Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-10-19
LACEY AT FAIRFIELD.
Opens Republican Campaign There
with Housing Meeting.

Fairfield, Oct. .)-Thc
republican campaign was opened III
this city last evening with 4 stirring
speech on the political Issues of the
day by Hon. John +. Lacey of Oska-
loosa, congressman from the Sixth
congressional district. The meeting
was held i'll the .Nrmory hall. and Il
large and enthusiastic audience greet
ed the speaker. This is the first time
Congressman Lacey has ever spoken in
this city, heretofore he Confined his
speaking campaign to mis- own district.
He spoke in high praise OF Iowa's 10y
atty to the party and to the nation and
prophesied rich return this fall in
republican support. With regard 20
the Philippine question: he said:
~ is easy 10 find fault. Ii is easy
to critcisc, b,it we must consider the
situation as il was when the war
closed
What was She duty of the president?
Should he abnndoa the wreck that his
country's arms had made. or should
he face the possibilities that victory
had put upon him. He did what hi,
deemed best under all the circum-
stances and submitted the treaty to the
senate for ratification, and it was rati-
fed by the necessary two-thirds vote
by the aid of republican. democratic
and populistic votes. Even Col. BRYAN,
the democratic leader. publicly urged
the ra9ication of the treaty. The
treaty is the solemn obligation of 1he
United States and being agreed upon
as provided by the constitution. has a,l
the force and effect OF the supreme law
of the land. Shall we remain rerma-
nently in the Philippines? That is a
question that we will decide and decide
for ourselves at the proper time in the
light of events and with full knowledge
of the situation. That will be a
question for the future. The question
now is quite different one. Ii is
Shall we be kicked out of the Philip
pines" We Went there to carry or
the war against our enemies and to
break the Spanish yoke which for 800
wears had impeded and prevented the
progress OF these islands. The island
ers are reJoiced at the overthrow of
their oppressors. and then under mis-
guided leadership made an attack up
on our troops and attempted TO destroy
the men who had done nothing but
befriend them.
while the nation honors the hero OF
Manila there are men who denounce
the president because he does not order
our soldiers to abandon the islands at
the dictaSion of Aguinaldo Should
our troops leave the Philippines, it will
not be because they have been driven
OUT. but because they are no longer
needed there.
The greatest admirer OF Aguinaldo
in this country would have despised the
president if he had permitted our
army TO be driven from the island OF
L,lzou.
The orators who are now denounc-
ing the president as an imperialist
would have been condemning him as u
bastard had he yielded to the insurg-
cnts.
I'VE have both eNpansionists and
contractionists in this country. Mir.
White and his followers contracted ou,.
currency by their threats against its
integrity. They drove it into hiding
bv their persistent demands for the IA
cent silver standard They contracted
the rare OF wages by their assaults
upon the protective tariff. They con-
tracted the volume of American pro-
duction by enacting laws encouraging