Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-08-30
TOWNE REPLIES TO
GOVERNOR ROOSEVELT
Opens the Campaign at Duluth in a
Speech Said to Be His
Greatest Effort.
GREAT CROWD OUT TO HEAR HIN
Imperialism Discussed in Att Its
Bcnrings.--Roosc st. Paul
Speech a "Compoun.i OF
sco!d aud scuilicn.''

Duluth, Mimi, Aug. 29.-The largest
gathering to listen to political
speech that ever assembled in Duluth
occurred last evening at the urlnory,
when Charles \. Townc opened the
campaign in lengthy address in
which he replied to the recent speech
| OF Novcrnor Roosevelt, delivered ut ST.
Paul OH the occaaion of tine national
convention OF the League of Republic
an Clubs, and nrruigncd the atlmlnis-
tratien's policy in the Philippines. The
audience, whiei, cor.priacd persons OF
all shades of political belief and many
eeefes of wotae,a, listened uttcntively
10 the orators Remarks for moro than
two hours and frequently throughout
the discourse the applause wna deaf
ening,
Tha speech, which will be uscd as n
campaign document, liz described as
Mr., Towne's greatest political effort.
| AT its conclusion lbs wa: rendered IN
ovation by tho multitude present.
MIR, TewHa will leave today or
| tomorrow for Idaho and other points
to enter actively into The work of tho
campaign.
Towrc's Address.
Mr.. Towne opened by expressing
lack of patience with any ono who be-
lieve in their party, right or wrong"
or ''in their president, right or
wrong" considering the latter simply
another stxtcment of the divine right
of lhnss. He then said:
Numerous questions arc involved In
this campaign. 1t tx rare. however,
THAT more than one great Issue is de-
cided at Il time and, ~ Il rule, one sub
| ject of Interest Is uprcrinost in the
public mind and chiefly call, Tor dia-
cussion and decision. 'l'his IS capcc;nl-
| ly true In 1900. The relatively Sec
ondaly matters. Important ss they
are, all have reference TO policies to bc
pursued by the republic. Ike issue of
first moment. tie one tiiat teinporn-
rily dwarfs all otliara by ea;npari.oa,
is whether the republic itself is 10 com
| tinue.
ut is one of the paradoxes of his
tory that a policy of subiugation and
conquest should have been the inhefi-
tance of Il war of liberation" he said.
He then reviewed at some length
the causes leading up to and the chief
4 CNSiiNs VI tlle soLullISu war. Tic lOOk
up the instruction III the Philippines.
sketching it briefly, and telling how
brilliantly Dewey and his sailors en-
gagged the Spanish fleet in Manila bay,
and continued:
1T was thus as a mere incident in
| the prosecution of our war for the
relves in the Philippine islands III
Il ol <l,,{ ~
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 RESPONSE
bic. \ brief examination, however, OF
| those circumstances will suffice to
show that the policy adopted was not
only unnecessary but it was in the
highest degree disadvantageous TO MS
while involving the utmost cruelty
and injustice toward the inhabitants.
of those islands and violating ever,
principle of good fnith and the hon
orable traditions of American tliplo-
macy
Practically Promised Independence
He said the coming of Agninaldo
was at the invitation of Admiral Dew
ey and that he was to be an ally of
the Americans, quoting from the ma
val records in support of his asser-
ton.
After again referring TO the differ
ent situations in Cuba and the Phil
| jppines, he said:
but the statement that we never
promised the Filpinos their indcpcnd-
cnce conveys a false impression. Our
conduct was such as TO estop an hon
orable nation from using such IL plea
for justification or excuse for am
attempt to snbiugate thcAislnnds.
The Fillpinos made no secret of
their rebellion against the Spanish
government. What they desired to do
was to form government of their
own and TO be absolutely independent
of Spain. The representatives of the
| United States in the east knew of thi.,
object perfectly we'll. The Filipinos
proclaimed it to he world.
ut is important To bear in mind
that the Filipino republic established
under the leadership of Aguinaldo
was a government i'm fact, recognized
Throughout the island of la!zon and
i several adjoining islands to the south.
capable OF preserving order, collecting
taxes, maintaining education and n
complete system of public administra-
ton, raising and supporting an army
which for a considerable period mum
bered 10000 men, and conducting war
according 10 the humane principles,
of modern international law.
ut is impossible 10 determine the
exact time with which the autbori-
Ties at Washington decided to take
forcible possession of the Philippine
islands. 1t is clear that Admiral Dew
ey for a considerable period after the
battle of Manila bay had no knowl-
edge of such an intention. General
4 Anderson, who took command of our
land forces in the islands about the
DARK AS MIDNIGHT at MIDDAY.