The record-union., 1898-12-29

power of Congress to do 1t. II 1t Is
found that it will be better for our
Government and for the Philippines to
sell the islands to Japan or Germany
or Great Britain, there is not the
slightest doubt that we can get ten
times as much as the $40 000.0V0 al
lowed to Spain IF it is thought ex-
pedient to keep one island and dis
pose of the balance, there is no doubt
that we can auction them off TO more
enterprising nations and make good
thing by the operation, and still exact
a guarantee of stable and just gov
ernment.
BRYAN'S POLICY.
Oakland Tribune: The country knows
now why Colonel William Jennings
Bryan resigned his military COM
mand. A few days ago, when it
was announced that Bryan had
thrown up his Colonelcy on the eve Of
the departure of his regiment for Cuba,
everybody wondered, because it was
said that by parading as soldier so
long as there was no active service and
retiring when about to be sent into a
foreign country, the Nebraskan would
give his political opponents a chance
w StOIG d SOOQ punt eiSd AAllAA
General Lee tried to induce Bryan to
go to Cuba with his regiment and re-
| sign a few weeks later, but he would
not postpone his resignation, and the
interview which he has just given to
the press seems to furnish the clew to
his enigmatic conduct.
Bryan has decided to run amuck
against the whole expansion and i'm
| perialist policy and put himself at the
| head of the anti-colonial sentiment of
| the country. That is made apparent
| by his interview, which was given out
| almost as soon as he had had time to
| put off his uniform and his sword, and
probably Bryan felt that he might be
| charged with inconsistency If he should
| go to Cuba and help carry out the
new policy and afterward should set
| up as its critic. Therefore, Colonel
| Bryan resigns in time to be able to say:
| MY hands are clean of the colonial
| business; l took up arms to fight for
! Cubas freedom, and that having been
| secured, I did not stay to help impose
| on her any kind of government what
! ever" The late warrior leaves at
once for Washington to throw himself
| actively into the civil strife which he
foresees. Nevertheless, he will not
oppose the ratification of the treaty
with Spain; he prefers to see the treaty
ratified, after which his policy would
| be to free ourselves from the Philip
pine responsibility as best we may.
This is not a sudden decision on the
| part of the late Democratic candidate
for President; he gave some hints of it
in speech which he made last May,
and the subject has doubtless never
been absent from his mind when he
lay down at night to sleep in his tent.
! To do what he is now doing requires
much political bridge burning, be-
cause a large section Of the Democratic
party entertain vigorous expansion
sentiments; it also means, no doubt,
the abandonment of the silver issue,
| because silver advocates are found on
both sides of the expansion issue, and
| in creating a new following the Demo
cratic leader cannot hope to keep his
old one intact His policy, whether
regarded as the product of conscien-
tious conviction or of cold blooded cad
culation, must be conceded to be a
bold one, and it also has it's humorous
aspects, because in this new crusade
| Mr.. Bryan is likely to find his most
cordial allies in New England and other
portions Of, the country in which but
recently he. was well hated, and was
regarded as an empty headed dema-
gogue.