Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-06-21

! blessed II. the victory won, the glorious
! outcome Of the spanish American cam
paign, the misrepresentation in connect on
with the Philippines which its oncni' =
| naugurated and which had been met. the
convention repeatedly broke into app auso
! 1t was the keynote of the speech. cover
ing tho legislation which had been placed
on the statute books and tho deepest note
of the financial prosperity Of the country
! legislation which made its continuation
possible If the present administration tie
continued in power That was the theme
to which the demonstrations of the con
VCntion chung. The Indiana delegation led
the applause when Senator Wolcott am
nounCcd that the thieving poStofpc Off
Gals of cuba would be hunted down. Prob
ably the rcatest demonstration occurred
when he said we would establish law and
order in the Philippines and the last thing
to he considered was to give up the ISL
auds
Senator Wolcott said in part:
SENATOR WOLCOTT SPEECH.
since the first party convention in these
United States there was never one gath
cred together under such hopeful and aus
picious circumstances as those which sun
round us to-day. United, proud Of the
achievements If the pass four years orr
country prosperous and happy, with Moth
ing to regret and naught to make us
ashamed. with a record spotless and cican
the republican party stands facing the
dawn. confident that the ticket 1t shall
present will command public approval
and that i'm the declaration Of its prinCi-
pies and its purposes. it will voice the as
pirationS and hopes of the vast majority
of American frecmcn.
We need mo omen but our country >
cause" yet there is significance i'm the
fact that the convention is assembled in
this historic and beautiful city where We
: G.
when our fathers, "A century and quar-
ter ago promulgated the immortal Dec
laration of Independence.
The spirit of justice and liberty that an
mated them found voice three-quartcis q
century later in this same city Of
BrOtherly Love, when Fremont led the
forlorn hope of united patriots who laid
here the foundations of our party ana put
human freedom AS its cornerstone 1t
compelled our cars to listen to the cry of
. suffering across the shallow waters of the
Gulf two years ago. While we observe the
law of nations and maintain that neutral
ity which We owe to a great and friendly
government, the same spirit lives to-day
i'm the genuine feeling Of sympathy We
cherish for the brave mennoW fighting for
their homes in the Veidts of South Africa.
1t prompts us in our determination to
give to the dusky races OF the Philippines
the blessings of good government ana re
publican institutions, and finds voice in
our indignant protest against the viole mt
suppression of the rights of the colorod
man in the South. That spirit will sur
NiNe in the breasts OF patriotic men as
long as the nation cndureS; and the events
of the past have taught US that it can find
its fair and free and full expression only
III the principles and policy of the repub-
llcan party.
The first and pleasant duty of this great
convention, as well as ius instructive i'm
* "A of at =.
greeting to our leader and our country's
President, William Mckinley.
MIR. CLEVELAND'S WRECKS.
When Mr.. Mckinley became President
he took the rcins of government after four
years of democratic administration For
the first time in more than a generation
democracy had had fun sway, with both
Houses OF Congress in party accord with
the executive. No summary of the I'M
merciful disasters of those four years can
convey an idea of 1.-THE of the ruin tn, y
wrought.
In the four years preceding Mr.. CleVe-
lands administration we had paid 2j0 mil
lions of the national debt; he added 20
millions to its burdens. He found a tariff
act, hearing the name of his successor
and our President. fitted to meet the re-
quremcnts of our necessary expenditures,
TO furnish the needed protection to our
farmers and manufacturers and to insure
the steady ana remuneratiVe employment
of those who Labor Instead of permittiu 6
manufacture and commerce that repoSe
and stability of law which are essential
for working out economic conditions, he
= at once recommended violent and radical
: changes in revenue and tariff provisions
recommendations which his party in Con
Sress proceeded partially and diSastrouSly
to execute The appalling result of his
policy is S,ill fresh in the memory of NIL
lions who suffered from it, In four years
the country witnessed some COCO com
mercial failures, with liabilities aggregat-
Ing more than 900 millions of dollars one
hundred and SeVenty-SeVen railroads, with
! a mileage of 5000 miles or twice the cir
Gle of the globe, and with securities
amounting to nearly three billion Of dol
lars, Were unable to meet their interest
charges ANA passed into the hands of re-
ceivers. More than 10 national banks
closed their doors. with liabilities reach
ing 20 millions; wool and all farm producl
which tariffs could affect, lost tens of mil
lions in value; farm mortgages were fore
closed by thousands throughout the great
West; our agricultural exports shrunk in
value the balance of trade which had
been i'm our favor turned ruinously against
us, the national treasury was depleted OF
its gold reserve; our government bonds
We're sold to sYndicates at far below their
market value before or since, and our
Gent to meet the necessary expenses Of
conducting the government. If CapitaI
alone had suffered the loss would have
been great. hut not irremediabe. Unfor-
tunate those who rely upon their daily
labor for their sustenance. and their fam
, HES dependent upon them, constituting
the great mass Of the American people
were made to feel heaviest this burden Of
disaster Nearly one-third of the labor
ing population of the United States were
thrown out of employment, and men by
thousands, able and willing to labor,
, walked the highways of the land clamor-
ing for work or food.
Four years of commercial misfortune on
ahled our industries to meet in Il measure,
these changed and depressed condition,
hut when President Mckinley was inaugu-
rated the country was in a state more de-
plorabe than had existed for a genera
ton,
M'KINLEY'S ACCOMPLISHMENT
Facing these difficulties. the President
imme diately upon his inauguration con-
VCned Congress in extra session, and in "A