St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-09-17
esta d. cplt,yation. built citi Is, censtruct-t

{ nation Wn1cn III the 1Orm8t1Ou OF L0s
2 IgQyernment. numbered only 1000 900 IL
II population, has become 81, eco BOO, and
+ from ocean to ocean and the lakes 70 the
II gulf, the country is the sabodesof free
! and prosperous people, advanced in the
n highest degree in the learning and arta
, of civilization. 1t Is the liberty, the ad-
E vancement and the prosperity Of it,
4 citizens, not any career Of conquest, that
$ make the country world power. This
: condition we owe to the bounty Of provt>
: dence unfolded In the great natural re-
. sources of the country, to the wisdom
, of our fathers manifested in the form Of
government established by them, to the
energy, industry, moral character and
law-abiding spirit of the people them.
selves.
We are not a military people, bent on
conquest, or engaged in extending our
domains in foreign lands, or DESTROYS
! OF securing natural advantages, how.
ever great, by force; but q people low.
ing peace, not emily for ourselves, but
for all the nations of the earth.
The display of great military arma-
ments may please the eye and. for the
but it cannot bring to the country tho
brains, Drawn and muscle of . single
4 immigrant, nor induce the investment
here of dollar of capital. OF course
such armament as may be necessary
for the security of the country and the
protection of the rights of its citizens,
at home or abroad, must be main.
tanned. Any other course would be
not only false economy, but pusillani.
nous. protest, however, against the
feeling, now far too prevalent, that, by
reason of the commanding position we
have assumed in the world, we must
take part in the disputes and broils OF
foreign countries; and that because we
have grown great we should intervene
4 in sothere parts Of the world e T. also
protest against the erection of any
such military establishment as would
/ be required totmaintain the country in
that attitude..z~We should eonfine, our
international activities solely to mat;
tiers in which the rights OF the country
or of our citizens are directly involved
That is not a situation ofiisolation.- but
of independence. ssa Z - As
The government Of the United States
| was organized solely for the people OF
| the United States While it was cons
| templated that this country should be-
come refuge for the oppressed of every
land, who might be fit to discharge the
duties, OF. our -citizenship, andwhile wo
have always sympathized with the peo-
pie Of every nation In their struggles for
self-goyernment, the government was
not created for career of political on
l7ciyilizing evangelization in foreign coun-
n tries or among alien races by interyen-
ton in their affairs. The most efficient
work we can do in uplifting the peop1o
OF other countries is by, the presentation.
Of a happy, prosperous, self-governinE
nation as an idealsto be emulated, q
model to be followed. The general oos
cupation of our citizens in the arts Of
peace, or the absence Of large military
ornaments, tends to. impair neither pAs
triotism nor physical courage, and for
the truth of this / refer the young men
of to-day to the history of the civil war.
For SO years. with the exception of the
Ewars with Mexico, this country had been
AT peace, with q standing army most
of the time 81 less than 10000. men. He
who thinks that the nation had grown ctr
Terminate during that period should read
the casualty rolls of the armies On either
side at Shiloh, Antietam, Fredericks-
burg and Gettysburg. at Stone River, and
Chickamauga. | would be the last man
to pluck single lAilrA from the crown
of any one of the military heroes to-
whom this country owes 50 much, butt
insist that their most heroic deeds pro-S
needed infinitely more from devotion tos
the country than from martial spirit. .
= AS have already proceeded at too
great length, other questions suggested
in the platform must await my letter Of
acceptance. wv .ststa s.s,s .u4.i S]
Mr.. Chairman: In most graceful
speech you have reminded me of thes
g1s hi responsihlAN as wsAla the grtate
,lonor. of the nomination bestowed
upon me by the convention you. repre-
sSnt this day. Be assuredi thatsbdh are
appreciated $50 keenly appreciated THAT
/ am humbled in their presence.
Fsacoxpt, ~eentle men OF the committee,
he nomination, and if the action OF the
shall be Endorsed by an cleo
ton by the people, I will, God helping me,
give to the discharge Of the duties of that
exalted office the best service of which
I am capable and at the end Of the term /
retire to private life. L shall not be
candidate for, nor shall I accept, renom-
nation Several reasons might be adj
vanced for, this position, but the con-
trolling one with me is that am fully
persuaded that no incumbent of that Of
flee Should ever be placed in situation
Of possible temptationsto consider what
the effect of action taken by him in an
matter of great inporn
lance might have upon his political fore
tunes. Questions Of momentous conse-
quenee to all the people have been ID the
past and will be in, the future presented
to the president for determination, and
in approaching their consideration, 40
we'll as in weighing the facts and the ar
guments bearing upon them, he shoula
be unembarrassed by any possible
thought of the influence his decision may
have upon anything whatever that may
affect him personally. 1mGke this state.
ment. not in criticism Of any of our presi-
dents from Washington down who have
either held the ONCE for two terms or
sought to succeed themselves: for strong