The herald., 1898-11-02
Associated Press Special Wire

NOROES LEN, Mass, NoN. l. "a -"i %
and enthusiastic audience greeted Senator
George +. Hoar, Congressman William IL
Moody and Speaker John l.. Bates IN Me
chanics' hall tonight. Three hundred Re
publican leaders occupied seats upon the
platform with the speakers. Senator Hoai
presided and was the principal speaker.
HOAR'S PASSIONATE SPEECH
After making reference to local issues in
the campaign, Senator Hoar said:
'This year has been crowded with history
and crowded with glory. 1t is also, to my
mind, crowded with danger. The flag OF
Spain, formerly the proudest power on
earth since the day of the Roman, has gone
down in darkness and in blood before the
victorious navy and army of the United
States The flag of the United States has
risen in the eastern sky like new constel-
lation. Let us not accept the duties and re-
sponsibilities of this victory in any temper
Of vulgar vainglory, still less OF vulgar greed
of power or gain. The United States comes
to the oppressed people, east and west, as
great deliverer. To deal with this great oc-
casion by talking about coalng stations and
trade advantages degrades and belittles It.
We have not overthrown Spain, We have
not periled the precious lives OF our sons,
that we may add to our possessions or that
we may make money out of our new rela-
tions.
''But yet, the frsh duty of the American
people is to themselves, and when / say this
/ say it it no spirit of selfishncss or OF in
difference to the welfare of mankind.
"On the contrary, believe that the high
est service the American people can render
to mankind and to liberty is to preserve
unstaned and unchanged the republic as it
came to us from the fathers 1t is by exam
pie and not by guns or by bayonets that the
great work Of America for humanity is to
be accomplished. And, in my opinion, we
nre today in great danger-a greater danger
than we have encountered since the pill
grims landed at Plymouth. The danger is
that we are to be transformed from a re-
public founded on the declaration of indie
pendence, guided by the counsels of Wash
ington, into vulgar, commonplace empire,
founded upon physical force.
81, for one, am not dazzled by the exam
pie of England The institutions of Eng
land, which have enabled her to govern sue
cessfully distant colonies and subject states,
are founded, as Mr.. Gladstone pointed out,
on the doctrine of equality. If we are to
outstrip England in national power it must
be by pursuing our own path and not by
following in hers
st is said that Porto Rico is already ours
1t may be that Porto Rico is to become ours.
But there is no authority under the consti-
tuition of the United States to acquire any
foreign territory, save by treaty approved
by the senate by two-thirds vote or by an
act of legislation in which the president, the
house of representatives and the senate
must unite. 1t is said that the Philippine
islands are already ours by the right of con-
quest. For one. | deny this alleged right
OF conquest. Human beings-men, women,
children, peoples-are not to be won as
spoils of war or prizes in battle. 1t may be
that such doctrine finds place in the ancient
and barbarous laws of war, but it has no
place under the American constitution. 1t
has no place in the code of morals of the
people OF the United States | have stated
elsewhere the conditions which, in my judg-
ment, warranted the acquisition of Hawaii
Hawaii came to us with the consent of her
own government, the only government cap
able of maintaining itself there for any con-
siderable length of time. In the case of
the Philippines, we are asked to subject
nation and to hold it in subiecton We get
them by conquest and hold them by force
in the case of the Hawaiian islands. we got
them by compact with their lawful gov
ernment.
"Some of our good friends have said
thoughtlessly in their zeal that where the
American flag goes it must stay. But surely
they cannot wish to commit the country to
that doctrine We planted it in the city of
Mexico But no man demanded that it
should stay there. If the war goes on we
shall plant it on the coast of Spain, but we
have no desire to hold permanent domain
there.
''lf the Philippine islands become ours
then, under the late decision of the supreme
court, every man, every child hereafter born
in them becomes an American citizen, free
to come and free to go. Are you going to
hold them as subjects? Are you going to
have trained and governing class? Are
you going to have the national taxgatherer,
the most frequent and the best known Wis
liant to every American house? Are you
going to increase, many fold, your national
debt?
"These things are involved in this wild
and imprisoned cry for empire. For my.
self, disbelieve and hate the notion that
the American people are TO submit to such a
Transformation"
Congressman Moody assured his hearers
that the management Of the war would he
thoroughly investigated at the coming ses-
sion of congress and if blame were found no
official would be spared, high or low.