The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-18

duties Of legislators and other public Off
GERS, whom he designated servants, not mas
yers OF the people. At the Coliseum tonight
Mr.. Bryan spoke in part SIS follows:
The Bible tells us that Ahab, the king.
wanted the vineyard of Naboth, and was
soreiy grieved because the owner thereof
refused 10 part with the inheritance of his
fathers. Then followed a plot, and false
charges We're preferred against Naboth to
furnish an excuse for getting rid of him.
= Thou shalt not coVet.' thou shalt not
bear false Witness thou shalt not kill
three commandments broken, and still
fourth, thou shalt not seal, TO be broken,
IN order to get little piece of ground. And
what was the result2 When the king went
forth to take possession Elijah, that brave
old prophet of the early days, met him and
pronounced against him the sentence of the
Almighty In the place where the dogs
licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick
thy blood, even thine Neither his own ex
allied position nor the loWly station of his
victim could have saved him from the
avenging hand OF outraged justice His case
was tried in court where neither wealth.
nor rank, nor power can shield the trans
Wars Of conquest have their origin in
covetoUsness, and the history of the human
race has been written in characters of blood
because their rulers have looked with long
ing eyes upon the lands Of others COvetous-
ness is prone TO seek the aid of false pre-
tense to carry out its plan, but what it can
not secure by persuasion ii takes by the
sword. Senator Teller's amendment to the
intervention resolutions saved the Cubans
from the covetousness OF those who are so
that they are willing to deny the truth of
the declaration of our own Congress that
the people Of Cuba are, and OF right ought
Mr.. Bryan then proceeded to apply the
story Of Naboth to the Philippine question,
and argued that a war of conquest would be
wrong in principle as well as expensive, and
as harmful to the people of the United
States as to the Filipinos. He spoke at con-
siderable length and concluded as follows:
imperialism might expand the Nations
territory but IT would contract the Ma
tons purpose. 1t is not a step forward to
broader destiny; it is a step backward to-
ward the narrow views of kings and en-
perors. DR.. Taylor has aptly expressed it
in his Greed of the Flag when he asks.
Shall we turn To the old world again with
the penitent prodigaPs cry? / answer
never. This Republic is not a hayward
son; It has not spent it's substance in riot
Gus living. 1t is not ready to retrace its
steps and with shamed face and trembling
voice solicit humble place among the
against heaven, and God grant that the
crowned heads of Europe may never have
occasion to kill the fatted calf to commence
rate its return from reliance upon the will
of the people to dependence upon the au-
thority which flows from regal birth or SUI
psrior force.
we cannot afford to enter upon colonial
policy. The theory upon which a govern
ment is built is a matter of vital impor-
lance. The national idea has controlling
influence upon the thought and character
of the people, Our national idea is self
government, and unless we are ready to
II in dealing with the Filipinos. That idea
is entwined with our traditions; it permeates
our history; ii is a part of our literature.
Ihat idea has given eloquence to the orator
and inspiration to the poet. Take from our
national hymns the three words, free, free
dom and liberty and they would be as
meaningless as would be our flag if robbed
of its red, white and blue
Other nations may dream of wars of con-
quest and of distant dependencies gov
erned by exterior force; not so with the
United States The fuits of imperialism, be
they bitter or sweet, must be left to the
subjects of monarchy This is the one tree
Of which the citizens of a republic may not
partake. 1t is the voice of the serpent not
the voice Of God, that bids us eat"