, 1898-10-19

inc TOeSt Iflenu 10 tnl9 republic n tn
past. Its sword has always been tn,
enemy of oppression and wrong wher
ever found. On its bright banner arr
principles immortal. and in its hands
eternal Justice and equality OF rights
and under the magic wand OF those
the republic has made marvellous prog.
ress in the past, and In the future will
be the marvel Of mankind.
TWO GREAT REPUBLICANS.
Future generations will read in his
tory that in this republic in the years
1861 and 1865. the clouds of war hung
over this fair land, sorrow and suffer
ing was everywhere and it seemed that
the sun of prosperity and peace had
hidden its face forever. but the re-
public emerged from the awful gloom
and the people beheld the dawn OF a
new era Of marvellous prosperity and
peace, and in its door stood the sanity
form Of the republican, Abraham
Lincoln.
So at the end Of another fearful crisis
at the close of the Nineteenth century
when h war cloud again appeared;
when in the lane was heard the shrill
notes OF the bugle and the music of the
fife and drum and the tread of march
ing soldiers; when mothers were Weep
ing over sleeping sons slain in the de-
Tense Of their country; when wives
were watching and waiting for the re-
turn of husbands who came not; when
old men with fearful eyes told of the
valor of soldier boys who fought under
the old flag on foreign lands and on
foreign seas; then sorrow and gloom
was everywhere, then the clouds clear
ed away, the sun of peace showed his
smiling face again, and a new era OF
unexampled progress and prosperity
was ushered in, and in the door of the
Twentieth century. with calm and
gcd-like face. stood the republican,
William Mckinley.
CONDUCT OF THE WAR.
The war with Spain was the most
successful war ever waged. And yet
at its beginning our country was not
prepared for war. Our president ex-
hausted every resource of diplomacy in
the interest Of an honorable peace.
With dignity and patience and discre-
ton, and a firmness Of purpose be-
yond all praise, he met popular cfamor
in official circles and without, in re-
s%istance Of intemperat haste, making
ready. meantime, as best he could, for
prosecuted it with a wisdom and vigor
that has made his name immortal.
And in the solution OF the great prob
lens which will result from this wal
the president can be trusted to display
the same courage. diplomacy and wis
dom that characterized his actions dur
the war.
When that war ended all the world
knew that it had been splendidly plan
ned and executed. The press of Europe
and the honest publications of this
country gave unstinted praise Of the
administration for unexampled success,
alike in preparing for the conflict and
fighting it to an early end. The three
great events Of the war. two naval and
one land engagements, were each and
all such victories that they stand alone.
History has no parallel for any OF
those battles. Measured by results &C.
complished in proportion to the cost,
each and all of them and the war as a
totally, ecfipsed all records. This is
the verdict Of the civilized world.
While the wal was on the political
campaign Jagged, for there was more
patriotism than politics in the hearts
and minds of the people. Who cared to
talk of coinage. of tariff. Of currency
reform, or any other issue; who cared
to remember that the people were not
all of one mind while our ships were
sinking the enemy's fleets and our
aiulfco WeiS AoSih6 III lAo AuAAAP
pines, Cuba and Porto Rico? But now
we hear of men whose selfishness and
greed for office rises above their love
for fair play and above their patriot
ism, villifying and abusing government
officials on their conduct of the diff
ferent departments during the war,
and accusing them of almost all the
crimes in the criminal calendar. And
all this, too, in the vain hope Of in
juring the administration for political
purposes, expecting thus to poison the
minds Of the people with the purpose
in view of electing a democratic on
gress in November next.
OF course there may have been some
mistakes in placing in the field an
army Of a quarter OF a million men and
ending the war with them in 113 days.
OF course some Incompetent men may
have secured commands. OF curse
there was sickness and death that
might have been prevented had all the
oficers and enlisted men known months
ago az much as they do now But when
it is realized that our people forced
themselves into the war at once dur
ing the worst season OF the year in an
unhealthy as well as foreign climate.
while our soldier boys were unaocus-
toned to hardships, leaving a. they did