The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-10-13
WESTMINSTER DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC
CLUB.
A Packed Club Room and Two Stirring
Speeches.


Jas. Il. Brewer aud J. 2. Bruins, Esq, both
of Baltimore.
In the absence of the President Nm. II.
Thomas, Esq, presided. The club having
no business to consider, Mr.. Thomas called
the meeting to order shortly before s clock,
and introduced Mr.. Bruins. lie held the aiI-
dlence for half an hour, and elected applause.
He said in part
GROWTH VS.. EXPANSION.
This question on which am to address you to-
night the question Of Growth VS. Expansion, is
very old question and IL is embodied in the very old
fable of the Bull and the Emulous Bull Frog The
Bull had, as you remember, groom great by the very
laws of his nature and being and the Fr, tried by
violating the laws of his the Frogs nature to
equal the proportions OF the Bull that is the Frog
tried to erpdnd with the well known result
This is the result of all expansion whether in
frogs or men or nations A nation grows, like an
individual. merely by observing the laws of its be-
ing and nature; it expands by violating these laws
Now the law of nations being is the faith that is
in it, its Religion Ii then this country in seizng
and holding the Philippines subject province
is acting contrary to the teachings OF its hath, II is
not growing in life and strength, but expanding
with corruption and death.
We have acquired much territory in the course of
our history, but in every we found the inhabit
ants subjects and we made them Freemen. we
found the Filipinos practically Freemen; shall we
leave them Subjects?
We acquired all these lands fairly by open war
by purchase but how have acquired the Philip
pines? Did we not accept their assistance in the
war with Spain knowing that they believed and
expected that we would give them that freedom
which we prize so highly for ourselves? If then
we break faith with these people and hold them us
subjects. we violate every precept of religion and
morality, and, though our country may be thereby
increased in size, that increase will not be by the
growth ofhealth but by the expansion of decay.
Finally this country cannot remain half free and
half slave II we continue this administration in
power and allow it to establish CarpetBfg govern
ments in the Philippines. we shall soon have Car
pflln N
trusts grown strong with four more years of i'm
munity.
Now, therefore, is the time when you must choose
now or never and. if you choose rightly believe
you will, you will cast your votes for the man who
stands for the growth of the Republic and against
the expansion of an Empire-William Jennings
Bryan.
COL. BREWERS SPEECH.
Mr.. Bruins had prepared the audience for
the more extended speech of Col. Brewer,
and the latter captured his hearers at the very
outset. He said he had been invited to adj
dress a club meeting, but if this was only a
club meeting he wondered what mass-meet
ing in Carroll would be. "a club meeting,"
he said, ''this is whole cord of wood.
Clubs, my friends, are doing great work in
this campaign, and IL voluntary work. The
volunteers are a mighty force. The volunteers
fought the war of the Revolution. Volunteers
fought the war of 1912. Volunteers fought
the Mexican war. Volunteers fought the
Civil war, and, my friends, volunteers are
fighting the political battle of Democracy in
this contest and will carry Baltimore city and
Maryland for Bryan next month" Applause.
Col. Brewer told a good story or Two, illus
trating some points in opening his speech,
and then spoke in part AS follows:
The time has come in the history of this republic
to put to proof the Wanted intelligence and patri-
mi nf IA n IN lar M
this land were called upon to think and to think
seriously and earnestly, to face great and grave
crisis with thoughtful demeanor and potriolc soil
citude. this is the time and occasion. Every man
who loves this county, the pioneer republic of the
age the best richest greatest and grandest nation
of all time, must enlist in the electoral forces this
fall and stand the test of American worthiness.
You must think and work for the republic now.
The hour of test and trial has come Out of this
ordeal emerge, as the people shall decide, either
regenerated republic or an incipient empire.
Which shall it be?
This is solemn hour in the life OF free insttu-
tons. Every man in this country is sovereign
today. What will he be II year hence? So many
indifferent; so many are needless; so many are
insensible of the great trust that deyolyes upon
them; many mercenary, ambitious and
avaracions; many let the Jingle of the dollar
heal the hurt that honor feels" and so many are
blinded and deaIened by the prejudices of Il stub
born partisaushp that they will not hear the
menacing signs of the times The day has come
when those who speak from the rostrum and write
for the press have serious duty TO perform. They
are sentines on the watchtowers of liberty and
their warnings must be loud and piercing to arouse
the people to II sense of the danger which is upon
them
The great and paramount issue before us in i'm
peralsm. An English statesman. stimulated by
an exultant over the overthrow of the South Afri-
republics, says that "wave of Imperialism is
sweeping over Europe" He is bold now because
his elections over. Should Mckinley be elect
ed in November some OF our statesmen who are
now pretending TO sneer AT imperialism and deny
its existence, will be equally MS frank My friends,
great movements and impulses come in world
waves. Waves of barbarism, waves ofcivilizaton
waves of war, of peace, of plenty, of poverty, of
disease, of fnaticsm, of persecution waves of fire
and Hood and crime sweep over the world one
after another. They are confined To no country,
hui are felt in all No man can tell from whence
they come, but they break forth and humanity all
over the globe Is so interdependent and so inter
that their eiectand influence are univer nj.
The High Commissioners of Canadas shy that n
wave Of Imperialism is sweeping over Europe now
ana he might have added, America too We hit, c
been drawn into the swirl. Whatarc the evidences
of il here? The grinding down of the masses in
the interest of the moneyed few; the hungry and
ruthless grab for conquest under the cry Of eXriii-
sion; the demand fora military establishment that
will overcome the masses when imposition pro-
vokes discomfort and tyranny justifies revolution;
the sneers of those i'll power at The swaddlIng
clothes" of the republic they term the COnstitu-
ton of the United States the open proclamation by
Senators, who represent the trusts i'll the national
legislature. that the Constitution they have sworn
to obey was written by candle light in the twilight
of the centurys dawn, but will be interpreted BY
the electric splendors of the 10th century, the per-
sistent violations of and contempt for the organic
law and the basic principles of American institu-
tons in the forcibc seizure ofdstant territory the
erection of a colonial system without warrant OF
law or Justification in conscience, and the main
tainance of arbitrary satrappies i'll direct violation
of national law and Christian morality.
Another symptom of imperialism is the Partially
of government to the concentration of wealth in
the hands of the few at the expense of the many;
the codding of trusts which sure TO build up
arstocrisy of wealth upon the ruins of popular op
portunity The contempt for popular suffrage by the
open preparations now going on to carry the APP
preaching election by corruption and Intimidation
pationthe tool of the trusts They furnish the enor-
campaign funds that Mr.. Hanna is collecting to
debauch the franchise and you know that the trusts
not in that business for fun. They want qud
pro quo when they invest, and the quid will be n
luxurious morsel for them TO chew should they
succeed in putting their pets and tools in power
They not only furnishing money to corrupt, but
they have begun their tactics of intimidation again.
They have begun to catechse their employees, as
they would serfs as TO how the latter as American
citizens will vote at the coming election, and
threaten to close the workshops and shut out the
employees their wives aud fam lilies TO starva lion If
they do vote they are bdden. This in n free
country, where the ballot box should be the scep-
tue of popular sovereignty. Could there be more
Hagitious attempt TO enslave people? Could
there be more insolent invasion of human rights?
The Republic is being auctioned OIL TO the highest
bidder for cash, and an enslaved people held up
in robber fashion-your vote, starvation for you
and your loved ones Could there be more de-
grading despotism than that?
Still another evidence of Imperialism is the indif-
ference of this administration TO the wanton and
cruel butchery of the Tmnsyaal republics. Never
graceful position. Never before did this republic
withhold its sympathy for people struggling to
be free Yet the browning infnmy OF all the ages
perpetrated before our eyes; two republics,
modelled after ours. were throttled by monarchy
that we had twice to trash to secure and maintain
our Independence and, though with streaming eyes
and trembling hands they appealed to us, we were
dumb and silent, nota word OF sympathy from us;
the doors of the White House closed i'll the ftces of
their ENJOYS and they left to their fate when II
word from ms would have saved them. We were
silent, why? Because we were the secret ally of
the murderous hand that smote them; of the greed
and tyranny that would ensave them We were
silent because we were engaged in the same crimi-
nal business ourselves, Strengthening and crushing
a people should have helped TO freedom aud
selfgovernmcnt. One word of protest from us and
every nation In Europe would have protested: the
public opinion of the world would have assisted
Itself; Englaud's hand would have been stayed, and
the greatest crime of the century ayeried.
Col. Brewer spoke strongly against trusts,
and told how they were pouring out their
money TO secure the election of Mckinley
that they could go ON and flourish, and closed
with an eloquent appeal TO the Young men,
counseling them TO start right in morals, bust
ness and politics. at is hard. " he said, ''ior
the young man who starts wrong 10 change 10
the right. Pride and the comments of poiiii-
cal associates make il difficult to break away