New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-04-28
HEARST FOR WARSHIPS
Defends Presidents Policy at Inde-
pendence Dinner.

| William Randolph Hearst. in a speech which be-
| gan with faying OF the Democratic and Repub-
| lican parties, boosting Of the principles OF the
| Independence League. whacking at the pro-
spective candidates of the other parties and char
| acterlZation of President Roosevelt as the most
artful candidate of them ALL. addressed the second
annual dinner of the independence party last night
| at the Hotel Knickerbocker
He cited some of his personal experiences. When
! in Congress he a member of the Labor Com
! mittee He declared that blacklisting and even
| backmailing were egalzed by the Hepburn bill
| Mr.. Hearst rose to speak Immediately after being
! introduced by Charles E Gehring the toastnas-
ter but it was fully five minutes before he able
| to obtain silence. His constituents hailed him as
the second Abraham Lincoln and fighting General
| Grant
Although in the fore part of his speech MI Hearst
attacked the President the friend OF Wall Street
and the who invited Hartman the White
House To help him write his messages he defended
Mr.. RoOsevelt's demand for four battleships
He took up the question of the Aldrich bill. which
| he declared introduced to the especial ad-
| vantage of Wall Street.
| He declared that it had been said that Mr.. Nor
| gan had drafted the bill. and on reading its
! provisions Mr.. Hearst continued. we become
wholly convinced that II Mr. Morgan has saved the
country, as he says he did. he merely saved 1t for
! q rainy day
/ Grant. Abraham Lincoln and George Washington
as 10 the wisdom and necessity of being prepared
for war in the time of peace Mr.. Hearst said;
The other day the President of the United States,
fully informed as TO the seriousness of the situation
| in the Far East. asked Congress for four battle
ships to add to our fleet and the good old parties
united 10 deny TINS proper and reasohaoe request.
| He appealed to the laboring man 10 abandon the
old parties and join the ranks of the Independence
! party saying:
! declare that the laboring man wastes his vote
when he votes for either one of the old parties l
. congress
Labor Committee all that time.
/ / make the statement deliberately and DEFY
any Democratic or Republican ian to DIS.
/ Of RepTasentatjves is constituted and conducted
to prevent the measures in which labor is inter
House.
| to relieve CongI essmen from the embarrassment
/ of having 10 register public vote on labor mat
| The speaker then took up the "vacillatiOn' OF
the Democratic and Republican parties He said:
MI Roosevelt has favored US with vast variety
| OF views He has been for the negro and against
| the best friend that wall Street ever had
Mr. TAFT for his part has been all his lie against
union labor. but lately has developed fondness for
it that amounts almost to infatuation
On the Democratic side there is not less of re-
! sourcefuness. and some candidates who have been
| for free silver are now against it, and some who
/ against that and some who have been against the
initiative and referendum the extreme of social
| against political porch climbing and such wicked
ness have been held up by band of train robbers
|
untary contribution religious purposes theil
! former political opinions.
In closing his speech Mr. Hearst again cham
pioned the Presidents demand for battleships, say
| ing:
If the two good old parties unite long enough
to deny to the TIC naval protection that it
! needs surely the Independence party sink par
| tisanshtp and support much Mr. Roosevelt.
! the man. but the patriotic demand of the President
/ Of the United States.
| Thomas l. Hissen, the who pOed such a
! large vote for Governor OF Massachusetts on the
Independence League ticket the last election said
| that Massa chusetts ready and waiting for an
! opportunity 10 elevate Mr. Hearst to the Presidency
/ in 1912.
Among the other speakers were Charles A. Walsh,
former secretary of the Democratic National Com
mittee. whose subject Party Domination
}. I. Sheppard. of Fort Scott, Kansas; Clarence j
! Shearn, John D. Spellman. John Temple Graves.
/ Henry A Powell and r. VI. sherwood, of Indiana