, 1900-05-18
MONDELL'S SPEECH
Continued from page u

Treasury has been succeeded by a con-
ditiol in which the nations strong box
more than meets every demand made
upon it, not only for the payment of
current expenses, but in reduction of
the interest charges upon The bonded
debt in the refunding Of the same at
the lowest rates ever obtained since
governments were established among
men.
Low wages, scant employment, in
dustrial ~stagnation, marked the outgo-
ing of the last democratic admins
tration- The highest wages ever paid
in any land, constant employment for
labor, and industrial growth and pros
perity such as never has blessed any
people, are today the signs, symbols
and tokens of our wise legislation.
Bold indeed would have been the
prophet who would have declared
when We interviewed in the cause of
humanity in Cuba, that that interven-
ton would have necessitated the send
ing forth of the mightiest host hat up
to that time had sailed the seas, carry
ing the drum beat of the republic
around the world so that liberty's star
ry signal might greet at the same mo-
menlt the rising and the setting of the
sun. Who could foresee when the ma
ton rose in its might to drive the last
vestige of medieval tyranny from the
western hemisphere that the provi-
dence which shapes the ways of nations
would by a sudden shifting of
the scenes transfer the theater of
our greatest responsibility from
the Occident to the Orient. And
yet where is the American So craven
who, could he have seen the present
situation from the beginning, would
have withheld the mailed arm which
drove back the yellow standard of
Spain, which has for five hundred
years been the emblem of bigotry and
tyranny. in the western hemisphere, to
its ancient home and abiding place?
Who is there today approaching the
~onerous duties, the high responsible
ties, placed upon us as the providen-
tial outcome of a righteous war. would
shrink from doing our duty to the peo-
pie, the responsibility of who's future
has been laid upon us. and to the
cause of true liberty and civilization,
trying though that duty may be? II
such there be they have lamentably
and utterly failed to grasp the fun
measure of that responsibility and OBJ
legation, laid upon men and nations
by the o~mnipotence which grants
strength to accomplish without falter-
ing or hesitation a duty once assumed.
Let not he who puts his hands to tho
pillow turn backward"
No incident in legislation in years
has so forcibly illustrated the wisdom
and courage Of the republican party as
the enactment of legislation to provide
a revenue n a civil government for
the ever faithful isle; our Porto Rico"
Never has legislation been so adroitly
or so v~illainously misrepresented, so
that it is not to be wondered at that
these misrepresentation in many cases
deceived the very elect. Men who
less than two years & voted to main
tain the full Dingley tariff rates on i'm
ports from faithful, loyal Hawaii, which
voluntarily relinquished independent
sovereignty to become a part of the
union, shed crocodile tears as they
stormed and protested because we re-
duced the tariff rates on products from
Porto Rico IS instead Of 100 per e
They hypocritically bemoaned the sad
fate of the inhabitants of Porto Rico
when we legislated to relieve the i'm
lproverished and hurricane devasted
lands Of that island from the burdens
Of taxation and laid a tax Upon the
who had purchased those crops at a
low figure from the planter and hoped
to real the full benefit of a repeal OF
the tariff duties.
We hold that We can do our duty
in Cuba, and in due time having dis
charged u stewardship withdraw;
that We can fulfill the measure of our
responsibilities in the Philippines and
at the same time protect American la
Dor and industry from the competition
of cheap labor there.
The republican party in congress and
the administration entered upon the
Spanish wal only after careful consid-
Grafton and elaboration. But having
unsheathed the sword in a righteous
cause we shall lot hesitate to follow
where duty leads, though the cost in
treasure and strenuous endeavor be
great, and We shall not be dissuaded
from our purpose by he vicious mis-
Representations of those who noisily
clamored for an appeal to the sword be-
fore the nation was prepared for the
confiict, but who now play the craven
and coward when confronted with the
stern and arduous duties laid upon us