Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-11-04
THIS THE ONLY ISSUR

Ax11O xlxI O1VAA 1OOO%
TERRITORIAL EXPANSION THE
PIVOT OF THE CAMPAIGN.
President's Brief, Tersc Speeches Have
Reached the Hearts of the People
Republican, Rally Around Mckin.
ley, and Contest Takes on New Life.
Washington correspondence:
President McKinley's Western tour put
life into the political campaign. The con.
gressional committees of both parties are
realizing this from the reports that come
to them. The principal effect is felt Il
the West, especially in Ohio, Indiana, I'LL;
nois and Iowa, the States through which
the President Travelled, and where hs
made short speeches. But the whole West
seems to have felt the new vigor which
came from the Presidents plain talk about
the war md its results. The Republican
congressional committee has been ham;
pered by usage, which confines it's official
efforts to sending out documents and liter
IVA ASAosAaS = SNOJCCt6 ugVH W01Sn Suv
party has either in national convention, II
Congress OF by act Of the Republican Pres
ldent, taken a decided stand.
The committee began its work in thit
campaign on the tariff and the currency
questions. because 1t knew just where thu
party stood on those questions. It tool
no stand on the great question of terri
torial expansion, because no national CON
CAnffnn h0N Nry0~U an~cs1a,,aS ALnA -..>-ksz-
a Republican Congress had not acted upol
1t, and President Mckinley had not made
public his instructions to the peace COM
mlssioners. The committee found mucl
difficulty in arousing Republican enthu
siasm over either the tariff or the monej
question, because the people seemed Il
consider those questions practically set
tied, and were giving their attention tt
another and more important question
which had been developed by the wal
with Spain. The flag had been placed
over Manila, and Spain had been drivel
out of the Philippines, as we'll as out Of
Cuba and Porto Rico. There has beer
no mistaking the sentiment Of the peoplj
regarding the Philippines, but Republican
congressman. as we'll as the Republican,
commission, have hesitated to take a posi-
ton upon this question until the peac,
commissioner should act and show to tn
world what were their instructions from
the Republican administration.
Another Issue.
Some of these gentlemen, a few week,
ago, expressed the belief that the cam
paign would be fought out on the silve
question, but they have changed theu
minds. Republican Congressman whit
have visited Washington in the last thret
weeks have reported that there is an
other and a dominant issue, and the Re
publican party must take it's position on
that issue and declare it's purpose regard.
ing the fruits and responsibilities of thu
war.
President Mckinley went West to, at
tend the Omaha exposition and the peace
jubilee at Chicago. He did not start OUT
on q pleasure tour. 1t developed, as did
his campaign Of 1894, when he left Ohio
to make a dozen brief speeches in as many
different States and was kept busy talk.
ing to the people from the car platform
over a trail of about 10000 miles. which
summed up more than 100 speeches ia
crowds that aggregated several millionf.
Of people.
The President met the same demonstra,
ton from the people on his Western tour,
Wherever he went the people wanted ia
har him, and instead of three or foul
speeches, scheduled for him when he lefi
Washington, he made seventy-fve talks
Of from two minutes duration to twenta
minutes, and more than q million people
heard him. he knew what the people
were thinking about, and he knew thee
wanted to know what were his purposeS
regarding the results Of the war. Ha
could not speak in detail about questions
now in the hands Of the peace commission
err, but he could enunciate certain prin.
ciples which were governing his actions
In making q peaceful settlement Of ell the
questions which have been deyeloped bH
the WAT.
That the Presidents speeches have been
ssttsfactoIy to the Republicans Of tha
West 10 shown by the reports from West.
ern States to the congressional commits
tee. The Republican Congrenmen ara
more confident Of a large vote and VICTORY
than they have been at any time since the
opening Of the campaign, and all over the
West 1t 10 reported that the Republican
candidates are taking their stand On thiSS
question OF expansion, and declaring theii
purpose to uphold the hands Of the PresE
dent IN keeping the American aas where
1t has been placed by the army ana navy:
The same condition is reported in thu
Hast, and the Democrats have r~ecoRnize&
the danger Of the new life in the cam.
paisn. EX-SENATOR Hill, In the 6rtae
speech he has made since he left the SEN,
ate. began with a defense, claiiains thai
there were no party differences rerardinS
the VA, that both parties stood tosetheS