Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-07
MR. WEDDINGS FLOP.



A gentleman who signs himself Anti
flop has sent to the editor of The Evening
Star reprint of an interview with Mr..
George r. Vending Of this city, in the ST.
Louis Globe-Democrat, last october. The
letter of Enclosure says:
With many others who know the Hon.
Geo. r. Vending, and have often heard
him, I was much surprised to read this
morning of his introducing Mr.. Bryan and
| speaking in support Of the opposition to
President Mckinley and the present ad-
ministration, which he so heartily COM
mended only last October. The flop of
Mr.. Wellington has excited much interest,
but the sudden change of front on the part
Of Mr.. Vending Is past finding out when
we read his characteristic, strong senti-
ments on the issues of the present cam
paign. as given in the st. Louis Globe-Dem-
ocrat of October % last.
His logical conclusions 30 impressed me
at the time that pasted them up in con-
spicuous place / have cut them down and
| inclose herewith, that you may see how
radical and sudden a change has been eff
fected
The interview referred to is as follows:
''WENDLING FOR EXPANSION.
He VIII Either Be Mckinley Democrat
or a Mckinley Republican.
From the St Louis Globe Democrat
''MARYVILLE, No., October 26.-Hon
George r. Vending of Washington. D. c.,
one Of the best-known lecturers in the
United States and formerly leading law
yer and democratic politician OF Illinois,
said here today in an interview on the ex-
pansion question:
III by the word expansion Is meant the
retention Of the Philippine Islands and the
other territory We wrested from Spain l am
at loss to know how any reasonable man
can be opposed to 1t. We have those islands
now, and we acquired them fairly and hon.
nf
agree with the sentiment expressed by Gov.
Roosevelt in Cincinnati: There is not
single argument that can be advanced in
their favor which could not with equal rea-
son have been advanced in favor Of the
Apaches and Sitting Bull"
The comparisons that are being made
between the struggles Of the Filipinos for
independence and our fights to achieve our
independence appear somewhat ludicrous to
me. We fought for civilization; they are
lighting against 1t. II any man says that
globe and fence 1t off from civilization and
maintain savagery and barbarity there then
am against him, and in this case am not
only an expansionist, but an imperialist.
What right have the Beers in South
Africa or the Filipinos in the Philippines to
stand in the way Of the progress of civiliza-
ton? When the Cherokees refused to sub
NIT to the usages Of civilization in the south
his followers did the same thing in the west
we killed them. And that is the way we
must deal with the Flipinos. BE civilized
or be killed sounds like a bloody and cruel
command, but 1t is not. If people persist
In standing in the way Of the school house
the church, the railway. the newspaper and
the telegraph they must be run over We
must stand by our boys who are fighting
In the Philippines to uphold their country's
nag and promote the interests of civilization
without regard to partisan considerations
Addressing himself to politics, Mr. Wend-
ling said:
have been a democrat all my life, but
l could not support free silver, and'in 1898
l was sound money democrat. If the DEM
ocratic party continues to drift toward pop
ulism at Its present rate / think that in
1900 l will either be Mckinley democrat
or Mckinley republican,