The Washington weekly post., 1900-10-02

xeu YORK. sept. &.-Cooper Union was
80, large enough To- hold the crowd which
l-r.s tonight 10 its doors to attend the
...g,.rg ~ the Auu-Imperia ist League
- New Y1rk The crowd was a noisy
~. zHd before the meeting was called
4, order cheered for Mckinley for Bryan,
..- tss ~ml dinner pail, and for Debs
..' s-L,tr, vas received with a tGmult
~ chcers Ernest II. Crosby then intro
,, he first speaker Of the evening,
aUso7 Phelps stokes
T.rr srfurz was given round Of ap-
80 varr. be- began. lie said In part.
departure from Aneiea; Principles.
..,v,e7 forty-three years ago. after i've
.,,-s rssl4auge iu the country. | became a
-...zsr a. this republic. ! took an oath 20
srrr7rt tho Constitution OF the United
s,.tsx 7 understood that oath TO mean
psf would remain faithful to those prin-
,.-rrs Of free government which are laid
down m the Declaration Of Independence
and form the vital spirit OF the funda-
mental law ~ our democracy. I was hap
rs 10 feel that my sworn duty as an
American citizen was in perfect harmony
with ny own cherished ideals Of civil liD-
.rty. right, and justice. and ! have en-
deavorcd 20 keep my oath 10 the best Of
rry knowledge and ability Determined to
keep 10 .1ydlly 20 the end Of my days. |
stand here now 20 defend those principles
against an attack even more crafty and
dangerous than that which in times gone
hy was made upon them by the power Of
domestic slavery. and which was beaten
hack By the election Of Abraham Lincoln
% the Presidency. / mean the attack
now made by the policy OF imperialism
IS carried on by the present administra-
lion
Let me say at the start that 7 con-
s.ler the manner in which the imperia!-
,siIC policy Is being commended by some
persons 10 popular approval. the hugest
confidence game ever practlced upon a
free people In my whole long life have
never known Of such systematic use Of
distortion Of history, hypocritical cant,
Ear5.ing Of documents, and false p-e-
tense. ! am here TO speak a word for
truth and justice; and I'm doing so shall
call things by their right names. You
Will pardon me IL those names are not al
way OF the mildest. For / must confess.
when / Witnessed some Of the means en-
IlOyed 10 lure this great republic from
the path Of righteousness, high principle
and glorious destiny, my old blood boiled
with Indignation.
An Example from X ONE.
Some extra-smart people shout at us:
You talk OF imperialism NonsensAi
Where Is your Emperor Why. what in
teligent person does not know tina; II
does not require a personal monarch 10
make an imperial government? Rome had
an imperial government in her senate long
before Caesar crossed the Rubicon. IL
may be the rule Of a republic over an
other people, arbitrary and irresponsible
% the government, and IL will be an i'm
perial government in its essence, how
ever YOU may disguise the fact
Indeed. Disgusting the character OF i'm
peralism is cultivated as a fine art by its
devotees. President Mckinley himself re-
Gently furnished an example of this, bold
enough 10 make US gasp. In the speecn
responding to the announcement OF his
nomination he said: To the party OF Lin
coin has come another supreme Oppor-
tunity which ii has bravely met in the
liberation Of ten millions OF the human
race from the yoke of Imperialism There
is poetic genius in this sentence.
The party OF Lincoln? II was Lincolr
NiAo Salu IAOSt arguments tldt arr
made, that the inferior race are 10 b,
treated with as much allowance as they
are capable of enjoying; that as much Il
TO be done for them as their condition viii
all0w-what are those arguments: They
are the arguments that kings have mad
for the enslaving of the people in all age
of the world You will find that all tn,
arguments OF kingcraft were always O.
this class; they always bestrode the neck
Of the people-not that they wanted TO dt
it, but because the people were better of
for being ridden. Turn it whatever way
yQu will, whether 1t comes from IN,
mouth Of a king. as an excuse for en-
Shaving the people of his country, or from
The mouth OF men of one race as reasoI
Tor enslaying the men of another race. 4
d all the same serpent IL was LincolI
VINO said: Those who deny freedom L
others deserve II not themselves, and un
der Just God cannot long retain it,
Lincoln " Onld Have Kicked Them Out.
"The party of Lincolni If men advo
eating the arbitrary rule OF one people
over another on the old despot'.
plea that such rule is good for the sub
Ject had come TO Abraham Lincoln saying
that they were his party, IL would hav,
required all his good nature 10 keep hin
InGH
downstairs
! have again and again challenged ths
lmperia!ists 10 show me in the whole his
tory Of the world d single act of perfidy
committed by any republic more infa-
NOUS than that committed by Mr.. Me.
hMley's administration against our Fill.
Pino allies, and l have received no an.
sger but a sickly sneer Not one of thu
ITH H. huu -. l.
the history OF any republic since the world
stands a single act surprising In treacher-
ous villainy this thing done in the name
uI the great republic sprung from the
Declaration of Independence-the repub.
Ac of George Washington and Abraham
Lincoln. Where is the American having
The honor of his country truly at heart
Who will not hang his head in shame and
coalrte humiliation at this deep dis
greece
And now mark the ingenious reasons
President Mckinley gives In his letter o.
acceptance for doing this awful deed
With the air of saying something con-
elusive, he asks whether his opponents
would not have sent Dewey's fleet ID
Manila TO destroy the Spanish sea power
and whether they would have withdrawn
~ The Spanish fleet: and II so, whittier
they would have directed IL 10 sail
hhcr, could 1t have gone? What port in
the Orient was opened TO 1t? Do you
condemn the expedition under Gen. Mer-
au t0 strengthen Dewey in the distant
ocean and assist In our triumph over
suaius Was II not our highest duty to
strike Spain AT every vulnerable point
And Was u not our duty 20 protect tht
lives and property Of those who came
within our control by the fortunes OF
VAR
Need We Have BETRAYED Oar Allies,
Admitting all this for arguments lake
although there is much TO be said about
What Dewey might have done-will ths
President assert thar because Dewey
could not use some other Oriental port
for h.a convenience, or because Merritt
with the land force had 10 assist Ia oul
tT.mra DvTr Su4fu or because IL was 1ul