The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-22
THE TIMES AND MIR. BRYAN.

Some esteemed contemporaries are as
posed to poke fun at The Times ana
newspapers like It that they are IN ac-
cord with the position that the Hon.
VIM. ]. Bryan has taken on the subject
OF TERRITORIAL extension, and are regal
ing us with the repetition Of the Ola
saying that politics makes strange oed
fellows" That sort of chatting has no
effect upou US. As soon as the sugges-
,ton was first made that the United
States adopt the policy OF imperialism
so-called. The Times entered its protest
then and there. and We have not ceased
10 cry aloud against any such policy.
since that time Mr. Bryan has planted
himself firmly upon The Times platform.
lis speech at Omaha against imperial
ism was sound and statesmanlike' ana
the argument that he used irreiutaDle.
lie voiced the views Of this paper ana
The Times would De narrow and biSoted
indeed II IL should withhold from him
its hearty approval
Nobody has said that the Philippines
should not be taken. To drive out the
Spanish ana temporarily to take posses
sion of them is a military necessity. the
question is what shall We do with these
islands after the war shall have ended?
Shall we give to Porto Rico and the
philippines an independent government
as we have promised to give TO CuDa' OF
shall we take possession Of them against
the wishes of the inhabitants and rule
over them nolens volens making this the
first step in the direction Of q pollcy o.
territorial expansion.
1t IS d great question and must be the
leading issue in our national pollucs. we
believe that it IS not only contrary 10
the American principle and a most dan
eerous departure for US TO attempt 10
rule over these islands but We DeheNe
that the United States government IN
such an attempt would make sorry
moss OF it. We of the South have rot
forgotten what this section suffered I'M
der reconstruction. II the government
had tried it could hardly have done worse
than it did in forcing upon this secuoh
the regime Of negro and carpet bag rule
under which the South groaned for so
many years. If the government could
not reconstruct a section OF its own coun-
try could not give a salutary government
TO its own subjects, how can il hope TO
reconstruct the Philippines and Porto
Rico and other islands of the sea, inhab-
tied as they are by people utterly differ
ent from Americans and give them
satisfactory government We can con-
ceive cf no greater absurdity than to at
tempt to apply the American principle
in the Philippine Islands.
The spirit Of adventure which charac-
terizes the American people is now as
sorting itself and care must be taken lest
It run away with us. We confess that
we are alarmed at this spirit Of imperial
ism which has manifested itself of late
and we shall fight it to the bitter end.
In that fight we are glad TO have the
assistance Of Mr.. Bryan. and we are
glad TO see that Democrats generally are
siding with him. Some have caught the
spirit Of Imperialism and are disposed
to take sides with the Republicans in
pushing the policy, but we believe that
the great body Of Democrats throughout
the United States viii rally to the sup
port of Mr.. Bryan in his opposition TO inn
periaHsm. and we have hoped that the
party will at least be reunited upon that
platform.