Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-09-26
SPEECH BEFORE
GAYLORD CLUB.


which, upon resolution of the club,
was handed to us for publication.
The following is a part of the ad-
dress-the whole being too lengthy
to be accommodated in our columns:
Fellow Americans: BY Americans
/ mean all who will be true 10 self
and posterity as ever; our climate is
as salubrious as ever; our people are
as industrious, as enterprising, and
as ingenious as ever, and nature
yields Der harvests as beautifully as
ever, yet the outlook for the young
men of the land is growing darker.
There was time when a young man
with two willing hands, an average
brain, and an honest heart could
look forward with hope; he could
not only make q living, but became
an independent factor in society.
To-day the road to independence
is closed to him.
But why is it so changed now.
All, because a martial trinity has
been compounded by the Lords of
the earth who prefer to worship the
golden calf to the goddess of Liberty;
Here we have the imperial question,
the trust question and the money
question wrapped up in one combine.
Touch this combine and you touch
all three questions.
Attack this power entrenched be-
hind law and you attack the very
oitidel of imperialism.
DO we see danger in Imperialism?
We are not mistaken; it is real dan
ger. Trace it back to its first ap-
parent manifestations in Cuba, Por-
to RIGA, Hawaii and the Philippines
to the sub throne of its power in
Wall Street. Do we not see danger
In the combines that Cypress the
toilers In shops and fields, and on
the highways of commerce, no mer-
it for brain and energy, but follow
the trail of the oppressors back and
it will lead you to the Banking par
lors Of New York city, which state
per capita circulation for 1899 was
SS7; Dakota S.; Arkansas, SO; Miss
issippi, s.. Oh. brother wheat rails
er where do we come in for our share
Of imperialistic prosperity; notice
the per capita circulation in the gol-
den wheat belt as compared with
the statement of the largest combin-
ed city of America, New York. Let
us see who this combine of imper-
ialism benefits: Army contractors,
ship owners who would carry live
soldiers and supplies to the Philip
pines and China, and bring dead
and crippled soldiers back. Marcus
Hanna is one of the largest manu-
facturers of ships, and strongest ad-
vOcate of the ship subsidy bill which
provides for a bonus from the gov
eminent to the ship builder.
1t would profit those who would
seize upon the franchises, and it
would profit the officials whose sal
aries would be fixed here and paid
over there; Just as Englands policy
in India pays her English civil Off
GERS alone seventy million annually,
and collects land tax of one hun
dred and twenty-five million. Be-
sides taxing the products raised by
India; yes a good thing for imperial
England and her officials, but how
about the farmer and laborer and a
majority otherwise engaged.
is it necessary to our people in or
In order to trade with them. We
carry on trade to day with every
part of the world, and our commerce
has expanded more rapidly than the
commerce of any European empire.
Now, fellow Americans before
following the trail of the oppressor
across the Atlantic, let us see why
we must cross and why the depart
ments at Washington are converted
into political machines to serve par
tisan ends. A President who repu-
dates the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, tramples upon the constitu-
ton, disregards his oath of office and
without authority from Congress,
wages a war of conquest, undoubtedly
considers it trivial matter to con-
vert the various Departments of the
government into political machine,
and to use the taxes of the people fol-
the purpose of continuing himself in
II II