The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-28
SPEECH BY TOwNE.
.Silverite Attempts to Reply to Cow
ernOr Roosevelt.


DULUTH. Mimi. Aug. 27.-The largest
gathering to listen to a political speech
that ever assembled in Duluth occurred
this evening at the armory, when Charles
A. Towne opened the campaign in a lengthy
address in which he replied to the recent
speech of Governor Roosevelt, delivered
at st. Paul on the occasion of the national
convention of the League of Republican
Clubs, and arraigned the administrators
policy in the Philippines. The audience,
which comprised persons of al shades Of
political belief and many scores of women,
listened attentively to the orators remarks
for more than two hours. and frequently
throughout the discourse the applause was
deafening. He said in part:
The plan to possess the whole Philippine
archipelago and to subdue it if necessary
by force of arms was bluntly set forth by
the President in his instruction to General
Otis under date of Dec. q, 1898, which were
embodied by the latter in the famous proc
lamation of Jan. 81, 1899. 1t is important to
bear in mind the time when his proclama-
ton was made as touching the question Of
the Presidents right to issue it. its respon-
sibility for the warfare that followed and
Its relation to the general subject of arbi-
trary power. whose increasingly easy as
sumption and exercise are the invariable
accomplishments of imperialism"
He then discussed the protocol and the
treaty of peace, and the proclamation of
Jan. 3, 1899, at Manila, which he declares
lis of the very essence of imperialism.
Divested of it's cant and made over into
plain language, the proclamation tells the
F~ilipinos that we nave seized their country
by brute force and propose to hold it;
and that they must submit to our preten-
sion, yield TO our assumed authority, or be
shot 10 death. 1t boldly proclaims the right
of conquest, the highway robbery of ma
tons. For the first time in American his
tory 1t is asserted by the responsible leader
of a great party, and q President of the
Republic, that we may rightfully wage
wal for purposes of dominion and acquire
property in the land of other nations. and
jurisdiction over their liberties and persons
by the mere test of superior strength. 1t
violates the most sacred traditions of our
history"
But, what is probably as sinister in this
proclamation as even this fiagrant indorse-
ment of force as the basis OF political
authority, and as significant OF imperialistic
assumption by the President of the power
TO act before the execution of the treaty.
The treaty was not yet ratified. 1t had
not indeed been approved, since the final
liz Vi N41L DOOl 10 SaAu W AoNC oCCh
taken by a bare majority of one vote. This
assumption of power admittedly before the
treaty conferred it on him, and where the
exercise of it was certain to involve. 'h~
Nation in war, as it soon did. was the most
prodigious."
Taking up Governor Roosevelt's speech,
he declared IL 10 be enormously disap-
pointing. Neither in matter nor in manner
is il worthy of its occasion. In respect of
argument the speech is, with rare excep-
tons, an alienation OF evasion and asser-
ton. In spirit it is a compound of scold
and scullion. AS to its facts ii abounds in
inaccuracies which, II accidental. are mex
plicable as coming from a man who has
performed creditably IN history and biog-
raphy. But the world is accustomed to in
consistencies from Mr.. Roosevelt. 1t has
long looked upon him as a predestined and
incorrigible eccentric. 1t has given up at
tempting TO explain him or to reconcile
him with himself. Ii is quite impossi-
BILE, whether IL would be worth while
otherwise or not. to make an entirely sat
isfactory diagnosis of a civil-service re-
former in partnership with Thomas c.
Platt; a citizen soldier who ridicules 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
10 delegates and galleries TO obtain a nomi-
nation that he does want: a gentleman whc
charges six and one-half millions of his fel-
low-countrymen with lawlessness, dsshon-
tsty and c0wardice: a statesman who
| mounted on a hobby. rides roughly at grave
: questions In economies and politics swing