Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-16
SPEECH OF GEORGE s. BOUTWELL,.
Former Secretary of the Treasury
Talks of ImperiaIism.


Upon taking the chair as permanent pre-
siding officer of the liberty congress at In
dianapolis yesterday ex-Gov Geo S. Bout
well of Massachusetts said:
This is an historic occasion If the peril
of this country is what We think IL is IL
the question before you and before your
countrymen is the question of the continu-
arce Of the republic then no graver ques-
ton has ever been committed to an assem-
bly, of men or to the country.
I'VE are opposed to Imperialism We are
in favor of republican form Of govern
ment. We respect the teachings of our an
cestry, the glory of the history they have
left to us, and standing between the past
and the future, 1t is our duty to transmit
to posterity the principles of the fathers
and the institutions that they founded
This Is your mission today the repre-
sentatives of forty-five states Of this Union.
1t may be q representation without an or
ganized constituency, but it is representa-
ton that speaks for itself for the people
of the country and for the generations tina I
are advancing to take our places, and 1t is
representation that has right to speak
a representation that will be heard at
Washington today, heard all over the
world; speaking as We do for the preserva-
ton of republican institutions; representing
the American republic, the light of which.
If 1t shall go out. will never be rekindled on
the surface of the EARTH
Ex-Gov. Boutwell, said the policy which the
administration has entered upon will mean
the abandonment Of the principle upon
which the government was founded; that 1t
will change the republic into an empire
The first of the means before us for the
preservation of the Union. if our allegation
Is true. Is the overthrow of the administra-
ton. He then devoted some time to a dis
cussion of the Chinese situation and said
that the fact that American troops were
in the Philippines was the chief occasion Of
the revolution in China. He continued:
Who does not see that the day of Eng
lands downfall is approaching? And we
ara asked to follow her example and tread
in the imperial footsteps of Great Britain,
knowing that the steps are leading the
British empire to destruction. Now is the
time for the people to arrest this progress
to ruin, and the laboring men of this coun-
try are the men to whom l appeal. If We
accept Imperialism ii means that some peo-
pie shall do the thinking and the rest do
the working: then the course of liberty
cannot be saved
The speaker said that the fact that some
negroes deprived of their votes in the
south IS no excuse for the oppression of
the Filipinos He continued:
How Is the overthrow of the admnistra-
ton to be accomplished? In my youth
had no DISCUSSES. / turned aside and left
the democratic party when it surrendered
to slavery. In my age l leave the repub-
lican party now that it has surrendered
Itself TO ueSpOtlc ana tSrannlcal motives.
Great applause.) l helped create the re-
publican party party at that time of JUS
tice and principle and honesty. / now be-
lieve 1t Is party Of injustice and despot-
ism and i will help to destroy it. And how?
There is but one available means, and you
know what that Is. I am for Bryan. (Tre-
mendous applause) I am for Bryan in
spite OF what he may believe concerning
the currency or the finances Of the coun
try. This question to which we invite the
country's attention is a question of life or
death to the republic. In such crisis
shall we stop to consider whether the silver
should be worth more or less than it is?
If mistake is made in the next admins
tration, should Bryan be elected. the people
can remedy 1t in four or eight years. The
country would not be destroyed. If the
currency is impaired We can redeem it.
I'VE are to have a platform containing a
plank against this administration and
hope a recommendation to support Bryan.
Next March l trust we will have an inaug-
uration to be followed by a policy which
will bring the troops out of the Philippines
diminish the death roll and the massacre Of
people in these distant lands and We shall
then set up three young republics which
shall glory in their origin through the pol
icy of the American people raised from a
condition of tyranny into an opportunity to
govern themselves and to enjoy the fruits
of their own industry, and to decide for
themselves what their policy shall be-