Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-20

of Lincoln, we have fought a good fight;
we nave kept the faith; we have finished
the work.
PRESIDENT AND THE WAR.
War. however, is ever like the sword of
Alexander. 1t cuts the knots. 1t is a
great solvent and brings many results
not to be foreseen. The world forces un-
chained in war perform in hours the
work of years of quiet. Spain sued for
peace. How was that peace to be made?
The answer to this great question had to
be given by the president of the United
States. We were victorious in Porto
Rico, in the Philippines. Should we give
those islands back to Spain? Never, was
the presidents reply. Would any Amer
lean wish that he had wished otherwise?
Should we hand them over to some other
power? Never. was again the answer.
Would our pride and self-respect as a
nation have submitted to any other re-
ply? Should we turn the islands, where we
had destroyed all existing sovereignty,
loose upon the world to be a prey to do
nestle anarchy. and to the helpless spoil
of some other nation? Again the newt
able negative. Again the president an
swered as the nation he represented
would Ia him answer. He boldly took
the islands, took them knowing we'll the
burden and responsibility. took them
with a deep sense OF duty to ourselves
and others, guided by a just foresight as
to our future in the east n with an en-
tire faith in the ability of the American
people to grapple with the new task.
When future conventions point to the
deeds by which the republican party
has made history they will proclaim with
special pride that under a republican ad-
ministration the war Of '9S was fought,
and that h peace with Spain was the
work of William Mckinley. So much for
the past. We are proud Of 1t, but we do
not exepect to live upon 1t, for the re-
publican party is p~re-eminently a party
of action and it's march is ever forward.
We are not so made that we can be con-
tent to retreat, or to mark time. The
traditions of the early days of our party
are sacred to us n are hostages given
to the American people that we will not
be unworthy of the great leaders who
have gone. The deeds Of yesterday are
in their turn a pledge and a proof of
what we promise, we perform and that
the people who put faith in our declara-
lions in 1896 were not deceived and place
the same trust in us In 1900. But our
pathway has never laid among dead is
sues, nor have we won our victories and
made history by delving In political
.graveyards. We are the party of today
with cheerful yesterdays n confident
tomorrows. The living present is ours.
the present prosperity and activity in
business. of good wages and quick pay
ments of labor employed. and capital in
vested; of sunshine in the market place
and the stir of bounding life in the work
shop and on the farm. 1t is with this
that we nave deplaced the depression.
troubles, low wages, the idle labor, the
frightened capital, the dark clouds
which o%verhung industry and agricult-
ure in 1896. This is what we would pre-
serve. SO far as sound government and
wise legislation can do. This is what we
brought to the country four years ago.
This is what we offer now. Again we
promise that the protective system shall
be maintained, and that our great in
dustrial interests shall go on their way
unEhaken by the dire fear of tariff agita-
tion~and of ch2nging duties. Again we
declare that we will guard the national
credit, uphold a sound currency based ON
gold, and keep the wages of the work
fngman and the enterprise of the man Of
business free from the most deadly of
all evils-a fiuctuating standard of value.
The deficit which made this country in a
fine of profound peace a borrower of
money to meet its current expenses, has
been replaced by abundant revenues, be-
ing a surplus, due alike to prosperity and
wise legislation, so ample that we can
now safely say premise a large reduction
of taxation without imperiling our credit
or risking a resort to loans.
THINGS YET TO BE DONE.
We are prepared to take steps to re-
yiye and build up our merchant marine
and thus put into American pockets the
money paid for carrying American
freights. Out of the abundant resources.
which our financial legislation has
| brought us, we will build the isthmian
| canal, and lay the cables which will help
| to turn the current of eastern trade to
the Golden Gate. We are on good terms
| with all nations, and mean to remain SO,
| while we promise to insure our peace and
safety by maintaining the Monroe Doc
| trine, by ample coast defenses and by
building up a navy which nc, one can
| challenge with impunity.
The new problems brought by the wal