Washington sentinel., 1900-09-01
CoWne HnsWers
Roosevelt.

~ ~ ~NlA~NtN III AAi
, Roosevelt. ino,o aso eI;net ,;..a,
to a political speech that ever as
sembled at Duluth met last Mon
dav night at the armory, wher,
Charles A. Towne opened tn,
campaign in lengthy address, ir
which he replied to the recent
speech OF Governor Roosevelt de.
livered at St. Paul on the occasion
OF the National Convention OF Re,
publican Clubs.
Mr.. Towne opened by express.
ing lack OF patience with any
one who believed in his party
right or wrong" or "any President
right or wrong" considering the
latter simply another statement OF
the divine right Of kings. He said:
The issue OF first moment in this cam.
| paign, the one that temporarily dwarls
/ all others by comparison, is whether the
republic itself is 70 continue. Because
OF the magnitude Ot this questio1 =, which
not only the Democratic platform but
the public concern declares to be the
paramount issue Of the campaign,
desire to use great part OF this address
IN commenting upon the speech, mainly
concerned with this topic, delivered at
ST. Paul recently by the Republican
candidate for Vice President. | shall
devote the greater part OF the time
tonight to the consideration of imperial
ism Let us first inquire how the ques-
tion has arisen. 1t is one Of the para.
dOxes OF history that a polio Of subju.
cation and conquest should ave been
the inheritance Of a war ofllb, ration
He then reviewed at some length
the causes leading up to and the
chief events OF the Spanish war.
He took up the insurrection in the
Philippines, which had been raging
for many years. sketching it briefly
and telling how brilliantly De- Wey
and his sailors engaged the Span
ish fleet in Manila baV, continuing:
1t was thus as mere incident in the
prosecution OF our war for the liberty OF
Cuba that we found ourselves in the
Philippine Islands. Il is claimed that
circumstances were such as TO compel
us, with due regard to our interests and
our international duties, to pursue in
these Islands thereafter the policy for
which the Administration has become
responsible. A briei examination OF
these circumstances, however, will
suiilce to show that the policy adopted
was not only unnecessary, but that II
was in the highest degree disadvapta-
geous to the United States. while In.
volving the utmost cruelty and Injustice
toward the inhabitants OF those islands
and violating every principle OF good
faith and the honorable traditions of
American diplomacy
He said the coming of Aguin.
aldo was at the invitation OF Adj
miral Dewey and that he was to
be an ally of the Americans, quot
ing from the naval records in SUP
port Of his assertion.
Alter again referring to the diff
ferent situations in Cuba and the
Philippines, he said:
But the statement that we never
promised the FilipinOs their rndepend.
ence conveys a false impression. Our
conduct was such as to estop an honor.
able nation using such a plea as a iusti.
hcaiion or excuse for attempting TO
subugate the islands. The Filipinos
made no secret OF their object in rebel
ling against the Spanish Government
What they desired to do was to form a
government Ol their own and to be abso.
lutely independent of Spain. The
representatives Of the United States IN
the East knew this object perfectly well.
The FilIPinos proclaimed it TO the
world
1t is important to bear in mind that
the Filipino Republic, established under
the leadership of Aguinaldo, was a
government in fact, recognized through
out the island Of Luzon and several