The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-24

what the COppeTnedQS Oh 1901 Sdlu u the
Confederates. Here in Ohio Vallandig-
ham ran on the issue that the war was
failure, and that the independence of
the southern states should be acknow-
lodged. The feeble Vallandighams of to-
day take the same position, and If Ohio
is true to the great memories of her past,
she will give the same answer that she
gave them. No man can hesitate in this
struggle and ever afterward call himself
a true merican 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 over
wheIm 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 a government of order
ly justice; and, in the second place that
this situation inevitably arose out of the
war and could not have been avoided
save by shameful conduct on our part.
You viii meet short-sighted people who
say that Dewey, after sinking the Span
ish fleet, should have sailed away from
Manila bay. OF course such conduct was
impossible. 1t is not too much to say
that such conduct would have been in
famous Either the islands would have
been left to their own fate, had such
course been followed in which case
series of bloody massacres would have
taken place, and the war between the
I1;firfpoG would have
dragged along its wretched length until
some outside interference took place; or
else what is far more probable, as Dew
ey's fleet sailed out the fleet of some
European power would have sailed in,
and we should have had the keen mori-
fication of seeing the task which we
shrank from, begun by some nation
which did not distrust its own powers
which had the courage to dare to be
great. Dewey had to say and we had to
finish the job we had begun.
The talk about the Fnipinos having
practically achieved their independence
is of course the variest nonsense. Aguin-
aldo who has turned against US, owed
his return to the islands to US. It was our
troops and not the Filipinos who conquer
ed the Spaniards, and as a consequence
it was to us the island fell, and we shall
show ourselves not merely weaklings I'M
fit to take our place among the great ma
items of the world, but traitors to the
cause Of the advancement of mankind, II
we finch from doing Alright the task
which destiny has entrusted to our hand.
We have no more right to leave the Fill
pinos to butcher one another and sink
slowly back into savagery, than we would
have the right in an excess of sentimen-
tally to declare the SOuiX and Apaches
free to expel all white settlers from the
lands they once held. The FilipinOs Of
fer excellent material for the future with
our aid they present thetaointaoinaoin
our aid they may be brought up to the
level Of self-government; but at present
they cannot stand alone for any length
of time.
A weak nation can be pardoned for Civ
ing up a work which it does badly, but
strong nation cannot be pardoned for
finching from a great work because,
forsooth, there are attendant difficulties
and hardships. The century which is just
opening will surely see vast strides in
the expansion of the great masterful
ruling races of the world.
"Our opponents are fighting against the
stars in their courses, for they are striv-
ing to bring dishonor upon the Ameri-
can republic. They can qualify, refine
differentiate. and differ all they wish, but
fundamentally their attitude is the atti-
tude of hostility TO the flag, of hostility
to our sailors and soldiers, of hostility to
the greatness Of the nation-the great
ness Of the race. The other day in New
York a democratic club started to call
itself the Dewey club, and had to aban-
don the name, because the members quar-
relied so among themselves-half of them
regulating Dewey because he was an ex-
pansionist Think of it. They dared not
cali themselves after the greatest hero
military or naval-whom We have pro-
duced since the civil war. because they
were not loyal to the policy for which
that hero stood TO the policy whcih 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 grounds. They
take their stand in favor of economic I'M
rest. of financial dishonesty and Of ma
tional dishonor We take up the glove
that they throw down. We meet them on
every point We stand for a continuation
of the conditions which have brought
prosperity to US. We stand for an intel
ligent effort to wipe out any wrong that
may arise without substituting g tenfold
greater evil. Finally, We stand for IN
holding the traditional American policy
OF defending the honor Of the American
people in the face Of any foreign foe, and
of giving free outlet 10 the vigorous and
Astounding strength ofethe nation. If we
finch from doing our task in the face
OF the nations. If we fee from the Philip
pines, we shall have written a shameful
page in the history Of our country, a
page which our sons and grandsons will
read with bowed heads. I verify believe
that the shamt and anger such action
would arouse in our bosom would force
us in a few brief years again TO tread the
path upon which we have now entered;
only IN delay would increase beyond
measure the difficulty and danger. We
cannot shrink from doing the task al
lotted to Us. unless We are content 70
see IL done BY stronger hands and to ad-
init that we are not in the first rank
among nations Surely no American wor-
thy the name will make such an admis-
sion. In the present crisis We appeal not
merely 10 party, but beyond party; we
appeal 70 all good citizens to all patriotic
Americans to stand with US as We up
which make our national prosperity al
home-as We uphold the honor Of the fas