Jiona y;
would establish bad precaden, ii a.Siah
We would be urged to follow at an aari,
day -" edII!
He did not deny. he said thai rho a.
QUESTION Of foreign territory had adSas
70 the prosperity of nations, bur histor,,
showed it to have been ultjmatel,,
source of weakness. "Cupidity hred an
preston. it piled up taxes. il stirred in
STRIFE, II shed human blood IL was The
lFSt step toward acknowledgements Ia
inc nations OF the Old World pursue this
policy If ACKNOWLEDGMENT To their haar,s'
content let them saddle their neonla
80 I'M al 4l!'S ana EdEieS and
shed oceans of blood ''
Let England boast if she pleased that
the sun never set upon her TERRITORY, M
let rs remember nat il never went dow
upon tfic misery nor policy had created
i-r' wars and fn3rs Of war bring anx-
lriy l." me faces "f her colonsts. but lot
III" tower of her culuuies which hroke
away from her domination 100 years ago
dhd winch ny pursuing the opposite policy
h"h pHtStIIpped her, continue TO stand as
dh rNamli" 10 ihc civilized world.
W MI" others seek war and its horrors
let us Soothe our people with enduring
peace. The internal reforms which our
country demanded presented a field broad
enough To enlist our best efforts. Let us
not be known and eXecrated as the 'rois-
terms buili"S Of The Western hemisphere
W nile | am proud Of our navy" con-
tinUed Johnson. mpressivelv, Il some
times think that the powerful battleshins
We have built have bred feelings of intol-
erancy ana ins"lence. Let our equipment
insure peace rather than provoke war
applause. My information is that the
treaty Will fail in the Senate but it will
be Supplanted by joint resolution pro-
viding for the annexation of the Islands.
do not doubt its passage by the Senate
and that it will come here. If the Senate
fails TO do its duty. let US, fresh from the
people. exercise our high prerogative and
send II 10 its doom. (Applausel.
! trust dod II VIII not be made party
measure. If we turn from this temptation
now and adhere to the right. % years of
peace and prosperity will vindicate our
patriotism and posterity will bless our
memories. Let us have the moral cour-
age to say No to a policy which will
lead, God alone knows where"
The demonstration which greeted the
conclusion OF johnson speech was one
Of the greatest and most spontaneous
Witnessed in this Congress. Many of the
Republicans joined il, and the galleries
which were crowded. gave evidences of
approval. Members crowded about the
Indiana member when he took his seat
and warmly congratulated him
The remainder of the day was almost
entirely consumed in political speeches.
MierS. Dem, Ind. vigorously artaigned
gold monometallism and the Republican
party.
Jones Fusionist. Wash. delivered a
general speech in opposition to existing
wpirh aroused the minority
TO enthusiasm.
Simpson, Pop, Kan. created amuse-
ment by some observations. He was