Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-12-24
RECEPTION TENDERED TO COL.
BRYAN AT LINCOLN.
EXPLAINS WHY HE RESIGNED
SAYS HE LEFT THE ARMY IN ORDER
TO TAKE PART IN \ FIGHT.
Declares That the Issues on Which
lie Was Whipped in 1896 hrc
StiiI AIivc-Says President
Mckinley MisinterpreIs
Public Sentiment.

LINCOLN. NEE, Dec. 25.-Colousl W. ].
Bryan returned to Lincoln this afternoon.
aId tonight a reception waa rendered him
ut the Oliver theater- by the Woman
Bimetallic League. The house was crowd
ed, and Colonel Bryan received an ovation.
He was introduced ty Governor Ho.Comb,
who formally welcomed him home. and
Conplimented him Tor mis- patriotism IN en-
listing in the army.
After thanking his ueighboys for their
cordial welcome. and Complimenuug tie
members of his regiment. and Colonel
Vifquain. in whose charge ne left them.
Colonel Bryan justified ms resignation as
follows:
Il had five months of peace il the army,
and resigned III order 10 take a part IN Il
fight | am as much interested il the
people Of the United states as am in the
people of Cuba, and, unless am mistaken
in Judging we are called upon to meet
more important problems in the CEited
| States lust now than will confront our
army in Cuba.
! Some Of these problems were under
| discussion before hOstilities began, others
| have been thrust upon US as 4 result OF
| the war. Let me improve this. my first
| opportunity, 10 assure you that my zeal
| for the reforms advocated a few months
| ago has not in the least abated. Vital
We were dealing with vital questions when
| the call to arms resounded through the
! land
! The American people have not accepted
! the gold standard final 1t has wrought
/ more injustice in our country during the
! last twenty-five years than Spain has
wrought in all her colonies, and oHpost-
I ton to it will grow until the gold and sll-
Yer coinage of tho constitution is fully
I rf-t,
! in defiance Of law are more mercess than
Weyler was. and the new trust-the paper
| money trust which is seeking to obtain
( control OF all the paper money of the ma
( tiOn-lS q greater menace to the country =
welfare than any foreign foe.
! There are. however. Two new questions
/ which demand immediate attention. be
/ cause congress is asked to act upon them
the regular army be permanently Increased
| to Ivl,vlD men. This question must be met
| now or not at all.
| Mr.. BRYAN said that the president has
| msinterpreted the sentiment of the peo-
| pie They are opposed to giving the Philip
| not as yet declared in favor of embarkIns
upon a colonial policy. So great a change.
| ne said could not be undertaken without
| more Investigation and deltheration. 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
McKinleys inquiry. Who will haul down
the flag" and replied:
The flag is a national emblem and is
obedent to the national will. II is made
for the people. not the people Tor the flag.
When the American people want the flag
| raised. they raise it: when the American
people want it hauled down. they haul it
| down. The flag was raised upon Canadian
| soil during the war of 1872. and it was
hauled down when peace was restored. The
flag was pls nted upon ChdpuItepec during
, the war with Mexico. and ii was hauled
down when the war was over. The morn
ing papers announce that General Lee or
dered the flag hauled down in Cuba yester-
| day, because it was raised too soon. The
flag will be raised In cuba again on the
| first of January. but the president declares
in his message that 1t will be hauled down
| as soon as a stable government is estab-
| lished. Who Will deny to the people the
right to haul the flag down in the Philip
pines. if they so desire, when stable gov
| ernment Is established there?
Our flag stands for an iEdissoluble union
represented by u star and every territory
sees in the constitution a star Of hope that
Will some day take its place in the con-
stellation. What is there in the nag to
awaken the zeal or reflect the aspirations
of vassal colonies which are too good to
be cast away. but not good enough to be
admitted to the sisterhcod Of states?
Shall We keep the Philippines and amend
our flag? Shall We add d new star-the
blood star. Mars-to indicate that we have
entered upon a career OF conquest? or
shall we borrow the yellow which in 1896
was the badge of geld and greed. and pain,
Saturn and his rings, 10 suggest a carpet.
bag government with its schemes of spoil.
alton? Or shall adOrn our flag with
a milky way, composed of multitude OF
minor stars. representing remote and in.
significant dependencies?
No. thousand times better to haul
down the stars and stripes and substitute
the flag of an independent republic than tc
surrender the doctrines that give glory tc
| Old Glory 1t was the fag of our fathers
IN the years that are gone: it is the flag
of a reunited country to-day; let it he the
flag OF 9jIr nation III the years that are Il
come. Its stripes of red tell OF the bIooC
that was shed to purchase liberty; its
stripes of white proclaim the pure anG
! heaven born purpose of y government
which derived its just powers from the
consent OF the governed. The mission o
| that flag Is to float, not over COuGlomera.
| tioH of commemorative. but over the LAND
Of the free and the home OF the brave.
ana to tiat mission, it must remain foreve,
trUe-fOreVer rue
| Colonel Bryan's speech was the only one
OF length at the reception.