The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-24
BRYAN'S SILVER TONGUE
The Great Leader Once Again
Lifes Up bis Voice.
WELCOMED HIM HOME
People or Lincoln Tender the intrepid
Young Statesman and Soldier q
Royal lRecsption-TheP Philip
pine Question.

Lincoln, Neb., Dec. 23.-Col. William
j. Bryan returned to Lincoln this after
noon and was tonight rendered a re-
ception at the Oliver theater by the
Woman's Bimetallic league. The house
was crowded and Colonel Bryan re-
ceived an ovation. He was introduced
by Governor Holcomb, who formally
welcomed him home and complimented
him for his patriotism in enlisting in
the army. After thanking his neigh
bors for their cordial welcome and COM
plimenting the members of his regi-
ment. he justified his resignation as fol-
lows:
II had five months OF peace in the
army and resigned in order to take part
In hight i am as much interested in
the people of the United States as / am
| in the people of Cuba and unless I am
mistaken in judging we are called upon
TO meet more important problems in the
United States just now than will con-
! front our army in Cuba.
Some of these problems were under
discussion before hostillt!es began; 9TH
| ers have been thrust upon US as a re-
/ suit OF the war. Let me improve this.
4 my hrst opportunity. to assure you that
my zeal for the reforms advocated a
Z -" hiohthS dSo IlOt III the itdSt
abated. Vital questions cannot be killed
| or buried and we were dealing with
vital questions when the call to arms
resounded through the land The Amer
/ lean people have not accepted the gold
standard as final. liz has wrought more
Injustice I'm our country during the last
70 years than Spain has wrought in all
her colonies, and opposition to IL viii
grow until the gold and silver coinage
OF the constitution Is fully restored. The
trusts which now flourish In defiance of
law are more merciless than Weyler
was and the new trust-the paper mon
ey trust, which is seeking 10 obtain con-
trol OF all the paper money CT the ma
tion-is greater menace to the coun-
try's welfare than any 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 100, 900 men. This
question mus. be met now or not at ALL"
Taking up the subject of Imperialism.
Mr.. Bryan said that the president fas
misnterpreted the sentiment OF the
people. They are opposed to giving the
Philippine islands back to Spain. but
they have not as yet declared i'm favor
OF embarking upon a colonial polbcv.
SO great change. he said. could not
be undertaken without more investiga-
biOi Indn the people
had yet given to the subject. The prin-
cipal part of Mr.. Bryan's speech was
devoted to the Philippine question. In
this connection he referred to President
McKinleys inquiry. "Who will haul
down the fiag?" and replied:
The flag is a national emblem and
is obedient TO the national will IL Is /
made for the people not the people for |
the nag. When the American people |
want the flag raised they raise il: when 1
they want IL hauled down they haul il 4
down. The flag was raised upon Cana |
dian soil during the war of 1872 and il /
was hauled down when peace was re- 4
stored. The flag was planted upon Cha /
pultepec during the war with Mexico.
and h was hauled down when the war
was over. The morning newspapers an
nounce that General Lee ordered the
nag hauled down in Cuba yesterday be-
cause II was raised too soon. The flag
VIII be raised in Cuba again on the lst
or January. but the president declared
in his message that IL will be hauled
down as soon as stable government is
established. Who will deny to the peo- |
pie the right to haul the flag down in
the Philippines, IL they so desire. when
stable government is established
there?
"Our flag stands for an indisso,ubIe
union of indestructible states. Every
state is represented by star and
every territory sees i'm the constitution
a star or hope that will some day take
its place in the constellation. What ia
there In the flag to awaken the zeal or
arouse the aspirations of vassal col
onies which are too good to cast AWAY
but not good enough to be admitted
TO the sisterhood of states? Shall we
keep the Philippines and amend our
nag? Shall we add a new star-the
blood star, Mars-to indicate that we
have entered upon n career of con- |
quest? Or shall We borrow the yellow.
which In 1896 was the badge of gold !
ana greed. and paint Saturn and his
rings to suggest a carpetbag govern
ment with its schemes of spoliation?
Or shall we adorn our flags with n
milky way composed of a multitude of
minor stars representing remote and
Insignificant dependencies?
No, thousand times better to haul
fown the stars and stripes and sub
;titute the flag Of an independent re-
public than to surrender the doctrines =
nat give glory to Old Glory. Ii was !,
he nag of our fathers in the years that !.
Ire gone; IL Is the flag OF a reunited
country to-day: let IL be a flag of our
nations in the years to come Its
stripes of red tell OF the blood that was
he'd TO purchase liberty: it's stripes Of
white proclaim the pure and heaven
,orn purpose of a government which
lerives its just powers from the con-
ent OF the governed. The mission of |.
hat flag Is 20 float. not over a con-
of commemorative but
ver The land of the free and the home
Il the brave and to that mission IN
must remain Forever true foravar / ,