The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-08-23
RALLY AT GRAY.
Mr.. CsrOsvenOr and Hon. Richard webb
the Speakers.


Gray, August % An enthusiastic
Republican rally was held here this even
ing the speakers being Hon. Richard
Webb OF Portland, and Hon. G. II. Gros-
venor of Ohio. The hall was well filled
when the meeting was called to order
Mr.. John NJ. Libby presided. MI. Webb
was the first to address the audience. He
spoke, in part, as follows:
One might reasonably conclude that
the paramount issue of the campaign is
the free coinage of silver, il he based his
opinion upon the proceedings of the Kan
sas City convention, or upon the history
of the Democratic party for the last four
years or upon the record Of its candidate
since he first emerged from Obscurlty.
The PRINCIPAL question upon which the
delegates to the convention were divided
was not whether the party was in favor
OF free coinage, but whether it was wise
and expedient to say so. Belief in free
coinage has been and still is the sole
standard OF party membership, and what
ever else man may believe, if he be not
sound on their unSOund money theory t
protiteth him nothing, for he is but a
gold Dng- The action OF the party speaks
louder than its words, and declares that
the paramount of paramount issues is
free coinage. Never was "a man and an
idea more firmly welded than Bryan and
free coinage. His advocacy of this idea
has been for years his principal means Of
livelihood, and it Is the one thing that
has made him famous and the leader OF a
great party. Nevertheless, the convention
has the eifrODtery to declare that the para
mount issue Is not free coinage. but i'm
perialism.
1t Is OF course true that the manner in
which the Republican party has met the
new questions which have arisen during
the last four years is properly submitted
TO the people Tor their approval. Let us
compare the policy or the administration
with the one which the Democratic plat
form offers in its place. After referring
briefly to the principal facts in the
Spanish war and to the negotiations fOI
peace, Mr.. Webb said. 1--WE could not
abandon the people OF the Philippines to
the vengeance of Spain, or to the evils Of
anarchy and disorder. We had over.
thrown an existing government. A
government re-established by Spain
would have contained all the misrul
characteristic of that nation. 1t wOulC
have been just ike the government O
Cuba, the sins Of which had caused tn
war. Spanish rule there had been so baS
that we took up arms 20 overthrow ii
and when our arms had heen successful
we could not consistently consent that
similar rule should be re-esfablished owe
any territory then under our militar.
control. A responsibility had becOm
gardIng successful belligerents, and how
ever much we may have wished to shirl
1t and however hard we may have tried t
avoid 1t, we could not hOnOrably rafuss
to assume it,
Assumption Of this responsibility re
quired the approval of both branches o
Congress. A two thirds vote of tn
Senate was necessary for the ratification O
the treaty. Without Democratic assis
lance the treaty would have been beaten
and largely owing to Mr.. Bryan's per
sOnal activity seventeen Democratic Sens
tors vote in favor of it. This settled th
question Of expansion. The war was END
ed and new responsibilities assumed
through the deliberate action of men O
both parties. The instruction in TIA
Philippines was not general uprising {
the people, the large majority of whom
are perfectly content to accept our rule
1t was the Iagals only who reTOlt9d, an
they comprise less than One-fiftn of TIA
population. Their leader never sought t
give constitutional liberty to the people
but to establish dictatorship in Whic
he should be supreme. There were bu
two courses of actions open to the Pres
dent one was ignOminiOus retreat an
the other was to meet force with force
Can you conceive Of any American hes
tating between the two? Moreover. til
Philippines had become American terri
tory ana the the President was charge
~ Jaw WIN bub Qtlb} OF bD8f6 uDhOIQ1n
American authority. TO have as sumo
to himself the right to surrender tn
territory to any power, rebelIious
otherwise, would have subjected him
impeachment. The Instruction is no
Substantially over, and the small an
scattered bands who are able to carry q
only guerrilla warfare have only OF
hope of success, and that Is in Bryan
] election. What there is now left of t
Iagalog rebellion confronts us here at t
polls. VIII you vote for BRYAN M
Aguinaldo or for Mckinley and Rooseve
The Democratic platform outlines t