Show BLAND I I ON THE ISSUES I Silver Question Not Settled Until Settled Right POLICY OF EXPANSION DEMOCRATS ALWAYS FAVOR ANNEXATION OF TERRITORY But the People Should Not Be A nexed Without Their Consent Campaign Will Be Made On the Free Coinage Issue War Tax Upon the People St Louis Mo Aug 10A special to the Republic from Springfield Mo says The Democratic hosts assembled assem-bled in Baldwins opera house which has a seating capacity of 5000 filling every seat and promptly at 1155 oclock the convention was called to order Richard P Bland was made temporary chairman He addressed the convention for nearly an hour und was applauded frequently He spoke in part as follows What do here be we today will not confined to our state but will have its influence on the whole country so that I we should make no declaration respecting respect-ing recent issues until we have care fully deliberated upon them Mr Bland then went at once to the Chicago platform recalling the financial finan-cial plank and declaring anew the argument I ar-gument with which the people are familiar fa-miliar miar I This domestic issue he said must remain paramount until it is settled I and settled right We propose to make I the campaign upon this issue We do not propose that plutocrats shall entangle en-tangle and confuse our minds with foreign for-eign issues We propose first to make free and independent the people of the United States Applause C We have been drawn into a war which has already cost millions of dollars dol-lars and put upon the common people the burden of a tax which congress refused to put upon the wealth of the country He said the sentiments expressed in the declaration of war was = unparalleled in the history of the world in its justice > jus-tice and love of humanity and that no party ought to survive which would undertake to lower that standard of universal freedom of manhood I We deserve the good opinion of the world but we must also deserve the good opinion of ourselves I have observed ob-served a tendency in some directions to lower our principles to those of a landgrabbing nation Faint applause The Democratic party has always been the party of progress in the annexation annexa-tion of territory but i was territory bought and paid for After reciting the history of past acquisitions ac-quisitions of territory Mr Bland said But we are asked today to acquire not only land but people We are asked to connect ourselves with a foreign population pop-ulation unknown to our interests and purposes I dont want to see this convention declare itself in favor of annexing an-nexing Cuba or Porto Rico or the Philippines At the same time I do not wish you to declare in favor of closing the doors to any honorable annexation an-nexation with which we may be confronted con-fronted C S But we can declare our adherence to the Monroe doctrine ancfno party or power can assail us I I could express ex-press my personal opinion in the platform plat-form I would declare against the annexation an-nexation of Cuba Porto Rico or th3 Philippine Islands and that when we shall have wrested the islands from the Spanish government they shouki be allowed to govern themselves We are not to assume that they are not capable of selfgovernment Thomas Jefferson would have spat upon such an assumption as that He continued In this vein for sometime some-time declaring his belief that eventually even-tually Cuba and Porto Rico would come into our country but he desired no dec aration on that question until these territories were prepared to come in of their own free will and accord and under democratic principles A short address of welcome was delivered livered by Major Hal and a recess was taken When the convention reassembled at I 3 oclock Congressman 1 E Benton of Newton was elected permanent chairman Nominations for supreme judge were then made and balloting commenced The first ballot resulted in the election of Judge William C Marshall for supreme judge for the long term and Judge Leroy B Valliant for the short term of the same office The convention then adjourned until tomorrow at 9 a m I Late tonight the committee on resolutions reso-lutions agreed on a platform which endorses the Chicago platform opposes op-poses acquisition of the Philippines or other territory in the eastern hemisphere hemi-sphere approves the construction of the Nicaragua canal which should be controlled by the United States declares de-clares that our navy should be kept equal to any emergency and demands that Porto Rico and all Spanish territory terri-tory In the West Indies except Cuba shall be tak n and held by the United States Cuba to be allowed to establish estab-lish Its government and to be annexed an-nexed only at the desire of the people of the island |