The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-08
A WARNING FROM FRANCE
REPUBLICANS OBJECT TO BEING
CALLED IMPERIALISTS.
THE REPUBLIC is RUN IN THE INTEREST OF
Syndicates. They have had Rich Pickings ard
Now are Clamoring Efor Pastures
New. Imperialism Means Com
petition with Cheap Labor.

pCNuOii WIN SliCop LubVis
(Speech of Mr.. Bryan at the Texas
Carnival.)
Il want to speak of new issues If we
could go to the country today on the very
same platform that we had in 1896 and
have no other issue presented than the
issues then presented l believe that we
could win our fight; but providence has
been good to us and in the last two years
issues have been presented to us in adj
dition to those we had in 1896. We have
not only grown on the old ISSUES, but we
have grown on the new ones.
THE Republican party today stands
for Il large army. In 1886 we had %
600 soldiers in the regular army and in
December, 1898. a Republican president
asked for 100000 soldiers III the stand
ing army. making an army four times as
great as in 1896; and if amy Republican
tells you that the President wanted
these soldiers to beat down an uprising
in the Philippines you tell him that Il
Republican President asked for 100000
soldiers two months before there was
any uprising in the Philippine islands.
AT the time the President sent his mes
sage to Congress in the early part Of
December there was no uprising any
where. The treaty with Spain was
practically agreed upon and there was
no evidence Of any necessity for a lass
army, except as a permanent policy Of
the government; so that when Mr. Nc
Kinley asked for the army it was not for
an emergency. but it was for the perma-
nent, continued policy of the United
States. In other words, we are to
choose between an army of 25,000 and
an army of 100000. / Will venture the
assertion that III any of the nations that
have gone TO militarism You can not
find an instance where such large in
crease was demanded. Consider ii mo-
ment: Grant an increase of 300 per
cent at the very first step. How easy
it will be to give them one hundred per
cent and double it, and then one hundred
more and double it and make it 400
per cent. When you start on the road
from dependence on tlfe people to depend
ence on soldiers, there is no place to
stop until You reach the endurance of the
people. In Europe they have an armed
toiler. There We're men in the Repub-
lican party that wanted a large army.
They have wanted it for years, but they
could not get it because there was no
necessity for it: but the moment the
Philippine question came how quickly
did they take advantage of it and, hid
ing behind what they called necessity,
they then demanded this increase that
they have wanted for many years. |
don't believe the laboring men of this
Union will look with favor upon this
attempt to make a great military es-
tablishment which, when created. will
not only be burden to the producers
of wealth, but will be a menace to their
government itself.
"Some one has referred tonight to the
case of France. There we find great
army demanding The conviction of an
innocent man and, my friends. the
French president had to Immediately
pardon the convicted man out of respect
for the protests of the civilized world
against miltarism (cheers) and when in
this Union we have great standing
army we would have horde of life
holding officers. When we have horde
of soldiers. we will not only have the bur
den that is borne in other nations. but
a grave menace to the very life of our
government, and also. my friends, if we
have an imperial policy we will have a
large standing army. You never can
reduce the army below 100000 1t will
be constantly augmented if this Nation
enters upon an imperial policy.
''And let me say "A word here about
the word Imperialism. Our opponents
not surprised. ! have known them be-
fore to object to words that described
them. | remember that in 1896 they did
not want to be called 'goldbugs;' they
wanted to be called advocates of sound
money and of an honest dollar but they
did not want to be called goldbugs.' 1t
was not until after the election that
they bossomed out as goldbugs and
pointed to the victory for the gold
standard. And now they don't want
to be called imperialists; they say they
are expansionists. Well, they don't seem
to be expansionists The word don't
fit. If we were going up in the wlilds of
Canada and take a stretch of country to
be settled by American citizens it would
be expansion-it would be extending the
limits of the republic-but when we
cross the ocean it is not expansion; a[
is imperialism. 1t is imperialism and
no other term describes it.
What defense do they give for an I'M
perial policy? Not one in ten will give