Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-08-11


abrldge the privileges or imrnunities of
citizens of the United States or deny to
any person the equal protection Of the
laws and at the same time not only deny
similar rights to the inhabitants of the
Philippines, but take away from them
the right Of trial by jury and place their
lives and The disposition of their property
in the keeping Of those whom we send to
them to be their governors? We shall
certainly rue it as d nation if we make
any such attempt Viewing the question
even from the standpoint OF national
selfishness. there is no prospect that the
twenty millions of dollars expended in
the purchase Of the islands and the six
hundred and fifty millions said to have
been since disbursed will ever come back
TO US The accident of war brought the
Philippines into our possession, and we
are not at liberty to disregard the respon-
sibiiity which thus came to u.s. but that
responsibility will be best subserved by
preparing the islanders as rapidly as pos
sible for self government and giving to
them the assurances that it will come as
soon as they are reasonably prepared for
1t. There need be no fear that the as
sertion SO often made of late that we have
now become a world power will then be
without support. Ours is world power,
and as such it must be maintained. but /
deny that it is at all recently that the
United States has attained that eminenee
Our country became a world power over a
century ago. when having thrown off for
eign domination, the people established
free government the source of whose au-
thority sprung and was continuously to
proceed from the will of the people them
selves. 1t grew as world power as its
sturdy citizens to whose natural increase
were added immigrants from the old
world seeking to obtain here the liberty
and prosperity denied them in their own
countries. spread over the face of the
land reduced the prairies and forests to
cultivation, built cities, constructed high
ways and railroads, till now a nation
which at the formation of the government
numbered only three millions in popuIa-
ton has become eighty mill ms. and from
ocean to ocean and the lakes to the gulf
the country is the abode of a free and
prosperous people. advanced in the high
est degree in the learning and arts of
civilization. 1t is the liberty, the advance
ment and the prosperity Of its citizens,
not any career of conquest, that make the
country world power. This condition
we owe to the bounty of Providence. un-
folded in the great natural resources of
the country; to the wisdom Of our ia
theirs, manifested in the form of govern
ment established by them; to the energy,
industry moral character and law abiding
spirit of the people themselves.
We are not a military people, bent on
conquest or engaged in extending our
domains in foreign lands or DESTROYS of
securing natural advantages however
great, by force, but a people loving peace
not only for ourselves. but fer all the ma
tions of the earth.
The display of great military arma-
ments may please the eye and for the mo-
ment excite the pride Of the citizen but
it cannot bring to the country the brains,
Drawn and muscle of a single immigrant
or 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 It's citizens at home or abroad must be
maintained. Any other course would be
not only false economy, but pusillanimous.
protest, however, against the feeling.
now far too prevalent, that by reason Of
the commanding position we have assum-
ed in the world we must take part in
the disputes and broils Of foreign coun-
tries and that because we have grown
great we should intervene in every impor-
tant question that arises in other parts
of the world. also protest against the
erection of any such military establish
ment as would be required to maintain
the country in that attitude We should
confne our International activities solely
to matters In which the rights of the
country or of our citizens are directly
lation, but of independence.
The government of the United States
was organized solely for the people of the
United States. While it was contemplate
ed that this country should become a
refuge for the oppressed of every land
who might be fit to discharge the duties
of our citizenship and while we have al
ways sympathized with the people Of ev-
cry nation in their struggles for self gov
eminent, the government was not created
for a career of political or civilizing evan
gelization in foreign countries or among
alien races by intervention In their af-
fairs. The most efficient work we can do
in uplifting the people of other countries
is by the presentation of a happy, pros
porous. self governing nation as an ideal
to be emulated, a model to be followed
The general occupation Of our citizens in
the arts of peace, or the absence of large
military ornaments, tends to impair nei-
Their patriotism nor physical courage, and
for the truth of this 1 refer the young
men of today to the history of the civil
war. For fifty years, with the exception
of the war with Mexico, this country had
been at peace, with a standing army most
of the time of less than ten thousand
men. He who thinks that the nation had
grown effeminate during that period
should read the casualty rolls of the
armies on either side at Shiloh, Antetam
River and Chickamauga. I would be the
last man to pluck a single laurel from
the crown of any one of the military he
roes to whom this country owes so much
but | insist that their most heroic deeds
proceeded infinitely more from devotion
to the country than from martial spirit
As I have already proceeded at too
great length, other questions suggested in
the platform must await my letter Of ac-
ceptance
Mr.. Chairman, in most graceful speech
you have reminded me of the great re-
sponsibility as well as the great honor of
the nomination bestowed upon me by the
convention you represent this day. Be
assured that both are appreciated. so
keenly appreciated that am humbled in
their presence
accept gentlemen of the committee,
the nomination. and if the action of the
convention shall be Endorsed by an cleo
tion by the people I win, God helping
me, give to the discharge of the duties of
that exalted Office the best service of
which ! am capable and at the end of the
term retire to private life. I shall not
be q candidate for nor shall accept a