The Van Buren press., 1899-04-01

t WealL0-eNeH III titico VI wa
auire him to give small per cent. OF his
yearly income to protect that wealth.
But, said Mr.. Bryan, 1.-THE time Is
not far distant when the people OF this
country will amend the constitution SO
that not one judge can, by changing his
mind, overthrow an income tax yes,
not even nine judges
Mr.. Bryan then came to the money
question and said that while the oppon-
ents of free silver were constantly bury
ing the issue. it appeared to him that 1t
was very live corpse and that they
we're trying to make up in multiplicity
of burials what they seemed to be un-
able to accomplish by one good burial.
He bade the silver Democrats
to have good heart for the prospects
were constantly Frightening and con
verts being made to the cause Of denoe-
racy on all sides. He said, we are not
losing any of those who were with us N
'96, while many of those who hal then
strayed away from the Democratic
fold were returning. Then he said
there are those in the Republican party
who favored bimetallism, and who be-
lieved that the Republicans would try
and could accomplish the object upon
an international basis, seeing the futil-
itv of the effort. will now be willing to
ally themselves with the Democratic
party to accomplish it Independently.
Mr. Bryan then came down to the
events of the past year, showing how
the president policy of militarism and
the forcible annexation of the Philip
pines would force still others away from
he NM tu N
the president S demand for an increase
of the standing army to 100, 900 men he
said in substance: For what do we need
themf Fifteen months ago an army of
80. 900 or less was sufficient. We do not
need them in Cuba, for the president
promised the Cuban people to only as
sist them in establishing permanent
government, and our occupancy there
is only temporary we do not need them
in Porto Rico, there is no trouble there
then it is in the Philippines we need
them to carry out the policy of bene-
VIOLENT assimilation. Do you think it
takes 10 900 soldiers to make the peo
pie there satisfied with the kind Of
government we are going to give them2
He then went to show that not alone
was foreible annexation opposed to the
principles of Thomas Jefferson, but,
coming down the stairway of time,
showed that nine years ago that brainy
chieftain of the Republican party,
James G.. Blaine, proposed resolution
to that effect at the Pan American Con-
gress, and then, saying that while we
are travelling fast pace and these men
have been dead some years and may be
49,, ~ alr t1a,
was one whom he wished to quote,
whom We surely could not call back
number, that was William Mckinley,
who less than fifteen months ago in a
message to congress said: ''Forcible
annexation would be criminal aggres-
sion in Cuba. why wouldn t it be the
same thing in the Philippinesf Then
he went to say that they tell US it is our
religious duty to annex. Answering
that argument, he said that great
portion of the inhabitants of those
islands. and the ones who were most
strenuously objecting to our interference
were members of one of the christian
sects. and that he for one was opposed
! to shooting religion into those who were
not with a Gatling gun, for after they
had faced these Gatling guns awhile
they would be beyond the reach of re :
| ligion. Then. he says, who is going to
foot the bills of this campaign Of peace
full assi,nilation2"I If we axlthe Filipinos
for it, then they will be more thorough
ly taxed than they were in the palmiest
days of Spanish mis- rule, and if not i.
then who but the common people would
have to foot the bills, while the trusts
and syndicates would reap the harves,
and draw still more from the public cof
fers in the shape of bonuses and sub
sides of every imaginable kind, He
also reminded his hearers of what kind
of n government the Filipinos might ex
pect, when they looked back and saw
what they got themselves right at home
during Reconstruction times. How
much better would government of al
alien race Of people 1000 miles away
from home bef
, Mr.. Bryan was just paying his com
pliments to the trusts and syndicate.
when his hour had expired and he wal
forced to close to the great regret Of the
audience, to address the meeting at thu
, court house. The closest attention wal
given his words throughout. and he WA
heartily cheered at their close.
At the close of the meeting at tn,
court house Mr. Bryan was taken ii
charge by Fort Smith delegation VIII
, took him over in carriage, where HI
, addressed a large meeting that night
Many of our people went over, who hac
been unable to get admittance to eithe
. Of the two meetings here. in the hop
) that they might be more successful
/ there.
, Mr.. Bryan's visit will be long re
membered by our people who hope
with but few exceptions, to again hav
| the opportunity in 1900 of voting for hin