The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-07
1T CLOSES AT WHEELING
Where He is Greeted With Bontires
and Bursting Rockets.
AN IMMENSE THRoNG HEAR HIM SPEAK
Speeches Were Also Made Yesterday to Grea
Crowds at CIa,ksburg and Petersburg.
The Wheeling Speech Dealt Almost
Exclusively With Imperialism.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press.)
Wheeling, w. Va, September O.
The tour of West Virginia which was
begun Tuesday last by Hon. William
J. Bryan, the Democratic Presidential
candidate, was concluded tonight
with a speech at this place. He trav-
eled from Deer PARK, by the way OF
making three speeches of length and
two or three other brief and informal
talks at such places at st. Mary's and
Sstersville. AS his train came into
Wheeling Mr.. Bryan was greeted by
red bonfires and the firing of rockets
in the suburbs, and the railroad for
squares was lined by q mass of hui
manity struggling manfully to get a
first glimpse of the candidate. The
DAVIS run covered about 800 miles of
rought mountain railroading, which
was in itself no small undertaking for
hot weather. Mr.. Bryan, however,
held up well and appeared quite
fresh when ne assembled the platform
at tonight's meeting and began to
address the immense multitude which
had assembled to hear him.
The three days tour is regarded by
Mr.. Bryan and the West Virginia
Democrats who have been escorting
him as in every way successful from
a political standpoint. He has made
all told six set speeches and a num-
Der of briefer addresses and has had
uniformly large audiences. The
crowds at Clarllsburg and Parkers-
burg were both most respectable in
number, while tonight's meeting was
exceptionally large. At the Parkers-
burg meeting eX-United States Sena-
tor Camden presided. He supported
Palmer and Bucllner four years ago.
Today's meeting was held in the city
park and the audience was one of
the largest and most attentive that
Mr.. BRYAN has had. The speech was
devoted almost exclusively to the
question of Imperialism. While not
holding that this was the only issue,
Mr.. Bryan said he did contend that
it was the question of paramount inn
portance. This was true because this
question involved the fundamental
principles of our government. Dis
cussing the title to the Philippine
Islands, Mr.. Bryan asked: 'Who says
the Lord gave them to us?"
To this question a voice in the
crowd responded: mark Hanna
This response elected shout and
Mr.. Bryan replied: "While | am not
prepared to deny that God does speak
through the human voice, / do think
that when he gets ready to speak
to the American people he will choose
some other mouthpiece than Mark
Hanna
He contended that under the Ne-
publican scheme for the control of
the Philippines, the people of those
islands necessarily become subjects
as they could not be citizens under
these plans, and there was no place
under republican for Of Govern
ment for a subject He charged the
Republican party with lack of SYM
Dathy with the Beers, which was a
new experience for that party, for
never before in it's history had the
party failed to take a position IN
favor of republic struggling for lib
erty. The present attitude was, Mr..
BRYAN said, the fear that if this coun-
try should take a position favora-
BILE to the Beers, the British Parlla-
1nent might declare for the Filipinos.
In this speech Mr.. Bryan discussed
more fully than at any time before
the charge that he had secured the
ratification of the peace treaty with
Spain. On this question he said:
MY friends, / want to call your
attention to one argument that the
Repl, blican party seems more fond OF
malxin,g than it does of making any
ar1ume.,t in defense of imperialism.
The main argument that | have been
hearing ir defense of Imperialism is
that | helped to ratify the treaty.
Republicans give me too much credit
when they say | secured the ratifica-
tion of the treaty. | have not yet
found a single Senator who has pub
3iclv declared that he voted for the
treaty because | wanted him to, but
Senator Wellington has said that he
voted for the treaty because the Pres
ident asked him to, and promised
that the Philippine Islands should not
he held permanently if the treaty was
ratified, SO that if you attempt to
prove that ] am responsible for the
treaty YOU cannot do it, but you can
prove Dy Senator Wellington that the
treaty would not have been ratified
but for the promise of your President.
But / will say that if the Republican
party will not assume the Responsible
ity for the ratification of the treaty,
I will do it myself. Great applause).
I favored the ratification of the trea-
ty. j was not Senator and did not
have a vote. i do not know that my
voice changed one single vote, but |
am wiling to waive all that and |
am willing to assume the RESPONSE
bilitv for the ratification of the
treaty. but, Republicans, you must as
sumo the responsibility for making
the treaty and for everything that mas
happened since that treaty was rati-
fed That treaty might have given
independence to the Filipinos when it
gave independence to the Cubans.
believe that it should have given indie
pendenee to them when it gave indie
pendence to the Cubans and if when
it was made through the action of