Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-08-17

1
fight the Republican party with all tn,
ability l possess"
DIR. Habercome concluded with .
declaration for Bryan.
| Colonel Charles r. Goldman of Mass
achusetts, read the report of the com
mittee on resolutions, which took tn,
form of an address to the American
people, who are advised to withhold
their support from Mr.. Mckinley ant
to give direct support to Mr.. Bryan a.
the most effective means Of checkins
imperialism. When Bryan's name wa.
mentioned the delegates arose in &
body and gave three cheers for tn,
Democratic candidate.
Moorfield Storey of Massachusetts
said that he cordially joined in the
statement of principles contained In
the resolutions but stated that he re.
| served the right to support a third
candidate if one was nominated who
satisfied him better than Mr.. Bryan
Thomas NJ. Osborne of New York. lead.
err of the Nationalist or Third Ticket
party. was recognized to speak on the
resolution. He said there were many
who would support neither Mr. Nc
Kinley nor Mr.. Bryan, not believing il
right to remedy one wrong by substi-
tuting another. I'VE cannot trust the
Democratic party as it stands, today.
(Cries of 'bosh.' How much did Mark
Hanna pay you to come here?O
Following is the report Of the com.
mttee on resolutions:
This liberty congress of anti-im-
perialists recognizes a great national
crisis which menaces the republic upon
whose future depends in such large
measure the hope Of freedom through
out the world. For the first time In
our country's history the President has
undertaken to subjugate foreign
people and to rule them by despotic
power. He has thrown the protection
Of the flag over slavery and polygamy
in the Sulu islands. He has arrogated
to himself the power to impose upon
the inhabitants of the Philippine
islands government without their con-
sent and taxation without representa-
ton. He is waging war upon them for
asserting the very principles for the
maintenance of which our forefathers
pledged their lives, their fortunes and
their sacred honor. He claims for him.
self and Congress authority to govern
the territories Of the United States
without constitutional restraint.
I'VE believe in the Declaration of In
dependence. Its truth, not less self
evident, today, than when first an
nounced by our fathers, are Of univer
sal application and cannot be aban-
doned while government by the people
endures.
ha1 in, ho J.,
United States. 1t gives the President
and Congress certain limited powers.
and secures to every man within the
jurisdiction of our government certain
essential rights. We deny that either
the President or Congress can govern
any person anywhere outside the con-
stitution. We are absolutely opposed
to the policy of President Mckinley
which proposes to govern millions of
men without their consent, which in
Porto Rico established taxation with
out representation and government by
the arbitrary will of legislature I'M
fettered by constitutional restraint and
| in the Philippines prosecutes a war OF
conquest and demands unconditional
surrender from a people who of right
ought to be free and Independent. The
struggle of men for freedom has ever
been a struggle for constitutional lib
erty.
There is no liberty if the citizens
| have no right which the legislature
may not invade if they may be taxed
by the legislature in which he is not
represented. or if he is not protected
| by fundamental law against the arbi-
trary action of executive power. The
| policy of the President offers the i'll
| habitants of Porto Rico, Hawaii. and
| the Philippines no hope of indepen-
| dence, no prospect of American citizen
ship, no constitutional protection, no
representation in the Congress which
taxes him. This is the government Of
men by arbitrary power without their
consent: this is Imperialism.
There is no room under the flag o.
America for subjects. The President
and Congress who derive all power
from the constitution can govern no
man without regard to its limitations.
We believe the greatest safeguard OF
liberty is a free press. and we demand
that the censorship in the Philippines
which keeps from the American people
the knowledge of what is done in theig
name be abolishd.
| 1--WE are entitled to know the truth
and we insist that the powers which
| the President holds in trust for us
| shall not be used, to suppress It.
Because we thus believe, We oppose the
reelection Of Mr.. Mckinley. The su-
preme purpose of the people in this
momentous campaign should be t.
stamp with their final disapproval his
attempt to grasp imperial power. A
self-governing people can have nc
more imperative duty than to driv:
from public life a Chief Magistrate
who, whether in weakness or of wicked
purpose has used his temporary au-
thority to subvert the character OF
their government and to destroy their
national ideals.
I'VE, therefore. in the belief that II
is essential at this crisis for the Amer
lean people again to declare their faith
in the universal appl ktion of the De-
claration of independence, and to re-
assert their will that their servants
shall not have or exercise any pow
ers whatever other than those conferr-
ed by the constitution, earnestly make
the following recommendations to our
country: &.
First, that without regard to their