Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-05
,BRrAN AND IMPERIALISM

In the speech delivered at Hastings
last week Colonel William Jennings
Bryan endeavors to meet the charge
that he is responsible for Imperialism
and expansion in his characteristic
way. The special staff correspondent
of the World Herald quotes him as fol-
lows:
"Mr. Roaewater does me too much honor"
exclaimed Mr.. Bryan, when he says that
the president OF the United States, Mr.. Nc
Kinley, could not have got his treaty rati-
fed unless l had helped him. If 1t is true
every republican who breaches Support the
administration ought to feel under debt
OF gratitude to me that could be expressed
better than it is done by some Of them.
But II wanted the treaty ratified to make
political iesue, why did Mr.. Mckinley
want 1t ratified? II did not stop to count
the cost of conquest, why did not Mr.. Nc
Kinley? Why am / denounced as dema-
gogue for advocating the same thing that
commends Mckinley as a patriot? My
friends, / wanted that treaty ratified, not
because | believed it good, but because 1t
was treaty of peace and | believed that
ito faults could be better remedied by our
country acting alone than by diplomacy"
Coming from n man who Is an
avowed candidate for the presidency OF
the United States this explanation does
not place Mr.. Bryan in an envable
light, either as a statesman or poll
tician. 1t Is in fact an open confession
that responsibility for whatever has
happened or may happen in the Phil
! ippines as the inevitable consequence
of annexation and expansion can justly
| be laid at his door. Mr.. Bryan does not
deny that ratification of the treaty
| made annexation absolute. He admits
| that the treaty is bad thing and
| wants the people to believe that he
| helped Mckinley to do a bad thing in
order to promote peace. If this Is true
then why blame Mckinley for trying
to promote peace? But the truth is
| that ratification did not insure peace,
as the sequel shows, and Bryan surely
| knows that peace could have been
maintained without the ratification of
every part Of that treaty. He knows
that Spain was crushed and not in po-
sition to resume hostilities, whatever
conditions might have been imposed at
Paris or at Washington. If Mr. Bryan
sincerely believed that annexation and
expansion meant Imperialism and a
standing army then it was his duty to
interpose and exert all his influence tc
prevent the disastrous consequences OF
the treaty by securing its rejection
That was the time and place for him
to display his moral courage and states
manship.
But Colonel Bryan helped with all his
might to ratify the treaty which he
pronounces bad thing and stigmatizes
as the first step to Imperialism and the
destruction of the republic. The plet
that it was better to ratify the treat.
and try to mend it's faults at hom,
without the aid of diplomacy is puerile
The treaty once ratified imposed upor
the government of the United State!
the responsibility to protect not onl,
the lives and property of Americans
but also the lives and property of citi
zens of Germany, England, Spain
, Japan, China and other foreign ma
| llOuS i Ills pIoleCllOu Cdullol DE SlNel
, except by a military force adequate 70
any emergency. That means a stand
ing army located in the Philippines fo
an indefinite period. 1t will mean
, standing army of 10000 men in tn
islands whether the sovereignty of til
United States shall be perpetuated o
!, whether protectorate is establishe
, over the Philippines. For this Brya
and his followers in the United State
senate are justly held responsible. A
to mending the faults of the treaty q
home instead of readjusting its term
in Paris, the less said by Mr.. Brya
:. the Better for his reputation as states
= man. But if he really believes that til
remedy can be applied at home, VII
is to apply it? Surely not the pres
dent. His duty is to enforce and mail
= tain the authority of the United State
- over the new possessions. The onl
:" power that can modify the terms of IL
~ treaty is congress and to that bod
" Mr. Bryan should address himself.
=
- CIVIL GOVERNMENT FOR CUBA