The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-24
EMBLEM OF THE PEOPLE
THE FLAG Is OBEDIENT TO THE
NATIONAL WILL.
IT MUST REMAIN TRUE TO ITS MISSION
We are Confronted by Pers More Deadly than
The Menace Of Foreign Foes. Gold
Standard, Trusts, Imperialism
Must be Met and Crushed.

Must &c Met and IruSned.
Lincoln, Neb., Dee. 23.-Colonel Will
liam j. Bryan returned to Lincoln this
afternoon and was tonight tendereJi Il
reception at the Oliver Theatre by the
Woman's Bimetallic League. The house
was crowded and Colonel Bryan received
an ovation. He was introduced by Gov
ernor Holcomb. who formally welcomed
him home and complimented him for
his patriotism in enlisting in the army.
After thanking his neighbors For their
members of his regiment and Colonel
}ifquain, in whose charge he left them,
he justified his resignation as follows:
L had five months of peace in the
army and resigned in order to take a
part in a fight. | am as much interest
ed in the people of the United States
rs / am in the people of Cube. and nm
less l ann mistaken in Judging we are
called upon to meet more importaHe
problems in the United States Just now
than will confront our army III Cuba.
Some of these problems were under
discussion before hostilities began others
have been thrust upon us as a result Of
the war; Let me improve this, my first
opportunity, to assure YOU that my zeal
for the reforms advocated few months
ago has not in the least abated.
Vital questions cannot be killed or
buried, and we were dealing with vital
questions when the call to arms re-
xat1pffa1 fhporoha1tt fhn fanI
THE American people have not ac-
cepted the gold standard as final. 1t
has wrought more injustice in our
country during the last % years than
Spain has wrought in all her colonies,
and opposition to it will grow until the
gold and silver coinage of the Consti-
tuition is fully restored The trusts
which now flourish in defiance of laws
are more merciless than Weyler and the
new trust-the paper money trust, which
is seeking to obtain control of all the
money of the nation--is IA greater menace
to the countrys welfare than foreign
foe.
There are, however, two new ques
tions which demand immediate atten-
tion because Congress is asked to act
upon them at once. The President rec
ommends that the regular army be per-
manently increased to 100000 men.
This question must be met now or not
at ALL
Taking up the subject of Imperialism.
Mr.. Bryan said that the President has
misinterpreted the sentiment of the
people. They are opposed to giving the
Philippine Islands back to Spain. but
they have not as yet declared in favor
Of embarking upon colonial policy. So
great change. he said. could not be
undertaken without more investigation
and deliberation than the people had yet
given to the subject.
The principal part of Mr.. Bryan's
speech was devoted to the Philippine
question In this connection he referred
to President McKinley's inquiry. who
will haul down the fiag?' He replied:
"1'he flag is national emblem and is
obedient TO the national will. 1T was
made for the people. not the people for
the flag When the American people
want the. flag raised they raise it, when
they want it hauled down they haul it
down. The flag was raised upon Cana
dian soil during the war of 1872 and
it was hauled down when peace was
restored. The flag was planted upon
Chapultepec during the war with Mexi-
90 and ii was hauled down when the
war was over. The morning papers
announce that General Lee ordered the
flag hauled down III Cuba Yesterday be-
cause it was raised too soon. The flag
will be raised in Cuba again OH the 1st
Of January, but the President declares
i'm his message that it will be hauled
down Us soon as Il stable government
is established. Who will deny to the
people the right to haul the flag down in
the Philippines. if they so desire, when
n stable government is established there!
Our flag stands for an indissoluble
union Of indestructible States. Every
State is represented by a star and every
Territory sees in the Constitution a star
of hope that will some day take its
place in the constellation. What is there
in the flag to awaken the zeal or reflect
the aspirations of vassal colonies which
are too good to he cast away. but not
good enough to be admitted to the sister
hood of States.
Shall we keep the Philippines and
amend our flag? Shall we add ii new
star-the bloor star. Mars-to indicate
that we have entered upon n career of
conquest: Or shall we borrow the vel
low. which in 1896 was the badge of gold
and greed and paint Saturn and his
rings, 10 suggest carpet-bag government
with its schemes of spoliation? Or shall
we adorn our flag with a milky way COM
posed of multitude of minor stars, rep
resenting remote and insignificant depen-
denciesf
NO. Il thousand times better to haul