The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-11
CROWDS COULD NOT GET IN.
TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN, GATHER
INGs IN LA CROSSE.
Senator Nelson. of Minnesota, Pre-
ceded Gov. Roosevelt I'm speak,
Ing at Afternoon Meeting-vice
Presidential Candidate Greeted.

( LA CROSSE. Wis. Sept. 1o.--The spe-
cial train bearing Gov. Roosevelt and his
party left for Fargo and the West at II
O'Clock tonight.
There We're two meetings. one begin
ming at O'Clock for those outside of the
city. and one at o'clock for the inhab-
itants of La Crosse and immediate vicin-
ity. Special excursions were organized
from distant parts of the state
Both meetings we're held III the rink.
an immense building. which was crowded.
The numbers outside exceeded many
times those able TO get In.
AT the afternoon meeting Senator Nell
son, OF Minnesota, spoke upon the Issues
of the day. with great effort. for three
quarters OF an hour. He introduced Gov.
Roosevelt. who was received with hattcr-
ing cheers. In the course of his speech
Gov. Roosevelt said:
I'VE are confronted in this campaign
with two issues. of which they say one
is paramount and the other IL immediate.
The paramount issue is militarism and
imperialism, and the immediate issue Is
free silver. They have insisted as little
as possible upon the latter, They have
been for IL hut not so much for II as
TO Brighten the gold men away. You
cannot be half-heartedly for deprecated
dollar You may find difficulty in making
up your mind. At Kansas City they had
do In regard to the financial plank Of the
national platform. II you remember they
were only able to decide what they
thought of the currency by calling on
Hawaii TO cast the deciding vote for them.
You remember they stood about even un-
I'll Hawaifs representatives made up their
minds for them. and enabled them to de-
clare that they had 50 per cent OF faith
In a 4s-eent dollar.
They have EXPRESSED much alarm as to
whether the dollar should be put above
the man or the man ahead OF the dollar.
whatever that may mean During the
past four years the Republican party has
confined itself to the common sense ac-
ton OF putting men within reach of the
dollar and making the dollar worth 100
cents in gold when we get within reach
Of It. and they left 1t to him to decide
whether 1t should be before or-behina.
1T Is a good rule to let well enough
alone VOW. are now doing well. II the
hand Of fortune is heavy upon man, at
least he can say that he Is not to blame
for 1t. Don't let II be our own fault In
destroying the prosperity that we nov
OF you men. but they are a good deal
harder upon the wife and children OF each
man. These are the people who suffer
fer--some more and some less, and all
suffer somewhat. Now. for the sake OF
yourselves and for the sake OF your wives
your country. appeal to you for the re-
election OF President Mckinley. do not
care whether Il Is called an immediate is
sue or paramount issue. II Is certainly
Twin Phantoms.
''As for the issues they raise In those
twin phantoms OF miiitarism and Imperial
Ism, about which we are asked to be so
material prosperity and the honor of the
nag. I have word to say, I Will talk
a9 sax mli,ssism sss am inf9rmsd that
proportion OF the. army. TO the people.
We now have regular soldiers In the army
s IN the Propo ars e 'st IS Of esS
and the amount OF tyranny OF which you
are In danger Is represented by that frac-
,iona ,.s amount Of man e the corrssgond-
OF the country.
You could raise in this state Of wis
whelm instantly the entire regular army
OF the United states. Sometimes II Is
difficult 10 argue question. because the
statement OF Il Is argument enough We
have no larger proportion Of soldiers TO
the population now than we had one CEN
fury ago. during the presidency Of the elder
Adams We have less than we had thirty
years ago. when there were stil Indians
20 tight on the plains. In 1870 there was
more militarism than now because MILL
tarism was caused by an outbreak OF the
Sioux. the Comanchcs ane the Arapahocs.
There Is no more danger from the SOL
diers now than there was then. The army
here in this republic Is made up OF men
who serve perhaps two years at a time and
then they come home 10 a civil life The
regular army Is the servant OF the peo-
pie. and Ia no more a menace TO our lih-
critics than II the police force In this city
You are In just ms much danger OF milf
tarism from the present regular army as
you are that your mayor will set UP IA
a dictator with his twenty-nine policemen
or whatever the number is.
You remember In 1854 YOU we're threat
ened with the defeat Of Abraham Lin
colin. No victory OF the Confederates In
the field could have struck such dismay
90 our armies At the front as would have
resulted from the defeat OF Lincoln n
would have meant the undolng OF the
bloody work Of four wears Of war IL
would have beer better 60 have failed TO
elect him IN 1870 than 10 have failed in
1864 II Is tho greatest crisis now that
has been since then Il would have been
better 20 have elected Mir Bryan four
years ago and 20 have suffered the grind
inE nfiaeries each and all % as would have
suffered In the four years. II would have
been better to have elected him then than
now. when we have set our hands 10 the
task, than 20 finch aud bring this misery
uuun ourselves and leave such n legacy
o. shame and dishoror FOR our children
who come after"
The evening meeting was even 81 greater
magnitude than the meeting IN the after