The Portland daily press., 1899-10-19
Address by Rev. H. S.
Bigelow.
Meeting Conducted by U. s
Senator Mason.

Chicago, October 1s.-Delegstss to the
auti-imperialist conferences at Central
Music Hall held the second days session
today and resumed the task of completing
the organization Of national anti-im-
rcrialistio league. J. ID. Sterling of Ne
braska presided.
The speaker OF the morning was Her
bert Myrick of SpIingeld, Mass.
Following Mr.. Myricks speech a gen
eral discussion of the Philippine question
occupied the time until noon. A public
mass IN Getting was held then. conducted
by United States Senator William E.Ma-
SIN. Congressman ]. J. Lentz ard Rev.
Herbert S. Bigelow of Cincinnati deliy-
cred speeches. Rev. Bigelow spoke as
follows:
"Tte nation Is standing at tie parting
OF the ways. Two paths lie before her.
Two voices are Speaking. One voice IL
asking, Which path will payp The other
is demanding, Which path is righip The
course We take will depend upon our
answer to these questions. The two uuea-
ttons are in reality. one. But II 1t Is con-
ceiyable that even temporarily we might
profit by the wrong, still. unless the soul
OF the nation Is already lost. We will agree
that before the question OF profit snail
have hearing, the question OF right
must be settled.
The American people believe In the
golden rule. They have not lost their
faith in justice. Thay telievs In the d.
vine brotherhood. They know that one
man has as much right to justice as an
other. Ace riding to their code of ethics,
no man has right to deprive another
If life except in sslf-defenoe; no man for
feits his right to liberty unless he seeks
to appropriate the liberties OF Others
They know, furths rmore, that IL the In
dividual is bound by this principle of
equal justice to all men, of much greater
Importance is 1t that the nation should
act in the same faith. 1 do not fesr the
apostaoy of the American people. Their
religion is the religion of justice. The
Declaration of Independence is the po-
litcal expression OF that faith. Never
knowingly will they repudiate 1t. II a
war OF aggression ever receives their
support IL will only be because their pub
lie servants have not trusted them with
the facts, II viii Only b. because the
sooth -sayers have persuaded them that the
war Is righteous, that 1t Is waged in de-
fence Of the principles of the Declaration
OF Independence, and that 1t has the
sanction OF patriotism and religion
1.-THE task we have before us is not to
dissuade the people from desire to com
init wrong. Our task is to save them
from the sophis rles OF tina tyrants who
endeavoI to turn their good Intentions
to bad account, Humanity has a tender
conscience. You cannot get the masses
nj the People to continue In a wrong
course unless you can half persuade them
that they are doing right. The people
ara not deprsyed. but they may be de.
ceived.
The vice of mankind is the desire 70,
dominion the lust OF power and possess
sion. Today, as SO oitsn in the past. that
vice comes TO the people In tie mask of
humanity. 1t Is our task to tear OF the
mask. Our message to the people is
that justice cannot be done through in
justice, peace cannot come through yio-
lence. liberty cannot grow out of oppres-
sion. the gospel OF humanity cannot bs
proclaimed by mouth of cannon.
1--WE are told, MIR. Chairman, that there
are imperialistio designs lurking IN the
mind OF Gen. AguiDal6o o, that he Is sesk-
Ing TO establish over the islands a tyrap-
ny. and that in suppresiing the insurrsc.
tion we ara lighting fer the right of the
Filipino5 to rule themselves. Why NOT
say that to them? Aguinaldo is keep.
Ing up the fight under the pretext of re.