Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-10-21

new YORK, october 20.-HOn. David
B. Hill addressed a great Democratic
mass meeting in the Academy of
Music, Brooklyn, tonight. The hall
was packed and the enthusiasm of the
people was extraordinary. When the
former governor stepped to the front
of the stage the cheering was deafen-
ing, and the woman in the boxes and
all over the house waved their hand
kerchiefs. The applause was continued
for several minutes, and it was renew
ed again and again.
Mr.. Hill said:
THE paramount issue in the present
campaign is that of honest government.
There are no war issues, so-called. to
divide or embarrass the people. The
achievements and glories OF the recent
war with Spain belong not to any po-
litical party, but to the whole country.
This fact should be everywhere con-
ceded; but if there is a disposition to
inject partisanship in the consideration
of the inception or results Of that war,
We need not shirk from comparison
with our opponents. We may recall
the plain facts of history. The people
have not forgotten the great struggle
in the halls of Congress less than a
year ago. which preceded the declara-
ton of war-the fact that, with a few
and honorable exceptions, all the ear
nest pleas for intervention in behalf of
Cuban liberty were uttered by Demo-
cratic leaders; the arbitrary refusal for
months of
R REPUBLICAN SPEAKER,
backed by the dominant majority, to
even consider the Cuban question at
all; the steady, persistent and deter
mined efforts of the Democratic min
GRITTY to force the Cuban question to
the front, aided by the powerful DEM
ocratic press of the country and backed
by the patriotic sentiment of the
crowned with success and a hating
and reluctant administration was forcsd
to inaugurate a war IN behalf of hui
mainly and civilization to which it
was at heart opposed.
You have not forgotten the cold and
unsympathetic message of President
Mckinley in December last opposing
Cuban intervention of any kind, eX
aggerating the difficulties in the way
and unnecessarily reminding Congress
and the people of our neutral obliga-
tions. You have not forgotten the at
titude of Senator Hanna, the Warwick
of the present administration as we'll as
the head of its financial syndicate,
fresh from his senatorial triumph at
Columbus, purchased by bribery and
corruption, who sent to the President
in answer to his congratulatory tele-
gram the famous, or, rather, infamous
message: God reigns and the Repub-
lican party still lives" and who. with
tears in his eyes, was pleading at
Washington for peace at any price,
and lamenting the threatened disturb
ance of the business interests of the
country by $50 unnecessary war
Neither need l remind you of the
dire predictions and lamentations of
other Republicans high in the councils
Of the party, who in those momentCus
days were seeking to stem the tide Of
popular enthusiasm which was sweep
ing over the land and protesting that
their party was being ''dra gged" into
an unholy foreign war by their unscru.
pulous opponents.
But now that this cruel war IS
over and American valor has easily
triumphed on both sea and land and
the American flag proudly floats over
our newly acquired territory-never,
as it is fondly hoped, to be lowered
again-these
POSTWAR PATRIOTS
who never lifted their voices in behalf
OF Cuban liberty when that cause was
IN dire distress and needed friends.
come forward and with unbecoming
haste, not simply to share, but to mon
opolize all the glories of the war.
Their perennial and moss-covered ora
tors, from DR.. Depew down to the vii
lage oracle are perambulating the
State, fighting over again with their
tongues the few battles of the war. Civ
ing vivid descriptions of war scenes
which they did not witness. and de-
failing war-like events which never &C.
CURED, seeking vague and imaginary is
sues, rather than confronting those ac-
tually existing.
Even the distinguished Republican
candidate for governor in one of his
recent speeches. went SO far as to saw
that the war would be regarded as hav-
ing been fought in vain if Democratic
victory should now occur. This is the
first suggestion which | have heard
from so high source that the late
war was a Republican war, or that it
was waged in the interest or for the
benefit of any political party, official
or individual. Democratic soldiers.
as well as civilians, will resent the Of
fensive and untimely suggestion. It
was the nations war, undertaken
N-o,r ron rSr>r YrYrAY