St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-06-25

| lington, for member of congress. The
nomination was made by reclamation
and with great enthusiasm. An address
by Mr.. Foster and the election OF dis
trict committee completed the business
of the convention and an adjournment
was taken in less than an hour after the
gathering was called to order.
Thomas Mack of Vergennes, was chair
man Of the convention. Mr.. Foster was
nominated by r. E. Brown OF Burning
ton. The candidate made Commute
speech in which lie said in part:
Whatever OF success l have achieved
during the past months is due in no
small measure to the cordial sympathy
and constant cooperation of the people
of the district and their earnest desire to
see me succeed. To represent you in the
national councils is no empty honor, no
idle privilege. 1t is a task worthy of
ones best endeavors and most earnest
devotion. And the best that | can say
to you in response to your action today
is to renew the pledge made two years
ago-that if elected shall devote what
ever of energy and ability l have to rep
resenting you at Washington as you
deserve TO De represented.
A short time before the last national
republican convention at Philadelphia a
member of the house called upon Presi.
dent Mckinley to congratulate him upon
his approaching unanimous renomina-
ton and asked him who he desired as
candidate Tor the vice presidency. Presi-
dent Mckinley replied Enthusiastically
that that was for the people to decide.
But" he added, che should be man
big enough to be the President Presi-
dent Roosevelt has already demonstrated
that the republicans nominated and elect
ed man to the vice presidency who was
big enough to be the President.
The administration during the past
few years has been criticised from time
to time for the course it has pursued re-
garding Cuba. There were those who
insisted that we never intended to carry
out our pledges, that we never intended
to aid the Cubans in establishing an in
dependent government. But the admin
istration went steadily forward trans
forming the island, cleansing it of disease
and pestilence, thoroughly renovating it
throughout, filling it with public schools
and preparing the way for independence,
until finally on the Goth of May last our
warship carrying with it the last vestige
OF American occupation steamed out of
Havana harbor, her guns booming their
salute to the flag of the new republic.
And the administration in a similar
way has been and still is criticised for its
course respecting the Philippine islands.
But ii any mistake has been made in our
course toward those islands it was made
when the treaty of peace was ratified in
the senate by the votes of both republi.
cans and democrats. When that treaty
was ratified we assumed international
duties, we undertook the task of pro-
tecting life and property there. Whether
any mistake was made in ratifying that
treaty from the standpoint of the Ameri
can people is question upon which men
may honestly differ But it seems to me
that no tairminded man can claim for a
moment that any mistake was made at
that time from the standpoint Of the
Philippine islands. There are those who
have claimed and are now claiming that
we should abandon the islands, that we
should withdraw from them and leave
ShSlAi ~ IuNll itlAS Jul ILCIG udS uGN6I
been moment since that treaty was
ratified when any political party in the
United States would have done different
ly, II IN power, than has the Republican
party. If occasional acts OF cruelty have
been committed the American people de.
pIore them the administration depIores
them and the thorough American in the
White House deplores them. The Ameri
can people have nothing but kindness for
the people of the Philippine Islands
Their earnest desire is to give those is
lands the blessings of liberty, popular
government and modern civilization.
In conclusion Mr.. Foster spoke of Pres |
ident Roosevelt'S love tor Vermont and
said that he anticipated another visit in
the not too distant future.