The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-28
A VAST CROWD HEAR HIM
M'Kinley's Cruelty and Injustice To
the Filpinos
e.
HIS ASSUMPTION OF IMPERIAL POWER
This War ofconquest, TOwne Declares Violates
The Most Sacred Traditions Of Our His
tory. Singing Reply to Roose-
yet's St. Paul Speech.
tBy the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press.)
Duluth, Mimi, August 27-The largest
gathering to listen to a political speech
that ever assembled in Duluth assembled
tonight at the armory when Charles A
Towne opened the campaign in lengthy
address in which he replied to the recent
speech of Governor Roosevelt delivered al
st. Paul on the occasion of the National
Convention Of the League OF Republican
Clubs. The audience listened attentively
to the orators remarks for more thar
two hours and frequently throughout the
discourse the applause was deafening
The speech is considered by many to bt
Mr.. Towne's greatest effort. At it's con.
clusion he was rendered an ovation BY
the multitude present.
Mr. Towne opened by expressing lacl
OF patience with anyone who believed II
their party right or wrong, or any Presi.
dent right or wrong, considering the lat
ter simply another statement of the di.
vine right CT kings. He then said:
1.-The issue OF first moment in this cam
paign, the one that temporarily dwarf:
all others in comparison. is whether the
Republic itself is to continue. Because
of the magnitude of this question. which
not only the Democratic platform, blu
the public concern declares to be The
paramount issue of the campaign, I de-
sign to use a good part of this address in
commenting upon the speech, mainly con-
cerned with this topic delivered at st
Paul recently by the Republican candi-
date for Vice President. l shall devote
the greater part of the time tonight tc
the consideration of Imperialism. 1t is
one of the paraoxdies CT history that q
policy of subjugation and conquest should
have been the inheritance of war o.
liberation
Reviewing the American attitude to-
ward the Filipinos he said:
at is claimed that circumstances were
such as to compel US, with due regard t.
our interests and cur international duties
to pursue in those islands hereafter thu
policy for which the Administration ha
become responsible. A brief examination
however. of those circumstances vii
show that the policy adopted was no
only unnecessary, but that it was in Ia
highest degree disadvantageous to the
United States, while involving the utmos
cruelty and injustice towards the inhabi'
tauts of those islands and violating every
principle of good faith and the honorable
traditions of American diplomacy"
He said the coming of Aguinaldo was
at the invitation of Admiral Dewey, anf
said the Admiraps statement that W.
never promised the Filipinos their in
dependence conveys false impression
Our conduct was such as to estoo az
honorable nation from using such a plaI
as justification or excuse for attempting
to subjugate the islands. He read from
various reports to show that we had de-
ceived the FilfpinOs and kept them In tn'
dark as to our purposes.
After maintaining that our course hac
compelled the Filipinos to oppose US b!
force of arms Mr.. Towne took up thu
proclamation issued by General Otis
January 18th, 1899, under obstruction:
from the President This proclamation
he declared, lis the very essence Of i'm
perialism. Divested of its cant and made
over into plain language the proclamation
tells the Filipinos that we have seizet
their island by british force and propose
to hold it, and they must submit to oul
pretenticn, yield to our assumed all
thority, or be shot to death. 1t bold!
proclaims the right of conquest, the high
way robbery OF nations. For @the mrs
time in American history it is asserte'
by the responsible leader of great party
and a President CT the republic that WI
may rightfully wage war for purposes o
dominion and acquire property in th'
land of other nations and jurisdiction
over their liberties and persons by tn
mere test of superior strength. 1t violates
the most scored tradition OF our history.
.'But what is probably as sinister in
this proclamation as even this fragrant
endorsement of force as the basis of po-
Iitical power, as significant of imperial
istic tendencies in the executive, is the
cool assumption by the President of the
power to act before the execution OF the
treaty The treaty was not yet ratified
1t had not indeed been approved by thu
Senate, but might easily never have been
approved since the final action OF that
body is said to have been taken by bare
majority of one vote. This assumption
of power admittedly before the treaty
conferred it on him and where the exer-
else of it was certain to involve the ma
ton in war, as it soon did, was most
prodigious."
Takpg UP Governor Roosevelts speech
he declared it to be enormously disap-
porting Neither in matter nor in man
ner is it worthy of its occasion. In re-
spect of argument, the speech is, with
rare exceptions, an alienation OF eva
sion and assertion In spirit it is com
pound of scold and scullion. AS TO Its
facts it abounds in inaccuracies which IL
accidental are inexplicable as coming
from a man who has performed credi-
tably in history and biography. But the
world is accustomed to inconsistencies
from Mr.. Roosevelt. 1t has long looked
upon him as a predestined and incorrigi-
BILE accentric. 1t has given up attempting
to explain him or to reconcile him with
himself 1t is quite impossible, wheth-
er it would be worth while otherwise
or not, to make an entirely satisfactory
diagnosis of civil service reformer in
partnership with Thomas C. Platt a
citizen soldier who ridicules the yolun-