The Portland daily press., 1898-12-20
"WHAT's DONE is DONE"
Mayor Quincy Says Democrats Would
Do Well to Bear 1T In Mind.

Boston, December 19-At its annual
meeting and banquet tonight, the Young
Mems Democratic club listened to numer-
GUS speeches on expansion and Imperialism
by the two recently elected Democratic
Congressman, Hon. Henry T. Nap
han of the Tenth district, and Hon. John
B. Thayer of the Third, as well as by
Mayor Quincy, Hon. G. S. Hamlin and
others.
% Both 1.-THE the annual meeting which was
held before the banquet and at which the
election OF officers took place, and the
banquet itself, were largely attended, and
singing was one of the features.
President Henry W. Lamb presided and
introduced Mayor Quincy, the first speak
er. The Mayor spoke as follows:
Mayor Quincy spoke in part as follows:
ssWe hear great deal about expansion
lists and anti-expansionists. imperialists
and anti -impsrialists and there is a
strong effort to enlist everyone under one
of these banners OF the other. For myself
cannot accept either one of these ex-
treIne designations. am free to say that
am SO conservative in respect to these
matters that I sylnpathized with the
President of the United States in his op-
position to going to war with Spain and
I shonld not be willing to take the re-
sponsibility for the annexation of Hawaii.
Ii that respect, am in harmony with
what seems to be the prevailing senti.
ment among the more highly educated
portion of this country. So far as the
dollars and cents argument goes. l doubt
ii any returns which we can get out of
our new possessions, during our gerera-
tion at least will pay for the new national
expenditures which we shall be obliged
to incur.
ssAdmitting the great differences be-
tween expansion of our past history with
in the limits of the American continent
and the new national expansion which
has carried US to Cuba, Porto Rico,
Hawaii, and even to the far off Philip
pines, the fact remains that we have
raised our flag over new and distant terri
tory and unless pest history is TO be con-
tradicted, the flag will not be lowered
while tho population. wealth and power
OF this country continue to grow. Right
ly or wrongly, the great body of the
American Leople will go with their flag,
and will sustain it where it has been
planted.
1T is true that the formal ratification
of the treaty Us not yet effected, and that
there is some influential opposition to the
step; but / do believe that the great
body of the Democratic party ccincid S
with the sensible opinion recently ex-
pressed by it's leader In the last Presl-
Dental contest, Mr.. Bryan, that the
treaty should be ratified first and all ques
tions as to tho disposition or government
of the Philippines settled afterwards.
i believe In our American principles
aud system of government; but If every
one who does not believe in making the
Phslippipo an American citizen and
giving him vote must be olassed as an
iinperialist, then / must accept that
design alton. ] believe that the Demo-
cratic party will make great mistake if
1t fails to recognize that what is done is
done; that for good or for ill, the die has
been cast and this country has entered
upon a new era of its life, upon q period
when even splendid continental isola.
tion must give place to closer inter
national relations; when the United
States now become one of the greatest
powers of the world, must inevitably as
sumo larger part of the responsi bilities
connected with the government of the
world. -
Congressman Fitzgerald sent tele-
gram from Washington expressing his re-
greet at his inability to attend owing to
pressing duties. Ex-Mayor Matthews sent
a letter which sounded clarion note for
expansion. Hon. John W. Cocoran in
speaking on the chief topic denounced the
policy which had come into vogue of
coveting the goods of our neghbors.