The Worcester spy., 1898-10-23
Woodford and
Others Make
NOTABLE SPEECHES
Several Worcester People
Present at the Meeting.

Boston, Oct. 22.-The Massachusetts
Club at its monthly meeting today en-
tertained as guests and listened to in
teresting speeches from Hon. Stewart
L. Woodford, former minister to Spain
Congressman Boutelle of Maine, and
Rev. j. B. Hawthorne of Nashville,
Tenn.
All three speakers dealt with the lead
ing question of the day, Gen Woodford,
while wishing that it might be other-
wise, said he could see no escape from
an enlarged colonial policy by the
United States; Congressman Boutene
while not wishing to curb the growth
of the republic, urged that the funda-
mental principles of the declaration of
| independence and the constitution
should be maintained; and lastly, Rev.
| Mr. Hawthorne declared himself to be
| thoroughly in sympathy with eXpan-
| sion ideas.
Among those present We're Senator
| Hoar of Worcester, Colonel Goetting of
| the state committee, General A. b. r.
| Sprague of Worcester, Speaker Bates OF
the house Of representatives Attorney
| General Knowlton. Hon. Samuel s..
| Capen, Senator A. L. Harwood of New
! ton, Winfield S. Slocum of Newton,
| Judge Kennedy, John Hopewell, Jr, Of
| Cambridge, Colonel w. w. Doherty,
Henry B. Blackwell, Ex-Governor Claf-
! lin, Representative ]. ]. Myers, Hon.
| Robert 0. Fuller of Cambridge, ex-In-
surance Commissioner Merrill Chas.
| NJ Thayer and Colonel w. A. Gile OF
| a
Captain John c. White, U. S. A. pe-
tired) and others.
Hon. A. w. Beard presided and In
| trodueed Gen. Woodford as the first
speaker.
After thanking the club for the previ-
| lege of speaking to its members, Gen
| Woodford reviewed the political his
| tory Of the present administration uI
to the time when the Cuban question
became acute, and said that whatever
may be the difficulties of our present
craftsmanship and the problems of the
future, it is at least certain that tht
president and the republican party
have kept faith with the people of thu
country Gen Woodford spoke of his
appointment as minister TO Madric
and the instructions which he received
to avert the war, If possible.
He sketched brief Y the stormy
| events which led up to the declaration
of war and his leaving his post when
the war came.
| Its name and its memories will lingeI
| long, but that war confronts US with
serious and grave duties and responsi-
| bilities. Porto Rico is ours by right
| of conquest Cuba is held under trust
of the pledge that the republic gave
when we entered upon the war But |
| frankly confess that [ do not believe
| that the inhabitants of Cuba are quail
q .s..A- .asrA.A asaraf a1asN
| I am constrained to the personal belief
| that it will be necessary to maintain
| the American occupation until such
| time as Americans, Englishmen, Ger
/ mans and Frenchmen shall have gone
| into the island, to enable the fever to
| be stamped out on the one side and
| good order established on the other.
am afraid that we have assumed a
| charge of a care which will last longer
| than our friends in congress dreamed
| when the war began.
| Regarding the Philippines I could
wish that we were not charged with
| the responsibility that seem pressing
upon us. We are not as a people
| trained to the generous and thoughtful
| treatment of inferior ones"
| Gen Woodford pointed out numerous
| difficulties which win be encountered
in governing the Philippines. A dollar
| is a dollar the world over, he said, and
| Boston will never do a large trade with
fManila based upon Bryanist theories
/ of finance Neither can we ever ad-
minister Porto Rico, Hawaii or the
/ Philippines upon the theory that be-
| cause q man has successfully run a
| primary in Boston or caucus in New
/ York he is qualified to govern for the
| United States colonies ip distant lands.
| I see, however, no escape from an en-
| larged colonial policy by this country.
! T Nufc oh nf
| is in Cuba, Porto Rico and Manila
bay I do not believe that where our
| flag has gone there it must stay but
| do believe that where our flag has gone
! there the liberty, the civilization and
| the humanity which that flag embodies
| and represents must remain and, God
| helping us, remain forever"
! The next speaker was Congressman
Boutelle He opened his remarks by
| eulogizing Senator Hoar. Speaking of
| the war and it's results Mr.. Boutelle
| said, as to the solution of the various
! problems: I'VE must solve these cues
! tions upon the basis of the highest
| principle Of international integrity,
| Christian morality and welfare of all
| mankind believe with Grant who
| said: Let us have peace that ques-
Itions arising between the great nations
of the earth should be settled by ar
| bitration | did not believe that it was
/ desirable for us to rush hastily into
war, and / did not believe that the
| revolutionary people of Cuba had es-
/ tablished a government that was sta
| BILE But the war came, and the flag
! of Spain went down, and the flag OF
/ our country went up and they are there
| today, and yet we are questioning.
| What shall we do with it,? | do not
pretend to solve the problem, but all
| / ask my countrymen. is that they
/ shall meet the question like thoughtfW
| patriots and statesmen; and not be
carried away with wild enthusiasm Of
! military. Let us look at the ques-
/ ton in the old New England fashioned
way and see what is the hest future
| of the millions of the American re-
| public ] do not believe that because
| our flag flies in Porto Rico that it ear
ries an obligation upon us to assume
/ the responsibility for its government
! if we conclude that it is not for our
! interest to do so.
While / would not crib or confine our
1 republic SO as to prevent its develop
ment l am not just ready to believe
that the fundamental principles of the
Declaration of Independence have be-
come obsolete nor that we have reached
the time yet to repeal any portion of the
constitution. and so while 1 want the
most catholic sympathy extended TO
those who are dealing with the ad-