The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-28

Issue That Dwnrfs All Others.
American Attitude Toward the Fill
ipinOs Arraigned-Preside COoIly
Assumed Power 10 Act Before the
Execution of the Treaty-ROOse-
welt an IncorrigibIe Eccentric.
Duluth, MINI, Aug. 27.-The largest
gathering to listen to a political speech
that ever assembled in Duluth appeared
tonight at the armory, when Charles A.
Towne opened the campaign in lengthy
address, in which he replied to the recent
speech of Gov. Roosevelt, delivered at st.
Paul on the occasion of the national con-
vention of the League of Republican
Clubs.
The audience listened attentively to the
orators remarks for more than two
hours. and frequently, throughout the dis
course, the applause was deafening. The
speech is considered by many to be Mr..
Towne's greatest effort. At its conclusion
he was rendered an ovation by the multi
tude present.
Mr.. Towne opened by expressing lack
of patience with any one who believed in
their party, right or wrong" or any
President right or wrong" considering
the latter simply another statement of the
divine right of kings. He then said:
The issue of first moment in this cam
paign, the one that temporarily dwarfs
all others by comparison, is whether the
republic itself is TO continue Because
OF the magnitude of this question which.
not only che Democratic platform, but the
public concern declares to be the parn-
mount issue of the campaign. 1 deign t"
use a good part OF this address in COM
menting upon the speech, mainly concern
ed with this topic, delivered at st. Paul
recently by the Republican candidate for
Vice President. 1 shall devote the greater
part of the time tonight to the considera-
tion of Imperialism. 1t is one of the
paradoxes OF history that policy of sub
Jugation and conquest should have been
assigned the Importance of a war of lib
Grafton"
Concerning the FiIipinOs.
Reviewing the American attitude toward
the Filipinos, he said 1T is claimed that
circumstances are such as to compel us.
with que regard to our interest and our
International duties, to pursue in these
Islands hereafter, the policy for which
the administration has become response
pie. A brief examination, however. of
these circumstances will suffice to show
that the policy adopted was not only un-
necessary, but that it was in the highest
degree disadvantageous to the United
states, while involving the utmost cruel
ty and injustice towards the inha bitants
OF those islands, and violating every prin-
clple OF good faith and the honorable ira
ditions of American diplomacy"
lie said the coming of Aguinaldo was at
the invitation of Admiral Dewey. and that
the Admirals statement that we never
promised the Filipinos their independence
conveys false impression. Our conduct
was such as to stop an honorable nation
from using such a plea as a justification
or excuse for attempting TO subjugate the
Islands, and he read from various reports
TO show that We had deceived the Filipi-
ncs and kept them in the dark as to our
purposes.
Otis Proclamation.
After maintaining that our course had
compelled the Filipinos to oppose us by
force of arms Mr.. Towne took up the
proclamation issued by Gen. Otis, Jan g.
1899 under instructions from the President
This proclamation, he declared "Is of the
very essence OF Imperialism. Divested of
it's cant and made over into plain Ian
guage, the proclamat zion tells the Fifpi-
island by brute force and propose
to hold it and that they must
submit to our pretension, yield to our as
sumed authority or be shot to death. 1t
protlaims the right of conquest, the high
way robbery of nations. For the first
time in American history it is asserted
by the responsible leader of a great party
and a president of the republic that we
may rightfully wage war for purposes of
,s.,l.
of other nations and jurisdiction over their
liberties and persons by the mere test of
superio< strength. 1t violates the most
sacred traditions of our history.
But what is probably as sinister in
this proclamation as even this fragrant
Endorsement Of force as the basis of polti-
cal authority, and as significant of i'm
perialistic tendencies in the executive, is
the cool assumption by the President of
the treaty. The treaty was not
yet ratified. 1t had not been
approved by the Senate, but
might easily never have been approved,
since the final action of that body is
said to have been taken by a bare ma
jority of one vote. This assumption of
power, admittedly before the treaty con-
ferred it on him and where the exercise
of it was certain to involve the nation in
war, as II soon uld, was most pTOQlSlOus.'
A Roast for Roosevelt.
Taking up Gov. Roosevelts speech. he
declared II to be enormously disappoint-
ing. Neither in matter or in manner is
II worthy of its occasion. In respect of
argument the speech Is, with rare ex-
ceptions, an alienation of evasion and
assertion. In spirit il Is a compound of
scold and scullion. AS to its facts, il
abounds in inaccuracies, which. If acci-
dental, are inexpiicable as coming from
man who has performed creditably in his
tory and biography.
But the world is accustomed to incon-
sisiencies from Mr.. Roosevelt 1t has
long looked upon him as a predestlned
and incorrigible eccentric. II has given
up attempting to explain him or to recon-
cile him with himself. IT Is quite pos
sible. whether II would be worth while
otherwise or not. to make an entirely sat
isfactory diagnosis OF O civil service re-
former in partnership with Thomas c.
Plntt; a citizen-holder. who ridlcules the
volunteer: a leader in battle, who finds
glory In being rescued from an ambush;
a hero. who boasts OF shooting a fleeing
foe In the back; a candidate. who plays
and poses 20 delegates and galleries TO
obtain n nomination that he does not
want; a gentleman, who charges six snd
half million of his country
men with lawlessness, dishonesty and
cowardice; q statesman, who, mounted on
"A hobby, rides roughly ~ grave queationa
IN economies and politics, swinging his
partisan lariat and yelling Ike an intel