The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-14
GIVE Up PHILIPPINES
RICHARD CROKER BELIEVES
THAT Is THE DUTY OF THE
UNITED STATES
POSITION FRANKLY STATED
Before He Went Abroad He Was in
Favor OF Keeping the Islands,
Now He Is Convinced That Such
a Course Is Against Policy
and Morals-V1ews as to MIR.
Bryan.

NEW YORK, Aug. 13.-Richard Croker,
at the Democratic club, tonight said: IT
was wrong in the statements I made be-
fore I went away concerning the Philip
pine islands. I based my belief that we
should not give up a foot of soil our
soldiers have won on information that
was not complete. I would not give two
cents for a man who, when he found
that he had been wrong, would not at
the very first chance set himself right.
Such a man would not be fit for either
politics or private life.
Publicly I made the statement that
did not believe we Should give up the
Philippines, which had cost us so many
lives. I am not ashamed to say now as
publicly that 1 was wrong. 1 am not
playing political game. No one is re-
sponsible for my change of mind
while l was in Europe talked with
some OF the best informed men on public
life there and anywhere else. I made in
vestigations and found that we had no
right to take the Philippines. We were
wrong in the first place to spend $40, O00,-
900 for them. On a question like this
Democrats and Republicans Humanity,
not politics, is involved and I am con-
WINGED that humanity, as represented by
the votes of American citizens at the next
presidential election, will record its hor-
ror and eXecration of the men and the
party who are, for private SAN, putting
bloody pages into history. Believing
these things now I go straight to the
public and frankly say that was wrong.
IT said I believed William ]. Bryan was
one of the greatest men America has
produced. I believe that very thing now.
But that does not mean that / shall work
for the nomination Of Mr.. Bryan or that
I think he is the only man fitted for the
nomination. He is as good a man and
learned as could be found, but I have
no candidate. 1t is for the convention to
name the man, and the convention will
not meet for at least ten months. 1t
would be a travesty on popular suffrage
to pick the candidate before the peoples
delegates meet, and 1 shall have no part
in making such selection. I shall not
even try to influence the New York state
delegation for anybody.
'Mr. Bryan's great strength lies in his
sympathy for and knowledge of the
plain people. No other American has
ever been so close to the masses. He I'M
derstands and feels for the toiler and the
toiler understands and trusts him. I
consider him to be one of the greatest
men America has ever produced.
within the coming year the Demo-
cratic party must agree upon It's nation
a. programme and prepare for the over
throw of trusts and inperialists. I be-
lieve that the party will be united and
harmonious.
Naturally I am principally interested
in securing a national platform that will
be a source of strength to the party
in my own state We hope to carry
New York for the Democratic can
didate next year. 1 am satisfied that
nothing will be done by the next Demo-
cratic national convention that will drive
any good Democrat away from his party.
The silver question will be regulated in
time and congress may safely be trust
ed to settle the ratio.
There never has been a time in my
experience when the Republican party
has so clearly shown it's unftness to be
in control of the national government.
Mr.. Mckinley has turned the war in the
Philippines into a partisan scheme for
his own reelection. The administration
has purposely dragged out the struggle
and is spending tens of millions of the
peoples money without making any seri-
Gus effort to bring the war to a close
this year.
1.-The presidential election takes place
next year, and the Republican managers
are openly making preparations to use
the war as a means of working up an
other outburst OF popular enthusiasm
just in time to sweep MIR. Mckinley into
a second term. But the people, who are
paying the war taxes, are beginning to
see through the plan. 1t is almost in
credible that a president Of the United
States is willing to desolate and destroy
thousands of homes and to shed the
blood of the unfortunate Filipinos chief
ly to keep himself and his friends in
Office, but the facts are plain 20 be seen
by every right thinking man. The stu
alton is so shocking, so indecent from
the ordinary American standpoint, that
thousands of Americans are turning
away from McKinleyism in disgust. The
strongest men i'll the party have turned
their backs on the administration. In
New York city the party was never
stronger. We viii carry all before US this
fall