Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-05-25
OPENED BY FULTON.
The First Speech of the Campaign De-
1ivered by this Popular Orator.


American people was opened last
Tuesday evening by Hon. Chas.
W. Fulton, of Astoria. He dis
cussed expansion, the Porto
Rican bill, trusts and other ques-
tons now prominent from a CON-
nonsense standpoint, and in a
manner. There
was little attempt at eratory, al
though his reference to the STORM
ing of San Juan hill and the
charge of the Oregon's at Mala-
bon was eloquent and THRILLED
his auditors.
He began by reviewing the
condition of the country for the
past eight years. The fearful
panic and total business depres-
sion brought On by four years of
democracy, ending with 1897,
and the wonderful commercial
growth and unparalleled nation
al prosperity attained by our peo-
pie since that time. Referring
to Bryan's figure of the republi-
can toboggan slide from Lincoln
to Mark Hanna, Mr.. Fulton
called attention to the derno-
cratic toboggan slide from Cleve-
land to Bryan; from wisdom to
wind. His remarks were good
natured and were received with
applause. ''The calamity" he
said, (which Mr.. Bryan claimed
would befall the country if the
legislation called for in the re-
publican platform were put into
effect, has not naterialized."
The republican party has done
what it said it would do, and yet
instead of decreasing the circula-
ting medium by establishing the
gold standard, it has increased it
by $4oo, 100000. We are re-
funding the public debt and de-
creasing the interest upon it by
from two to three per cent.
Taking up the question of
trusts, Mr.. Fulton said the re-
publican party was the only par
ty which had ever 1egislated
In fact the dem
ocratic party had endeavored to
legislate in faver of trusts. SEN
ator Jones, of Arkansas, Mr..
Bryan's warm personal advisor,
had introduced a bill in the sen-
ate which provided for returning
to the sugar trust ST, 500, 900
which it had paid to the United
States in revenue on sugar inn
ported from Porto Rico, and the
bill had been defeated by the
The antitrust law
introduced by Senator Sherman
and passed by the republicans in
1890, was a most stringent meas
had the effect of driving
the trusts out of business under
the United States laws and they
were forced to take refuge under
the provisions enacted by the
states.
The republican party was
never to be found standing still.
It's feet were Oil the highway of
progress, and as new issues arose,
the republican party advanced to
meet them. Every step forward
was characterized by Mr.. Bryan
as ''fop," but he could not see
beyond the weeds and cookie
burs growing up in his position
which has long since been aban-
doned by progressive people.
The commercial opportunities in
Europe have all been exploited,
and nation only holds its own
there by desperate and persistent
effort, but China which has been
lying dormant for 1000 years is
On the eve of an awakening and
ere long her 400, 900, 900 of peo-
pie will be offering a wonderful
market for the products of the
world. America must have her
share. To secure this, retention
Of the Philippines is imperative,
and we on the Pacific coast are
more deeply and directly con-
,erned than any other section of
he United States. Not only
will the commercial future of
his country be 1mperiled by an
abandonment of our possessions
n the orient, but the opportunity |
If the coast will be lost, the ma
lou will be recreant to its duty
ind all the sacrifices of our sail
,rs and soldiers in the war with
Spain will have been in vain.