The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-10-31
SCHOLAR
DISCUSSES
The Question That He Considers
the Most Important In
This Campaign.
PROF. ST0KEY SPEAKS.
Hall Was Not Large Enough to Admit
the People Who Came
'RoF. sToKEY SPEAKS.
HEAR THE ADDRESS
leopie Were Given Something to Think
About-Milton Shaffer Presided and
Attorney James Sterling Made
Brief Talk That Was
Quite Warm.
n a dignifed, scholarly address, at

Brief Talk That Was
Quite Warm.
In a dignified, scholarly address, at
assembly room in the city hall
hrsday. evening, Prof. Charles F.
cokey explained to his neighbors and
yfriends his reasons for the faith that
is in him and his purpose in departing
from the political party with which he
has been associated for so many years.
When Mr. Stokey, always a student,
studied the trend of events as they were
made apparent from Washington, he
warned his Republican friends that
there was danger that a mistake would
be made. A soldier in the dark days Of
1S61-65, he loved liberty and stood op-
posed to putting the shackles on the
black man at home or the saffron-hued
citizen abroad, and he did not believe,
therefore, in purchasing a race of peo-
pie or obtaining them in any other way
than with their full and free consent.
So he opposed Imperialism, though not
being opposed to legitimate expansion.
Like other American citizens, he wanted
this country, as q result of the magni-
ficent victories in the bay of Manila
and on the island of Luzon, to have bet
ter trade facilities and freer intercourse
with the people of the island than any
other nation on earth. He wanted trade
to expand in that direction by liberal
regulation with the natives but he did
not believe that it is necessary to own
"a country in order to trade with it nor
I did he believe that the time had come in
American history when the institutions
of the country were to be set aside and
the nation for which he has fought in
his daily life and in the forum of debate
Nand for which he shot in the sixties
should follow in the wake of designing
men and adopt Imperialism. So Mr.
Stokey bolted. 1t grieved him much
and he told his friends so, but he could
not follow the government when he
knew the government was not following
the people. The News-Democrat heard
of his condition of mind and succeeded
in interviewing him and getting from
him statement of his position. When
it was printed it created a sensation in
political circles. When it was an
nounced that, in order to let his friends
and neighbors know just where he
stood and why he was going to give an
address in the assembly room the peo-
pie got ready to attend and at o'clock
there was not even standing room. The
hail was packed and many could not
gain admittance and were forced to go
home without hearing the scholarly ad-
- Al. IL.
magnitude of the meeting indicates
that the people Of Canton thought Mr..
Stokeys notions worthy of consider
alton and believed in his honesty and in
tegrity The applause that greeted him
assured him that he was among friends
in that big audience and the demon
stration of commentator that inter-
rupted him during the course of his ad-
dress made assurance doubly sure that
he was not along in the position he had
taken and that his Democratic friends
were with him to a man and his Repub-
lcan friends, many, of them, saw that
he was right. 1t is believed many of
them VIII profit by his example, There
l. were many young men and older ones in
The audience who went to school to
Arof. Stokey, who taught them about all
they knew about other things and did
it so well that they are very likely to
insist that he knows what he is talking
about now. He never led them fror,
the path of duty and right before an
they do not believe he will begin at this
late date. The audience gave Mr.. Sto-
key a most attentive hearing and fire.
quently applauded his utterances
Mr.. Stokey is not an orator. He never
claimed to be and he couldn't substan-
tiate 1t If he had. but he is a student
and thinker and what he says reads
well and is full of meat. He talked
from manuscript, only occasionally be-
coming extemporaneous.
Mr.. Frank Kessler called the meeting
to order and moved that Mr.. Milton
Shaffer be made chairman of the meet.
ing. The selection was made with
unanimity demonstrating Mr.. Shaffer's s
popularity and the applause was gem
eral as he took his place on the rostrum.
He said he had not come to make a
speech but he thanked the audience 70 .
the honor it had conferred on him In
choosing to preside. Before insrodr .
Ing the speaker Of the evening M. Shat
Ter stated that the question that would
be under discussion was so broad that
Mr.. Stokey would not be able to con-
ciude his argument in one evening and
that he would conclude his spec, h from
the same rostrum on next Tuesday
evening.
After Me Stokey had concluded his
Hdress for the evening the crowd call
for Attorney James Sterling, who
made brief address, pointing out the