The herald., 1898-12-31
A RECEPTION TO BRYAN
RENDERED BY THE NEBRASKA
TRAVELLING MEN
SPEECH ON AMERICAS MISSION
Which. the Silver Leader Does Not
Conceive to Be Subjugating
the Filipinos
Associated Press Special Wire

LINCOLN, Neb., Dec. 30.-A compli
mentary reception and banquet to Colone
William j. Bryan was rendered by the Ne
braska Travelling Mems Bryan club at the
Lincoln hotel Invitations were sent to 25O
admirers of Mr.. Bryan, which, with few ex-
ceptions, were accepted The only notable
absentee was Congressman Bailey of Texas
who was to have responded to the senti
ment, Democracy" but who telegraphec
! from Washington his inability to be pres
| ent. The dining hall was thrown open at
o'clock and the speechmaking began one hour
later. Mr. Bryan responded to the senti-
ment, Americas AIission-Let not the
crime of the east e'er crimson thy fame, be
freedom and science and virtue thy fame
After commencing the members OF the
club for their fidelity to the Chicago plat
form, Mr.. Bryan proceeded to discuss the
Philippine question.
He insisted that colonial policy was
wrong in principle and unwise, and he pre-
dcttd that it would prove Improbable in
practice. He said in part:
"You have labored diligently to prevent
foreign fnanciers from dsregarding the
rights of the American people, now you are
called upon to use your influence to prevent
the American people from disregarding the
rights of others. Self-restraint is a difficult
virtue to practice. Solomon says that he
that rules his own spirit is better than he
that takcth a city The American people
have shown that they can take a city; will
they be able to restrain the spirit Of con-
quest:
1T has been the boast of our nation that
right makes might. Shall we abandon the
motto of the republic and 60 back century
to the monarchical motto which asserts thN
might makes right?
BE not carried away by the excitement
incident to war; it will soon subside. Our
people will turn again to the paths of peace;
Justice will resume her reign. BE steadfast
in tire faith of the fathers. Your fight is for
yourselves as well as your country. In the
words of the, distinguished Georgian, Hill:
'''Who saves his country saves himself, and
all things saved do bless him;
Who let's his country die lets all things
die-dies himself gnobly-and all
things dying curse him.
imperialism finds inspiration in dollars,
rot in duty 1t is not our duty to burden
our people with increased taxes in order to
give a few spectators opportunity for eX-
ploitationl it is not our duty to sacrifice the
best blood of our nation in tropical junges,
i'll an attempt to stihe the very sentiments
which have given vitality to American in
sttutions; it is not our duty to deny the
people of the Philippines the rights for
which our forefathers fought from Bunker
Hill to Yorktown.
Our nation has mission, but it is to lib
crate those who are in bondage, not to place
shackles upon those who are struggling to
be free.
1--WE rejoice in the marvellous victory won
by Dewey in Manila bay; we would give to
him a sacred place in history and crown his
memory with blessings. To us he is hero;
to the Filipinos he can be savior.
Let him be known to posterity not the
subjugator of an alien race, but as the re-
deemer of an oppressed people; not as Lord
Give but as Lafayette. The gratitude OF a
people is better than jeweled sword"
OTHER SPEAKERS
The second most notable address was that
of Hon J. G. jackson, Democratic national
committeeman from Kansas, who spoke to
the sentiment, mo Trusts He took the
position that the trust system of the country
is the direct outgrowthof the protective tar
if system, without which to prevent foreign
competition there could be no successful cor
Eering of any of the ordinary manufactured
products Of the country He claimed that
there was no present financial activity eX-
cept in trust-protected industries and insist
cd that the system has all of the worst ele.
ments OF state socialism, without any of its
advantages to the public He closed by ex.
hortjug his hearers "to assist in the over.
throw Of the Republican party and thereby
eliminate both the protective tariff and the
trusts.
He thought there was no heaven sent cal
10 carry freedom 1000 miles across the sea
when there Is such crying need for finan
cial commercial and Industrial emancipa
| ton at home.
The other speakers We're Gov. Holcomb
Governor-elect Poynter, James Hanahap
{. NJ Hitchcock editor Of the Omaha
World-llerald; Deputy Attorney General