The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-07

1T CANNOT BE DEFEN DED
Governments Must Derive Their just
Powers From the Consent OF the
Governed-We Must Mufae
the Liberty Bell. -.


| at the Jackson banquet in Chicago to-
morrow night. This club has given many
notable banquets, but the one tonight
| was the most distinguished in it's his
| tory. Over 400 plates were turned at
| the Gibson house tonight. After several
| addresses, the guest of honor, William
J. Bryan, was introduced amid storm
Of applause.
| After discussing the Chicago plat
form and emphasizing the 16 to plank,
Colonel Bryan took up the new ques-
tons that have grown out of the war.
He called attention to the presidents
recommendation for a larger army, and
insisted that the army should be divid-
| ed into two branches, the army for do
mestic use in the United States, which,
he said, did not need to be increased;
the army of occupation, which is tempo
| rarily necessary for use outside of the
United States. He said the army of oc-
cupation should be recruited at once in
order to relieve the volunteers, but that
the term of service should be short, be-
cause the nations policy is not yet set
tied.
Turning to the question of annexation
he insisted that the nation has not yet
decided what to do with the Philippine
| islands He spoke in part as follows:
The sentiment OF the people upon
any great question must be measured
| during the days of deliberation and not
| during the hours of excitement. A good
man will sometimes be engaged in a
| fight, but it is not reasonable to expect
judicial opinion from him until he has
had time to wash the blood off his
.hands. have seen a herd of mild-eyed
and gentle kline transformed into in
| furiated beasts by the sight and scent
of blood, and I have seen the same ami
mails quiet and peaceful again in few
| hours. We have much of the animal in
us still, in spite of our civilzing pro-
cesses. 1t is not unnatural that our
people should be more sanguinary i'm
mediately after a battle than they were
before, but it is only question of time
when reflection will restore conditions
which existed before this nation became
engaged in the war with Spain.
1T is difficult to overestimate the in
fluence which such a change in our ma
tional policy would produce on our geo
pie. Our opponents ask, is our nation
not great enough to do what England,
Germany and Holland are doing? They
inquire, can we not govern colonies as
well as they? Whether we can govern
colonies as well as other countries can
is not material
"The real question is whether we
can in one hemisphere develop the
theory that governments derive their
just powers from the consent of the
governed and at the same time inau-
gurate, support and defend in the
other hemispheres government
which derives its authority from SUI
perIOr force.
'And, if these two ideas of govern
ment cannot live together, which one
shall we choose? To defend forcible
annexation on the ground that we are
carrying out a religious duty is worse
than absurd. The Bible teaches us
that it is more blessed to give than re-
ceiVe, while the colonial policy is based
upon the doctrine that it is more
blessed to take than to leave. l am
afraid that the imperialists have con-
fused their beatitudes. We entered the
Spanish war as peacemakers. I'M
perialists have an indistinct recollection
that blessing has been promised to
the peacemakers and also to the meek,
but their desire for more territory has
perverted their memorieS so that as
they recall the former, it reads Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall in
herit the earth
Annexation cannot be defended upon
the ground that we shall find a pecu-
mary profit in me policy. The ad-
vantage which may come to few in
dividuals who hold the offices, or who
secure valuable franchises cannot prop
erly be weighed against the money ex-
pended in governing the Philippines,
because the money expended was paid
by those who pay the taxes. We are
not yet in q position to determine
whether the people of the United States
as a whole will bring back from the
philippines as much as they send there.
There is an old saying that it is not
profitable to buv a lawsuit Our ma
tion may learn from experience that it
is not wise to purchase the right to con-
quer people. Snain. under compul-
sion, gives us quit claim to the Philip
pines in return for $40, 900 900; but she
does not agree to warrant and defend
our title as against the Philippines To
buy land is one thing; to buy people
another Military rule is antagonistic
to our theory of government. The ar
guments which are used to defend it in
the Philippines may be used to excuse
- in the United, States. Under mill
tary rule much must be left to the dis
cretion of the military governor, and
this can only be justified on the theory
that the governor knows more than the
people he governs; is better acquainted
with their needs than they are them
selves; is entirely in sympathy with
chem, and is thoroughly honest ana
unselfish in his desire to do them
good.
IF we enter upon colonial policy.
we must expect to hear the command.
Silence issuing with increasing en-
phasis from the imperialists. When the
discussion of fundamental principles is
attempted in the United States, if a
member of congress attempts to criti-
else any injustice perpetrated by a gov
ernment official against a helpless peo-
pie, he will be warned to keep silent