Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-09-28
ally strike hands with the enemies Of
QllI. rAllnfT.u alAr,oad ~ - -.--s

ally strike hands with the enemies OF
our country abroad.
Make no mistake. In the Philip
pines we are at open war with an enc
my who must be put down. 1t is abb
solutely impossible to save our honor
except through victory; and it is equal
~ impossible to win peace to restore
order in the islands, or to prepare the
way for self-government there, save
through victory. People tell you that
the Filipinos are fighting for independ-
ence. This was exactly what the Cop
perheads of 1861 said of the Confeder-
ates. Here in Ohio the Vallandingham
ran on the issue that the war was
failure, and that the independence of
the southern states should be acknowl-
edged. The feeble Yallandinghams to-
day take the same position, and if Ohio
is true to the great memories of her
past she will give the same answer
now that she gave them. No man can
hesitate in this struggle and ever af-
forwards call himself a true American
and true patriot. He must stand by
the flag. He must uphold the honor
and the interest of the nation, and the
only way in which he can stand by
the one, and uphold the other, is to
overwhelm the party that assails both.
Two facts must be emphasized:
First, that out of the present situation
the only honorable and humane way is
to put down armed resistance in the
Philippines, and TO establish gov
eminent of orderly justice; and, in
the second place, that this situation in
eyitably arose out of the war, and
could not have been avoided save by
shameful conduct on our part.
"a weak nation can be pardoned for
giving up work which ii is doing
badly; but a strong nation cannot be
pardoned for finching from great
work because forsooth there are atten-
dant difficulties and hardships. The
century which is just closing has seen.
what the century which is opening will
surely also see--vast strides in civiliza-
sion, the result of the conquest of the
worlds waste places, the result of the
expansion of the great masterful, rul-
ing races of the world.
"Our opponents are fighting against
the Stars in their courses, for they are
striving to bring dishonor upon the
>
refine, differentiate, and differ all they
wish, but fundamentally their attitude
is the attitude of hostility to the flag,
and hostility to our sailors and sol
diers, of hostility to the greatness of
the nation--the greatness of the race.
The other day in New York a demo-
cratic club started to call itself the
Dewey club, and had to abandon the
name, because the members quarrelled
so among themselves-half of them re-
pudiating Dewey because he was an
expansionist. Think of it. They dared
not call themselves after the greatest
hero military or naval whom we have
produced since the Civil War, because
they were not loyal to the policy for
which the hero stood. to the policy
which he has done so much to put into
effect.
"My fellow citizens, this contest OF
yours in Ohio is no mere state contest.
1t is a national contest. Our opponents
are fighting on national ground. They
take their stand in favor of economic
unrest, of financial dishonesty and of
national ,dishonor. We take up the
glove that they throw down. To meet
them on every point. We stand for a
continuation of the conditions which
have brought prosperity to us. We
stand for an intelligent effort to wipe
out any wrong that may arise without
substituting ten-fold greater evil.
Finally, we stand for upholding the
traditional American policy of defend-
ing the honor of the. American people
in the face of any foreign foe, and of
giving free outlet ito the vigorous and
Astounding strength of the nation. If
we finch from doing our task in the
face of the nations, if we flee from the
Philippines, we shall have written a
shameful page in the history of our
country, a page which our sons and
grandsons will read with bowed head.
I verify believe that the shame and
anger such action would arouse in our
bosoms would force us in a few brief
years again to tread the path upon
which we have now entered; only the
delay would increase beyond measure
the difficulty and danger. We cannot
shrink from doing the task allotted to
us, unless we are content to see it
done by stronger hands, and to admit
| that we are not in the first rank of
nations. Surely no American worthy
the name will make such an admission.
In the present crisis we appeal not
merely to party, but beyond party;
we appeal to all good citizens, to all
patriotic Americans, to stand with us,
as we uphold financial integrity and
| the conditions which make for materi.
al prosperity at home, as we uphold
the honor of the flag and the interests
of the nation abroad
ATTEMPTS SUICIDE.