Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-18
TALKS 10 CLUB MEN
Gov. Roosevelt Makes a Speech at St.
Hpl, Mimi
COVERS An CAMPAIGN ISSUES
Scathingly Arsaigns the Democrats
for Thef akeshift Policy
HE DISCUSSES EXPANSION
HE DISCUSSES EXPANSION

Gov. Roosevelt addressed the National
Republican League convention in st. Paul
last night. He said:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen: We have
come here to begin the work of campaign
more vital to American interests than any
that has taken place since the close of the
civil war. We appeal not only to republic
cans, but to all good citizeus who are
Americans in fact as well as in name, to
help us In re-electing President Mckinley
1t was indeed of infinite importance to elect
him four years ago. Yet the need is even
greater now. Every reason then obtained
in his favor obtains now. and many more
have been added. -Four years ago the sue
cess Of the populistic democracy would
have meant fearful misery, fearful disaster
at home; it would have meant the shame
that Is worse even than misery and
this and in addition the immeasura,
BILE disgrace of abandoning the proud
position we have taken, OF n1nch1ng
from the great work we have begun. Presi-
dent Mckinney has more than made good
all that he promised, or that was promised
on his behalf, and as the smoke clears
away we how utterly trivial are the
matters because of which his admlnlstra-
'tion has been criticised when compared
with the immense substantial gains for
American honor and interest which under.
tnat administration nave DeeH DTouSul
about We appealed for President Mckin-
ley before, asserting what he would do II
President, from our knowledge OF what ne
had done In lesser positions. NOW we ap-
peal for him, asking that the promise OF
second term be judged by the performance
of his first, and pledging that the wonder
full work triumphantly begun in his first
term shall in his second be carried TO an
even more triumphant conclusion
We ask support for President Mckinley
because of what he has actually done, OF
what he now stands for and typifies, and
because of the marvellous work that has
been accomplished under his adminstra-
ton. We ask the support of all upright
citizens, because against him are arrayed
the forces of chaotic evil: because of the
breeding menace to our moral and indus
trial welfare, which is implied in the pres
ent attitude and purpose of the populistic
democracy.
Knows What He Wants.
We know definitely what we believe, and
we say it outright. Our opponents, who
represent all the forces of discomfort.
malice and tenvy, formed and formless,
vague and concrete, can hardly be said to
know what they feally do believe, because
the principles they profess, if put forth
followers, that they like-at least OF try-to
wrap the mantle of hypocrisy around
them. They raQt about trusts. but they
have nothing practicable to advance IN the
at, when one of the makers of their plat
form. the representative from New York.
and the leader oftheir organization in New
| York, are both themselves among the most
| prominent stockholders in the worst trust
| to be found today in the United States, the
| ice trust, which had justly exposed itself to
the criticism which our opponents often I'M
| justly apply to every form of industrial
| effort.
| They have invented the imaginary danger
of imperialism, and about that they also
! rave. Yet so conscious are they of the hol-
| lowness of their attack, so well aware that
| to follow out their professions would mean
| to trai! the American flag in the dust, that
| they are obliged to pretend that really after
| all they are for expansion. After infinite
| labor they finally did decide that they still
believed in free silver. This decision was
reached in their committee by a vote of %
to "a; SO that it appears that they only
| have % per cent of faith in their Ascent
| dollar, after all Even this amount of faith
| they were able to reach purely by the aid
| of Hawaii, and yet four years ago they OBJ
| jected as much to expansion over Ha-
wall as they now object to our expansion
over the Philippines There is an element
of grim comedy in these builders having
now perforce to take the once rejected
stone to make out of 1t the foundation of
| their new platform.
| Their only unequivocal position is that in
| favor Of free silver at a ratio of 16 to 1. for
they have sought at least to make the
pretense Of qualifying or at least of cloud
| ing what they mean when they ask for the
| relaxation of the bonds of justice and order
| and the abandonment of our position
| great nation manfully doing its part in the
| world work that must be done by all great
nations. True to their nature, they have
sought to subordinate the one issue on
| which they take decisive stand, and they
| declare that they have subordinated the
| question of free silver to other questions.
| Now. as a matter of fact, they cannot de-
| eide which one of their various heresies
| the people shall regard as most important.
| The decision rests with the people them
selves, and those who primarily inter-
ested in our financial honesty and indus
| trial well-being cannot and will not admit
| that any possible difference is caused by
| putting the free silver plank in one rather
| than another portion of the platform. If
| a man announces that he believes in the
| doctrine of cowardly surrender, and also in
| the doctrine of the reputation of debts, it
| makes not the slightest difference as to
| the order in which he puts the two policies
| Neither does 1t make any difference whether
| the populistic democracy, to which are
| now opposed, lays most stress upon its de-
termination to debase the currency upon
| its determination to degrade the flag. We
! are opposed to both propositions. and no
| self-respecting citizen in making up his de-
cision can afford to neglect either.
| As to ExpansiOn.
| Now, as to expansion. 1t hardly seems
| worth while to waste any time upon what
the Kansas City people call imperialism and
| miitarism. The dominant note of the Kan
sas City convention was insincerity. The
convention which nominated Mr.. Bryan in
| 1900 was in character infinitely below that
| which nominated him in 1896. In 1896, for
| all their wild and dangerous folly, his ad-
| vocates had at least the merit of sincerity
| in their bitter fanaticism. However wrong
| headed. they knew what they believed, and
| they stated It without fear. In 1900 their
actions were determined purely by policy,
| and, they panderipg to the worst and most
degraded passions in our national life, bad
ann ,ey1 a 10 L.,
rendered infinitely worse because robbed of
| every vestigei of honesty and sincerity 1t
took them two days to find out what they
only plank concerning which they took the
| trouble to find ,out their beliefs at all.
They reasserted the doctrines of anarchy
| which they had preached in 1885, not be-
cause they longer believed in them but be-
| cause they hoped by Announcing, them 10