New-York tribune., 1899-04-17
uR. RRY1N HAS NOT GROWN.

=
II reoulres a worshipfulness considerably
- f,,ii Of vorship than usual to find in Mr..
Rrvan's speech of Saturday night promise Oh
,he ro.dad light and leading for great party.
I, was almost exclusively reiteration OF
.,,,ns soid often before and better. and submit
tcd no, single new reason for the declarations
Of the Chicago platform. Inc charge 'ha' '"e
cold democrats In 1896 tried to practise
sr.ud unon the voters will not help Mr.. Bryan
much in Eastern States. where the Democratic
,sr,r has no nossjbility Of success without their
a,d nor does ne render their return to party
~.n,. easier hv declaring: EITHER Chicago
.nlatform Democrats must abandon their con-
"victions. or the Democrats who deser'eu 'he
"party must abandon the views they enter'aihe"
.in 1906" The whole tone OF the speech as "
The platform and those who nave disseh'eu
from &C. is as harsh and repellent as II ar'
BRYAN had definitely resolved with MS western
and Southern friends TO shut out from tue next
National convention all Eastern Delegations
which the most influential men In TINS section
nay have any part in selecting
But Mr. Bryan injects into the platform some
things which It did not contain In 1896 "hat
ne SAYS Of Imperialism Is quite as independent
of facts as anything Senator Hoar mas saiu'
which is surely enough. The assertion tha' 'he
President has been constrained by the grow
,nr opposition to Imperialism ito deny any pur-
pose TO enter upon such course Is as uh
trufhful as any assertion can be, since II is 'he
crellknown fact that the President was ior
long time entirely averse to acquisition OF the
Philippine Islands In any form, and was con-
~trsined by events beyond his control or the
control OF the Nation TO accept responsibility TOT
their government as duty which could not De
avoided II Is equally well known that ne mas
not In the slightest degree modified any state
ment of purpose regarding these islands since
the protocol was signed, holding 1t necessary
FIRST OF all and above all to restore order and
to find out what the inhabitants themselves de-
sired and were At for II Mr. Bryan were half
as sensible he would not prattle about asking
the consent Of the inhabitants until the armed
effort OF a minority to force its despotic rule
upon the great majority had been suppressed
What Mr. Bryan has said on that subject
may be left TO prominent Democrats themselves
20 answer One has only to read other speeches
made at the Jefferson banquet at this city TO
see that he will besanswered with sharp tenn
Der and fat dsapproval by many. Nor will he
fare much better nj the West Even I'm his own
State he will meet plenty OF opposition. Nor
has Mr.. Bryan helped his cause in the least by
trying TO broaden his denunciation of trusts
and combinations. His platform was broad
enough before. as recent decisions of the courts
have shown. to suppress organizations of Ia
borers TO control the wages Of labor, and or
gapixations of farmers to control prices Of farm
products. In trying to make 1t more obviously
cover every form of effort against competition
Mr.. Bryan makes more trouble for himself than
he supposes.
His remarks about money also contain an
untruth which can hardly be the result Of
ignorance. For Mr.. Bryan assuredly knows
right well that "the scheme TO retire the green
backs and substitute National bank currency"
Ia one to which the Republican party has been
IN no way committed. which 1t was found Inn
possibIe to get reported even by the authority Of
ebsre majority from the Banking and Currency