Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-08-29

bright and clean WIN the WOlu FlctOIy
written upon it in ineffacable letters
| Mr. Brennan's speech was a most
| happy effort, full of good hits and tell
! ing points, and ne was vigorously ap-
| plaIded at its close.
| A resolution was then adopted to
authorized the Executive Committee to
| fill any vacancies on the ticket that
may occur.
HON. STEWART w. WALKER.
| The convention having concluded its
labors, Chairman Bennett introduced
Hon. Stuart W. Walker, of Martins
burg, who had been announced to adj
dress the convention.
| Mr.. Walker said he came over from
| the Second district with a message
| from the State committee, and one from
| the Democracy OF the Second district.
| The State committee sent the message
Of congratulation for the sturdy Dem
| ocracy of the First district, and the
| further message that there is a hard
| fight on hand, and that the First dis
| trict will be looked to to do its part and
| to do it well. The Democracy of the
! Second district sent the message that
| it expected the First to send to Con-
gress a Democratic colleague for Col.
Tom Davis, who will surely be elected.
| He came to urge the Democracy Of
| the First district to labor for the prin-
| ciples of self-gOvernment as enunci-
ated in the Democratic platform. 1t is
| not question which affects the inter
! nal welfare of the people SO that the
! interest of one is not the interest of
another 1t is a campaign in which
| fundamental principles are at stake;
principles upon which depend the
righteous liberties of the people. The
election is 10 determine whether we
are to indorse the administration of
| William Mckinley, with all its evils,
or the principles and promises Of the
matchless leader, William Jennings
| Bryan.
With the mentioning of the name of
| Mr.. Bryan two fine pictures, one Of
Bryan and the other of Stevenson, were
raised to view at the back of the stage,
and the audience at the
Sight of the Candidates
went into the widest tumult. For
| fully five minutes, delegates and spec
tators stood up and shouted their APP
| prevail. Hats and handkerchiefs were
flung into the air, and the noise was
deafening.
| Mr. Walker reverted to the blowing
up of the Maine in Havana harbor, and
| hastily reviewed the incidents leading
from that calamity to the opening of
| the war with Spain. He spoke of the
| universal patriotism that was engen-
dered by the attack of the Spaniards
upon our battleship, and the oblitera-
ton of all sectional and party lines in
the making up of the army that hast
ened to answer the country's call.
From this high patriotic purpose to
the imposition of a tariff duty upon the
products of the starving island OF Por-
to Rico, and the defenseless disregard
for the duties and obligations to our
allies in the Philippines, all for the pur-
pose of fattening the pockets of ex-
ploiters who controlled the administra-
ton of the Republican President in
Washington, marked a change so pal
pably unworthy of a free and liberty
loving people as to leave no doubt as
to the duty of every citizen when the
people responsible for it come forward
for Endorsement.
AS to the tariff imposed upon the
Porto Ricans, after the President and
General Miles and Congress had de-
clared against such imposition, Mr..
Walker explained it by reading from
the Washington Star, one of the
Most Reliable and Independent
papers in the country. The Star de-
clared that one of its representatives
had been informed by a Republican
member of Congress that the change of
front Of the President. Senator Hanna
and other Republican leaders, had been
brought about by the promise Of an
enormous campaign fund from the to-
bacco and sugar trusts, which were
solely interested in placing burdens
upon Porto Rican producers. Senator
Hanna had denied the story, but the
Star offered to prove it ali, and had
documentary evidence which it offered
to publish If Senator Hanna persisted
in his denial. Senator Hanna was
never heard from again
We are taxing the Porto Ricans with
out representation and without their
consent. We are doing the very thing
which our forefathers protested against,
and which led TO the Declaration of
Independence and the writing of the
Constitution with its guarantees of lib
erty. There was no more reason for
the Boston tea party than there is to-
day for the Filipinos and Porto Ricans
TO feel that they are oppressed, and in
( dnumanely treated by government that
should be giving them flhe full measure
| of liberty which they have right to
expect from a society that is founded
upon equality and freedom. The prom
ises which King George gave the
patriots before the Revolution are