The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-09-29
McGHEE'S SPEECH.
A Good Talk Delivered Be
fore the Republican Club.
Once a Democrat But Now {
Supporter of Mckinley.

ne second meeting oi the l,epubllcaT
Club was held at the court house OF
Tuesday night. The report of TIE
committee who were appointed tC
draft constitution and bylaws va.
received and adopted. BY unani
nous vote it was decided that the or.
ganization hereafter be known as
The Mckinley-R Roosevelt Club. -
The principal feature of the gather.
ing however. was to listen to reply
TO Congressman Vandiver's speech of
September -, by Prof. J. 5. McGhee
of this city.
The speaker was presented to the
club by Mr.. B. F. Davis in few we'll
chosen and appropriate words.
Prof. McGhee. for the past twenty
years or more has been Il citizen of
this ci;y-a tentleman who is known
by almost every school child and who
has heretofore been known as staunch
Democrat. Upon taking the floor he
was received with loud applause. He
said in part:
This is an age of freedom of
thought. this is an age of education
and advancement: this is an age of
freedom of speech: this is an age of
expansion. (1oud applause) Call
me what you will, say what you will.
Circumstances often changes mans
views. We should not srink from our
duty when we realize it. We should
approach il in Il same and sober spir-
it. as each man and woman approach
es task involving the most serious
duties OF life. As regards the moue-
tary question always have and al
ways will stand firm for "a sta BILE cur
rency.' (applausei Here the Prof.
went into detail iu regards to the out
Dut OF Alaskan gold. ''Time and ex-
perience have proved that we are
right. The wise man changes his
opinion, the fool, never
Then touching upon the subject of
Imperialism he went back to the days
of the revolution, to the purchase of
the territory of Louisiana and its ad-
mittance into the Union. He said in
substance: What can Il people mean
by the cry o. expansion. Imperialism,
Emperor Mckinley. King Mckinley
aaG all such nonsense. Why il is
bosh. Can it be possible that any
American citizen will allow his mind
t. De poIs ji.Si. by such faisehoods and
predictions as are tlruwn at this gov
and 4rIrCest ;.!pi:istratiun We have
ever kno -. (iDIL applause) | re-
member ol. ..s morning when the
wires tickel Deweys victory in Ma
Mia Say, the tnrii - coy aGd rldc
that passed through my every
vein. Then there was no north, no
factions-we We're all Americans. We
entered that contest for the sake of
humanity. Blood flowed freely. We
once more realized the horror of war.
1t was duty 5 call 10 which we prompt |
ly responded at the cost of the life of
some of the grandeSt patriots that
ever trod mother earth. BY this act
the sovereignty of Spain was crushed
for ever and ever in the West India.
Islands and the far east. Some now
would have us undo that which was
done in the interest of humanity and
civilization. Bryan, for Instance,
turned double summersault and
light with botn feet upon the treaty
which he advocated, accusing the Re-
publican party of trying to shoot CIV
ilization into the Filipinos.
A great task lies before us, the
task of bringing orderly liberty to the
the people of the Philippine Islands.
That is what we have promised, and
We will see to it that it is followed by
a sufficient quantity OF performance.
We hear good deal recently of the
Declaration of Independence. of the
doctriaes of the consent of the gov
erned. That doctrine WAS enunclated |
in 1776, but three-quariers OF century |
wen, oy before We realized the per-
fprmance in this country. 1t could |
or.y be attained step by step. Now
She Democrats talk of liberty to the !
Filipiuos The Filipinos shall have
their liberty. They shall have "a
measure of liberty of which they have
been in absolute ignorance through
on: The ages. They sh.;li have such |
liberty as they nave iiever known un-
der Spanish rule. They shall have
liberty, but they shall have i, under
the Am.rican flag.
Our autnority stands over til
Philippines now,if we shrink back from