Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-07
BRYAN ATTACKS EXPANSION
Democratic Leader Makes a Formal State
ment of His Position.
Address Mt Banquet of the DuckwOrth
Club of Cincinnati Last
Night.

Col. William j. Bryan was the guest of
| the Duckworth Club of Cincinnati at a
banquet last night He made speech in
| which he gave his views on expansion. He
| said in part:
! THE sentiment of the people upon any
! great question must be measured during
| the days of elaboration, and not during
| the hours of excitement A good man will
! sometimes be engaged in fight, but it is
| not reasonable to expect judicial opinion
| from him until he has had time to wash
| the blood off his face. l have seen herd
| of mild-eyed. gentle kline transformed into
Infatuated beasts by the sight and scent of
| blood, and / have seen the same animals
quiet and peaceful again in a few hours.
| I'VE have much of the animal in us still
| in spite of our civiizing processes. 1t is
not unnatural that our people should be
| more sanguinary Immediately after battle
! than they were before, but it is only
question of time when reflection will re-
store the conditions which existed before
this nation became engaged in the war
| with Spain. When men are excited they
talk about what they can do; when they
are calm they talk about what they ought
to do. If the President rightly interpreted
the feelings of the people when they were
intoxicated by military triumph We shall
appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober
Violates Old Traditions.
THE forcible annexation of the Philip
pine Islands would violate a principle of
American public law so deeply Embedded in
the American mind that until a year ago
no public man would have suggested it. 1t
is difficult to overestimate the influence
which such change in our national poll Y
would produce on the character of our peo-
pie.
Our opponents ask. Is our nation not
great enough to do what England, Ger
IN md oil 1nir 1,nxr tn,
quire, Can we not govern colonies as well
they? Whether We can govern colonies
as well as other countries is not material:
the real question is whether we can in one
hemisphere develop the theory that gov
ernments derive their just power from the
consent of the governed and at the same
time inaugurate, support and defend in the
other hemisphere government which de-
rves its authority entirely from superior
force. And if these two ideas of govern
ment cannot live together, which one shall
we choose?
ITO defend forcible annexation on the
ground that we are carrying out religious
duty Is worse than absurd. The Bible
teaches us that it is more blessed to give
than receive, while the colonial policy is
based upon the doctrine that it is more
blessed to take than to leave. | afraid
that the imperialists have confused their
beatitudeS / once heard of a man who
mixed up the parable of the good Samari-
tan with the parable of the Sewer. and in
attempting to repeat the former, said: "A
man went from Jerusalem to Jericho, and
as he went he fell among thorns, and the
thorns sprang up and choked him.
Went to War as Peacemakers
I'VE entered the Spanish war as peace
makers. Imperialists have indistinct
recollection that a blessing has been prom
ised to the peacemakers, and also to the
meek, but their desire for more territory
has perverted their memories, so that as
they greet the former it reads: Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall inherit
the earth. Annexation cannot be defended
upon the ground that shall find a pc
cuniary profit in the policy.
The advantage which may come to a
few individuals who hold the offices or who
secure valuable franchises cannot properly
be weighed against the money expended in
governing the Philippines, because the
me ney expended will be paid by those who
pay the taxes. We are not yet in posi-
ton to determine whether the people of
the United States after a while will bring
back from The Philippines much as they
send there. There is old saying that
it is not profitable 10 buy a lawsuit. Our
nation may learn by experience that it is
not wise to purchase the right to conquer
people
quit claim to the Philippines in return for
$40 O0O,Gj0 but she does not agree to war
rant and defend our title as against the
Filipinos. To buy land is one thing; to
buy people is another. Land is inanmate
and makes no resistance to a transfer of
title: the people are animate and some
times desire a voice in their own affairs.
But whether measured by dollars and cents
the conquest of the Philippines would prove
profitable expensive, it will certainly
prove embarrassing to those who still hold
to the doctrines which underlie a republic.
Against Military Rule.
Military rule is antagonistic to our the
DRY of government. The ornaments which
are used to defend it in the Philippines may
be used to excuse it in the United States.
Under military rule much must be left to
the discretion of the military governor and
this only be justified on the theory
that the governor knows more than the
people whom he governed, is better ac-
quainted with their needs than they are
themselves, is entirely in sympathy with
them, and is thoroughly honest and I'M
selfish in his desire to do them good.
Such a combination of wisdom, integ-
rity and love is difficult to find. and the re-
publican party will enter upon a hard task
when it starts out TO select suitable mill
tary governors for our remote possessions.
Even if the party has absolute confidence
in its great political manager, Senator
Hanna, II must remember that the people
of Ohio have compelled him to serve them
in the United States, and that inferior men
must be intrusted with the distribution of
Justice and benevolence among the nation
dark-skinned subjects in the Pacific.
IF enter upon a colonial policy, we
must expect to hear the command 'Silence!'
issuing with increasing emphasis from the
imperialists. When the discussion of fun
damental principles is attempted in the
United States, if member of Congress at
tempts to criticise any injustice perpetrated
by a government official against helpless
people, he will be warned to keep silent,
lest his criticism encourages resistance to
American authority in the orient If an
orator on the Fourth of July dares to speak
of alienable rights or refers with COM
mendation to the manner in which our fore
fathers resisted taxation without represen-
tation he will be warned to keep silent,
lest his utterances excite rebellion among
distant subjects. If we adopt colonial
policy and pursue the course which excited
the revolution of 117G, we must mutf1e the
tones of the old liberty bell and commune
in whispers when we praise the patriotism
of our forefathers.
Cannot Afford the Change.
I'VE cannot afford to destroy the Decla-
ration of independence; we cannot afford
to erase from our constitutions, state and
national, the bill of rights; We have not
time to examine the libraries of the nation
and purge them of the essays, the speeches
and the books that defend the doctrine that
law is the Capitalization of public opinion,