Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-09-06


Policy of the Republican Part,
Denounced in Unmeasured Terms
Duluth, Aug. 27.-The largest gathering
to listen to a political speech that evel
assembled in Duluth was that of this
evening at the armory, when Hon
Charles A. Towne opened the campaign
in an address in which he replied to the
recent speech of Gov. Roosevelt delivered
at st. Paul on the occasion of the ma
tional convention of the League of Re
publicans Clubs, and arraigned the adj
ministration policy in the Philippines.
The audience, which comprised persons
of all shades of political belief and many
scores Of women, listened attentively to
the silver-tongued orators remarks for
moro than two hours and frequently
throughout the discourse the applause
was deafening.
The speech, which will be used as a
campaign document, is considered as Mr..
Towne's greatest political effort. At its
conclusion he was rendered an ovation
by the multitude present.
Mr.. Towne will leave Tuesday or
Wednesday for Idaho and other Western
points to enter actively into the work of
the camapign.
Mr.. Towne opened by expressing lack
of patience with any one who believed in
his party, right or wrong or ANY pres
ident, right or wrong" considering the
latter simply another statement of the
divine right of kings. He then said:
Numerous questions are involved in
this campaign. 1t is rare, however, that
more than one great issue is decided at
time, and. as rule, one subject OF inter-
est is uppermost in the public mind and
chiefly calls for discussion and decision.
This is especially true in 1900. The rela-
lively secondary matters, important as
they are all, have reference to policies to
be pursued by the republic. The issue of
first moment, the one that temporarily
dwarfs all others by comparison, is
whether the republic itself is to continue.
Because of the magnitude of this ques-
ton, which not only the Democratic plat
form but the public concern declares to
be the paramount issue of the campaign,
cussion in one meeting like this of all
the subjects embraced in the party plat
form, and because l design to use a good
the speech mainly concerned with this
topic, delivered at ST. Paul recently by
the Republican candidate for vice pres-
dent, l shall devote the greater part of
the time tonight to the
Consideration of Imperialism.
Let us first inquire how the question has
arisen. 1t is one of the paradoxes of
history that a policy of subjugation and
conquest should have been the inherit
tance of war of liberation
He then reviewed at some length the
causes leading up to the chief events of
the Spanish war. He took up the insur-
rection in the Philippines, which had been
raging for many years, sketching it brief
ly, and telling how brilliantly Dewey and
his sailors engaged the Spanish fleet in
Manila bay, and continued:
cit was thus as mere incident in the
prosecution of the war for the liberation
of Cuba that we found ourselves in the
Philippine islands. 1t is claimed that cir
cumstances We're such as to compel us,
with due regard to our interests and our
International duties, to pursue in those
islands thereafter the policy for which
the administration has become RESPONSE
BILE A brief examination of those cir
cumstances will suffice to show that the
policy adopted was not only unnecessary
but that it was in the highest degree dis
advantageous to the United States, while
involving 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 Aguinaldo was
at the invitation of Admiral Dewey and
that he was to be an ally of the Ameri.
cans. quoting from the naval records in
support of his assertion. After again re,
ferring to the different situa tons in Cuba
and the Philippines. he said:
But the statement that we never prom
Used the Filipinos their independence con
veys false impression. Our conduct was
such as to estop an honorable nation
from urging such a plea as a justifca tor
or excuse for attempting to subjugate
the islands. The Filipinos made no secret
Of their object in .rebelling against the
Spanish government. What they desired
to do was to form a government of theil
own and to be absolutely independent oil
SPAIN The representatives of the United
States in the East know this object per
fectly we'll. The Filipinos proclaimed il
to the world.
sit is important to bear in mind thai
the Filipino republic established under
the leadership of Aguinaldo was a gov.
eminent in fact, recognized Throughout
the Island of Luzon and several adjoining
islands to the south, capable Of preserving
order, collecting taxes, maintaining edu
cation and a complete system of public
administration. raising and supporting al
army which. for a considerable period
numbered 10000 men. and conducting wal
according to the humane principles OF
modern law.
'It is the fashion among apologists fol-
the administrations policy to represent
the Filipinos as little short of barbarians
and savages, and as wholly incapacitate6
for the work of government. Fortu.
nately the evidence on this subject to the
contrary is readily accessible and over.
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