The times., 1899-04-12
m. In,c.t MckinIey Room.

We do not accuse him Of intending it,
but there is much reason for thinking that
the Hon. William ]. Bryan is placing him
self in a position to be hereafter regarded
as the original Mckinley man for the pur-
poses of the next presidential election. 1t
is quite certain that nothing could better
serve the political interests of the Pres
ident ana the Republican party than the
anti-expansion, anti-American movement
which Mr.. Bryan has apparently Joined,
together with those unsellsh patriots
Agoncillo Hoar and Pinkerton Carnegie.
In q banquet speech in Topeka, last week,
he is quoted as asking:
Who would have thought two years ago that
today would find people denying the validity
II the Declaration of Independence! Who would
lave thought two wears ago that We have nov
rsitgrown the Constitution. Who would have
thought two years ago that the dollar could he
u!aced higher than the unalienable rights Of the
r,eopleg The Republican party won its success
hy applying the Declaration OF Independence 10
ftIr black man. and feel quite sure that II VIII
;o out Of existence when it attempts 10 deny That
Declaration of Independence TO brown man.
This is all very fine and it might be
asked in return: who would have thought
TWO years ago that the brilliant and then
logical standard bearer of the people would
be now urging his Democratic friends TO
renounce and abandon the faith, doctrines,
and traditions Of ihe party, and to join him
in making a new record for it in opposi-
iion to the will of VIGOROUSLY ninety nine
per cent Of American voters and the mani
fest good and prosperity of the nation?"
From convincing political logician it is
NJ 10 raradi inc
40 the plane OF a phrase juggier! What
have the precepts Of the Declaration of In
dependence TO do with our duties, respon-
sibilities. and vital interests in the Phil
ippines? Anti-expansionists would have
as believe that we violate that venerable
document and dance a war dance on the
Constitution because We do not at once in
vite the wild Mohammedan pirates OF the
sulu Islands, the mixed Spanish and Dig
ger Indian Tagals, and the cannibal Ygor-
otes to meet in convention and establish
for themselves a republican form of gov
ernment. Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation, and an Epworth League-and then
depart IN blaze Of glory with the strict
construction consciousness that We are too
good to live and that they will at once pro-
ceed TO kill and eat each other and keep
up the game until our British and German
neighbors get ready TO walk in and grao
she rich prize our idiocy has led US TO drop
Applied 10 these Malay pirates, sayages,
and anthrophagi. the argument that We
cannot, without their consent. occupy the
territory they infest to the detriment of
progress and civilization, is the veriest
nonsense. They are not nearly much
entitled TO the right OF f-government'
ss the American Indian has been any
time these hundred years. We have
yet to learn that the most rabid of our
anti-espansionists has ever lost sleep be-
cause the consent of the governed" In
dams has never been asked to Justify
their government, which has been not al
ways too honest or humane. II Mr.. Bryan
or his eoadiutors, Hoar Carnegie. Schurz.
and the late Grover Cleveland. have ever
held that the Declaration OF Independence
and the Constitution OF the Upited States
have become but the sounding brass and