The Penn's Grove record., 1899-04-21

Last Saturday evening Col. William
]. Bryan spoke at the "Chicago Plat
form 81 Dinner" in New York City in
celebration of the birthday of Thomas
jefferson. After speaking at length on
the issues of the Chicago Platform of
1896, and why that platform should
be still adhered to by all true Demo-
Gratis he finished by speaking as follows,
on the new issue:
IMPERIALISM.
There is another subject that is not
included In the Chicago platform and
Is yet included In the principle it sets
forth. The President in his message
of 1898 asked for a standing army OF
100, 600 men. We have had no nation
al convention since that time. But
Democrats do not have to have a ma
tiopal convention to learn that the
Democratic party is opposed to militar.
ism in the United States. (Applause.)
Seventy thousand more soldiers need
ed than in 1S96l Why? For internal
protection? Why, what has happened
since 1S96-except the Republican Ad-
m~inistrationP (Laughter.)
Does.a Republican Administration
make more soldiers necessary When
prosperity comes and confidence is re-
stored is it necessary to have soldiers to
point it out with bayonets. (Applause.)
But they tell us that they need them
for outside service. Where? In Cuba?
oh, no, not permanently, because the
President has promised the Cubans that
our occupation is only temporary, there
fore he would not need soldiers per.
manently in Cuba. Nor are they need
ed in Porto Rico.
NY own opinion has been that the
people of Porto Rico should be permit.
ted to choose for themselves between
annexation and a republic of their own.
(Applause.) But so far they have eX-
pressed no desire for a republic, aud
seemed to desire annexation. So that
there does not seem to be any necessity
for q large army there.
Where do we need u large increase in
the army? In the Philippines Why,
my friends, the President in his Boston
speech said that the question was to be
settled by the American people, and I'M
til the American people settled it,, how
40 you know 1t will need 10000 soldiers
there permanently?
But if we do, according to tEeir argu-
ment, need 10000 soldiers there perma-
nentiy, then 1 ask you, my friends,
what is the expense going to be? 1t is
estimated that it costs $1,000 a soldier
to keep the army in the United States,
aud 81, 800 a soldier to keep the army
outside the United States. So 10000
soldiers would mean over a hundred
millions u year.
Who pays the money? Tue Filipinos?
WHY, my friends, if we make the Fill
pipOs pay the expenses of our army we
will have to tax them several times as
much as Spain ever taxed them.
But IL not sixteen months ago forci-
BILE annexation could not be thought of,
now 40, 900 soldiers in the Philippines
are on the way to carry forcible annex.
alton to the Philippine Islands.
Sixteen months ago, contrary to our
code of morality, now a religious duty;
sixteen months ago criminal aggression,
now manifest destiny. (Lsughter.)
What a change in sixteen months.
l a IN not ashamed to stand to-day
where Mckinley stood sixteen months
NO. and denounce conquests as con-
trary TO our code of morality. zap
plause.) But, my friends, we must give
the President credit for a remarkable
retreat from Atlanta to Boston. (Laugh-
teri l read his speech made at ATTAIN
ia, where he asked, "Who will haul
down the flag?" and / read his speech
at Boston where he said in substance,
"If the American people will just take
things out of my hands and settle it |
will be everlastingly obliged to them"
And as l compared these speeches |
was reminded of the retreat of Aerxes
with his hosts, and that hereafter when
we want to speak of a great retreat we
will mention this retreat from Atlanta
to Boston, rather than OF AerXes,
The opposition to imperialism has
grown so rapidly that the President was
constrained to deny any purpose to en-
ter upon such a course. But the den
isl ia of little value when the purpose
upon the part of the Administration is
so apparent. The proclamation issued
to the Filipinos plainly indicates a pur-
pose to govern them without their con.
cent and to tax them to suit u pur-
poses rather than their own Accord
ing to the plan thus far outlined the
constitutional guarantees which protect
the people Of the United States will not
be extended to the Filipinos; our people
will govern themselves; the Filiplnos
vill be governed by the Executive
through officers appointed by him. In
this country we shall have a republic; |
in the Philippines a despotism. A des-
potism is not relieved OF its name be-
cause of its benevolence.
A government wherein authority
rests upon force and where the people
have no voice in making and executing
the laws under which they live is DIES
potic in its form. When we pleaded
for independence for the Filipinos we
pleaded for our own people rather than
for them. We believe in the doctrine
OF self-government and are not only I'M
willing to deny 1t to alien races, but we
fear that a denial of it in one part of
the nation will lead to the abandonment
of 1t entirely. The moment force is
raised above reason, the moment might
10 substituted for right in the govern
ment of any part of this country, that
moment decay attacks the fundamental
principles of the Republic. If the PEG
pie become sufficiently indifferent to the
doctrine of self government to permit
its abandonment in the Orient they will
not long defend 1t here, 1t is a signiil
cant fact that those who in 1896 were
willing to borrow a financial system
from England are now foremost among
the people who would borrow a colonial
policy from England, How long before
they would be willing to borrow the
laws of entail aud primogenature and
the spleRdors of a royal court and a
titled nobility?
John Clark Ridpath the noted his
torisn, was also a speaker at the diuner.
Among other able words on Thomas
Jefferson he said: ''He was your true
man of destiny. With him came Louis
lana, bearing many States in her bosom.
The purchase of Louisiana was one
thing. The conquest of islands in the
South Pacific, with their millions of
barbsrians, and the i'll concealed design
- ...a shAan .rtlliAna no thn ,nalIa, 81