The Portland daily press., 1899-01-23
AGAINST IMPERIALISM.
Big Gathering Of New Workers.
Protest Against Expansion.
SAMUEL GOMPERS AND BOURKR
COCHRANE AMONG SPEAKERS.
Letters From E1-President Cleveland

and Col. Bryan - ResoIution,
Adopted Recognize the Services oi
Senators Hale, Hoar and Others.
New York, January 22. "A mass meet
ing of citizens was held in the Academy
of Music tonight under the auspices OF
the Continental league for the purpose OF
protesting against the policy OF imperial
ism and entangling alliances with
European powers. The meeting was at.
tended by q great crowd Austin @.
Fox presided.
Communications were read from ex.
President Cleveland and William Jen-
nings Bryan, regretting their inability
to be present Mr.. Cleveland in his let
ter said: II am 30 opposed to the expan
sionist craze now affecting our body
polite that any organization formed In
opposition TO it has my hearty sympathy
and approval"
Mr.. Bryan said that he was fully in
sympathy with every effort to save the
nation from the dangers Of Imperialism
The first speaker of the evening was
Hon. James Il. Eustis, former United
States ambassador to France. He said
THE sentiment of the American people
is against the rash idea of expansion; for
to fight the Filipinos would mean loss oil
life TO American soldiers In the future IN
u sickly CLINE If this wild theory Is car
ried out. The President of the United
States .wfll. on March 4th next adjourn
Congress which will not meet again until
Decem Der, during which time he will be-
come military dictator of more than
twelve and half millions Of people In
these conquered islands. Yet our consti'
tutional president is going to govern
them by his personal viii and win you
not tell me that the act will not afford
him swelled head
Samuel Gompers, president OF the
American Federation of Labor was the
rext speaker. Mr.. Gompers severely crit
said, Of the United States government In
going to war to free Cubans and of deny
ing the same measure of freedom and lib
erty 10 the Fiiipinos. He exclaimed that
the flag of the nation should never be
used to hide tyranny. He said that 1t is
not at all improbable that the Filipinos
viii yet become part of the standing
army of the United States, and might yet
be called upon to shoot down American
wage earners He said II was I'M Ameri-
can to subdue people by force of arms
and at the same time maintain our free
institutions.
hon. w. Rourke Cochran was the mex
speaker and said: "This hersy of i'm
perialism Is sweeping over the country
and Is threatening the stability of oui
institutions and our measure of free gov
ernment 1t Is policy of infamy. Is II
part of the principles Of our free and in
dependent government to proceed to civ
ilize . weaker people by first shooting
and then robbing themi We think from
the responsibility imposed upon us by
destiny and when We fail tJ be convinced
Of this appeal to destiny, we are Charged
with being un-American. No nation,
particularly the American nation can
have q citizen soldiery and a mercenary
army. 1t is against the faith Of Washing
ton and the signers of the declaration Of
Independence. If we want expansion
why, here to the north of US lies a coun
try which is a natural part of u.s. Why
not annex Canada? I'd be delighted Il
see that line of custom houses beyond oui
border blown into the Great lakes anc
our line of territory to the north of III
extended to Baffins bay. Deeply as
desire annexation with Canada woulc
not have it by force of arms. The his
tories of Alsace Lorraine and England
treatment of Ire land but too we'll illus
trate the foolishness of annexation by
force and coercion. Now II England
likes us as she claims she does, Ter hel
convince Canadians that their true desti
ny is with us"
These resolutions were adopted:
Resolved by this meeting OF citizens oi
New York:
Birst-Thau the full discharge of oul
obligations to the Inhabitants OF the
Philippines requires that We should with
out delay help them to secure in theii
domestic affairs, first, order and then lib
erty; and that we are absolutely and I'M
qualifiedly opposed 10 the annexation OF
the Philippines islands as a permanent
portion of the national domain.
Seoond-That we are unaiterably op
posed to the Abandonment by this repub
lie of the American ideal OF national
grow tn in favor of the European ideal OF
colonial conquest; We unreservedly sub
scribe to the theory that government de
rives all its just powers fronl the consent
of the governed and to the theory tha
there should be no taxation without