Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-10
SPEECH OF CULLOM.
Address Delivered at Illinois Re.
publican Convention.
PUBLIC ISSUES ARE CONSIDERED
What the Country Owes to the Admin
istration in the Way of Increased
Prosperity Wise and Ef.
ficient Foreign Policy.


Prosperity = Wise and Eff
ficient Foreign Policy.
KS Peoria, May s.-The speech of Hon.
Shelby NJ. Cullom at the opening of
the Illinois state republican conven-
ton, Monday afternoon, follows:
Il thank you most sincerely for the
cordial greeting you extend to me on
this occasion. To be welcomed by
< such an audience as is here present
is an honor which no man fails to
S appreciate. There are two things,
Y my fellow citizens, which to a man of
sensitive nature, form the chief value
in the examination of public official.
One is the approval of conscience for
& duty performed; the other is the ap-
I proval of his constituency and of his
country.
'sNVe are about to enter upon an
sSother national campaign, in
which, before its closure, will
he discussed all the great
events occurring since March 4. 1897.
4 their causes, the relation of parties to
them, their influence upon our coun-
try, and each man taking part in the
sconduct of affairs will be expected to
answer to the people for the part he
d has taken.
america is now the foremost ma
ton of the world-not alone because
II OF our growth in wealth, nor alone be-
cause we have expanded our area, and
have added q few more hundred
square miles to our territory, not
& alone because of the richness of our
soil and the healthfulness of our
climate; but because together with
all these and back of all these, the
4 people are free, and-inspired by the
eternal principles of liberty-they will
go forward conquering and to conquer
all obstacles in their pathway. JUS
h tice and liberty-on these princiules,
4 and guided by the right, our party
will stand and no power will be able
z to prevail against it.
To be an American citizen means
more and more as our nation pro-
crosses. Because it becomes more
powerful for good to mankind and
gives greater guarantees of protection
to its people the world over. Every
citizen is recognized integral part of
the governing power. Every citizen is
& - ~ ijCNS'l
of the nation is increased, and its
y power must be guided and directed
in the interest of the general welfare
of the people.
Fellow citizens, many important
events have occurred and many
changes have taken place since the in
auguration of William Mckinley as
president of the United States When
4 under the constitution and laws our
splendid president was installed as the
chief executive of the United States,
Z what a squalid, beggarly, almost
starved condition. we as a nation, were
Z in as the result of the bad policy of
the party retiring from power. I will
not portray at length the prostration
of business, of the suffering throut the
country, which could be seen on every
hand. everywhere until the election Of
President Mckinley brought hope and
confidence, which in turn was follow
ed by unlimited work for the people
and which lights up the very heavens
by the fires from the mills, the factor
les and the ships from one end of the
country to the other.
Fellow citizens, who yearns for (.
return of those gloomy days? Who
is willing to trust the party RESPONSE
BILE for them?
With the Inauguration of President
\ Mckinley good times came and they
are with us today in the fourth year
of his administration.
We had four years of democratic
administration, which showed to the
country what they could do. The
policy OF running American industries
was enforced and all over the country
~ commerce and business enterprises
were stricken down. Then, indeed,
We're we menaced by Imperialism. 1t
was the imperialism of poverty and
distress. The country has had enough
s9of that and need not tell you about
it now. I do not like to speak of it..
The people swept away the imperial
& ism OF poverty and inaugurated in
stead the genius of prosperity. The
genius of progress and prosperity is
the watchword OF the republican par
ty. Only twice in forty years has
democracy held a brief lease Of power
Z in the United States, and the country
y has recovered from it only as man
RECEIVERS from long and severe ill
ness.
AYhat else, my friends, OF great ma
tional Importance has transpired to
make this administration memorable?
Soon after President Mckinley came
into power war cloud began to gath
4 er and to become more and more an
CRY. 1t broke upon us and our nation,
on the 18th of April. 1898, became in
Is volyed in war with Spain. The presi-
dent tried TO avert the storm, but the
war came, and between the months
of April and August of that year.
s great battles by land and sea were
fought in which our army and navy
in which generals and admirals, off
GERS and soldiers, commanders and
sailors gained great victories and
covered themselves with glory. They
3 never lost a battle on land or on sea.
They conquered the enemy and secur-
ed an honorable peace in an hundred
Il days.
''New responsibilities then came up
= on the country. The nation found IT.
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