The Hon. S. W. McCall, Congressman from Massachusetts, spoke last evening under the auspices of the Republican Club, at a mass meeting which completely filled the Living Room of the Union. Mr. McCall was introduced by H. M. Wheeler '06, president of the club.

The most talked of issues in the present campaign, said Mr. McCall, are those of the tariff, trusts, the personality of the Republican candidate, the Philippines, and militarism. But these are unreal issues, raised by the Democrats. The Democratic party for 40 years has been the party of opposition, and it is so now. The Republican party, after serious Democratic crises, has received control of the government, and in each case has brought about national prosperity.

The Democrats now say that the gold standard is firmly established. They are in a position to know. Under Cleveland the national finances were trembling on the precipice of free silver. The gold reserve was the lowest in American history. Cleveland defended this reserve in spite of the unpopularity of his measures. As a result, the Democratic party put up for its next candidate a strong silver man, thus repudiating Cleveland for having performed as great an act of bravery as any president has ever done. On the other hand, the Republican party has always stood for monetary safety and security.

The tariff is not properly an issue. The Wilson bill, a Democratic measure, was framed for revenue purposes only, but it was essentially protective. The Steel Corporation is our greatest trust, but the Wilson tariff against steel and iron was not a particle lower than the Dingley tariff against the same products. Ten years ago, a high duty meant competition and low prices; today it results in the formation of trusts, which destroy competition. In this the Republican party does not approve. It is committed to protection only as a principle and not as a schedule.

As to the personality of the Republican candidate, the Democrats are welcome to all they can say. Roosevelt's stand for Cuban reciprocity against the wish of many influential men of his party, speaks eloquently for the man himself.

At the time of the ratification of the Treaty of Paris, the Democrats controlled one-third of the Senate, enough to defeat the measure. But the treaty was ratified and as a result the Philippines became American territory. Thus the Democratic party is equally responsible with the Republican for the annexation of the Philippines. There are three solutions to the Philippine problem. First, we can fit the islanders for statehood and admit them to the Union. This, however, is scarcely feasible. Secondly, we can hold them as subjects without constitutional rights. In the third place, we can endeavor to set up a government on American principles and leave it to the people when they are fit for it. This the Republican party has taken for its policy; in the words of President Roosevelt. "The policy of the United States is to fit the Philippines for government after the fashion of really free nations."