Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-07-01
Bryan on the War
IS OPPOSED 10 EXPANSION
Objects to Acquisition of Phil
ippine Islands.

OMAHA, NRB.. June 14.-The Nebraska
building at the exposition was dedicated
today with appropriate ceremonies amid
the plaudits OF thousands of the states
citizens. Governor Holcomb and his
staff took part in the exercises along
with many of the states most distin-
guished residents. The orators of the
day were Constantine J. Smith, William
F. Gurley and William Bryan Mr.
Brvan's Grafton was notable in that 1t
was his first public declaration on the
war issue. He took high ground on the
question, urging that the war is for hui
mainly and not for the extension OF
United States territory. In concluding,
he said the manifest destiny of this ma
ton is not to acquire new realms togov-
ern, but to carry out the Fundamental
principles of democracy to the end that
equality among the citizens may be Sc
cured
Mr.. BRYAN said: War is harsh ii is
attended by hardship and suffering; it
means vast expenditure of men and
money. We may well pray for the com
ing of the time, promised in Holy Writ,
when the spears shall be beaten into
pruning hook and the swords into plow-
shares; but universal peace cannot come
until justice is cnthroned throughout the
the world Jehovah deals with nations
as He deals with men, and for both de-
crces that the wages OF sin is death.
Until the right has triumphed in every
land. and love rcigrs in every heart,
governments must, as a last resort, APP
peal to force. As long as the oppressor
is deaf to the voice of reason, so long
must the citizen accustom his shoulder to
the musket and his hand to the saber
"Our nation exhausted diplomacy in
it's efforts to secure a peaceful solution OF
the Cuban question, and only took up
arms when it was compelled to choose
between war and scrvile acquicscncc III
crueltics which would have been a dis
grace to barbarisn.
History will vindicatc the position
taken by the United States in the war
with Spain. In saying this, ! assume
that the principles which were invoked
in the Inauguration of the war will he
observed in it's prosecution and conclu-
sion. If contest undertaken for the
sake of humanity degenerates into war
of conquest, we shall find it difficult to
meet the charge of having added hypoc-
risy to greed Is our national character
so weak that we can not withstand the
temptation to appropriate the first piece
of land that comes within our reach?
"To inflict upon the enemy all possible
harm is legitimate warfare, but shall we
contemplate scheme for the colonial
ton of the Orient merely because our
feet won remarkable victory in the
harbor of Manila' q
Our guns destroyed z Spanish feet,
but can they destroy that selt-evident
truth that governments derive their
just powers mot I rom superior force
but from the consent of the governed?
"Shall we abandon a just resistance to
European encroachment upon the West
ern hemisphere, in order to mingle in the
controversies of Europe and Asia'
Nebraska, standing midway between
the oceans, will contribute her full share
| toward the protection of our sea coasts.
Her sons will support the flag at home
and abroad, wherever the honor and in
terests of the nation may require. Ne
braska will hold up the hands of the
government while the battle RACES, and
when the war clouds roll away her voice
will be heard pleading for the maintaining
of those ideas which inspired the found
| ers of our government and gave the ma
ton it's proud eminence among the ma
lions of the earth. If Others turn to
thoughts of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and yield
allegiance to those who clothe land and
4
coyetousness in the attractive garb of
national destiny, the people of Nebraska
will, if mistake not their sentiments,
plant themselves upon the disclaimer en-.
tered by congress and expect that good
faith shall characterize the making of
peace, as ii did the beginning of war.
Goldsmith calls upon statesmen:
To Judge how wide the limits stand
Betwixt splendid and happy land.
at some dream of the splendors OF
Heterogeneous empire encirclng the
globe, we shall be content to aid in
bringing enduring happiness to homo
geneous people, consecrated to the pur-
pose of maintaining "a government of
the people, by the people and for the
people