The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-31

A Bag Mass Meeting In New Yorkpl
Adopts strong ResolutIons-Lesser
From Cleveland and Bryan-McKin- |
ley rs Dictator /

New York, January PA mass-
meeting of citizens was held in h
academy of music tonight under the
auspices OF the Continental League for
the purpose Of protesting against the
policy of imperialism and entangiing
alliances with European powers" The
meeting was attended by a great crowd
Long before the doors were opened
1900 people were clamoring for admis-
sion, and in a short while the police
ordered the doors unlocked because of
the crush. Ten minutes later there
vas not a vacant seat in the house.
A list of vice-presidents was read, in
Guiding these names: Wheeler II. Peck
ham, Abram s. Hewitt, Henry Loomis
Nelson, William II. Hofnblower, Roger
A. Pryor, Francis Wayland Glen, John
c.. Sheehan and Frederic r. Couderr.
A numebr of vice presidents were an
nounced as representing the Central
Labor Union, including Samuel Com
pers, president Of the American FEEDER
alton OF Labor; Joh NJ. Parsons, gen.
eral master workman Of the Knights of
Labor; Daniel Harris. president of the
State Federation Of Labor.
Communications were read from ex-
fFSSlOS0I C16FSid1U, Col. William D..
Bryan and Bishop Henry G. Potter, re-
GREETING their inability to be present.
Mr.. Cleveland in his letter said:
Il am SO opposed to the expansionisl
craze now affecting our body polite
that any organization formed in oppo-
sition to it has my hearty sympathy
and approval"
Mr.. Bryan said he was fully in SYM
pathy with every effort put forth to
ave the nation from the dangers of
imperialism.
Bishop Potter wrote: THE purposes
of the meeting nave my hearty approx
al, and I should be glad if l had time TO
say how strongly / feel hat the pol
icy of imperialism or expansion. in any
such n as proposed at present,
threatens equally the moral integrity
of the nation n the conditions on
which its prosperity has hitherto rest
ed"
Strong anti-annexation esoIutions
were adopted.
MI. EUSTIS OPPOSED TO EXPAN-
The first speaker was James B. Eus-
tbs, former ambassador to France. Mr..
Eustis said in part:
The sentiment of the American peo-
pie is against the rash idea of eXpan-
sion, for to fight the Filipinos would
mean loss of life to American soldiers
Ell II utdlC III q olChIy Clllllc, IL lllS
wild theory is carried out. There are
only two persons whose ideas on the
question of anneXing the Philippines
nave given me cause for serious
thought. One of them thought that by
annexation certain United States mer-
chandise could be sold to the Filipinos.
The other was a preacher who thought
by expansion and annexation he could
sell some Protestant Bibles to the ma
tives. The president of the United
States, continued the speaker, will
on March 4th next adjourn congress,
which will not meet again until Deem
Der, during which time he will become
military dictator of more than twelve
and a half millions of people in these
conquered islands. Yes, our constitu-
tional president is going to govern
them by his personal will, and will you
not tell me that the act will not afford
him a swelled head?A
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, was the
next speaker. Mr.. Gompers severely
criticised the inconsistency of the Unit
ed States government in going to wal
to free the Cubans, and of DENYING
the same measure of freedom and lib
erty to the F%ilipinos. He declared that
the flag of the nation should never be
used to hid tyranny. He said that it
is not at all improbable that the Fill
plnos will 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
1T was impossible to subdue a people
by force of arms, and at the same time
maintain u free institutions.
w. Bourke Cochran was the last
speaker.