Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-10
BRYAN CALLED ON TO EXPLAIN
william ID. Ely Takes the Free silver
Orator to Task on the Phil
fppines Question.
LINCOLN, Oct. 9.-An open letter to Will


LINCOLN, Oct 9.-An open letter to Will
liam Jennings Bryan:
IL In your O'Neill speech you denounced
tne present republican administration as
guilty of violating the letter and spirit Of
the Declaration of Independence in at
sovereignty in the Philippine islands viii
you condescend to drop epigram and
phrase making for a moment and give the
people of your adopted state the logic by
which you arrive at such a conclusion? ?
An occasional resort to reasoning and ar
gument would be a pleasing relief from the
monotony of defamation.
BY every rule of law recognized by civ
ilized nations the Philippine islands have
been under Spanish sovereignty, with one
short intermission, for the last 400 years.
Upon several occasions one tribe, the Tag
asos; have attempted resistance, but none
proportions than that of mere insurrec-
tion Success, the crucial test under such
conditions, when revolt rises to the dig
mains that these islands were Spanish
territory til February last. when the
had an actual Sovereignty there to transfer
and by the terms of that treaty she did
It ben the Snited tns
archipelago is beyond possibility of ques-
ton.
therefore, the. Philippine Islands became
American territory Immediately upon the
ratification of that treaty, upon the one
force, our sovereignty; for the ultimate
foundation upon which all sovereignty
rests Is the power to enforce obedience.
of the case, will you explain how the prn-
ciples of the Declaration of Independence
become applicable to it at all in its pres.
ent stage of development? 1t Is conceded
that, after its establishment and recogni-
ton, American sovereignty might be so
prostituted as to contrayene the declara-
1 n q 10
declaration in attempting to maintain
American sovereignty upon American soil,
character, per Sc, as to be subversve of
the fundamental human rights enun-
ciated in that immortal instrument?
But. in the present development of the
situation, the character of the sovereignty
to be enforced upon those islands is not
American sovereignty should not be en-
forced there at all; that it cannot be with
Without regard to. any, specific line of
policy toward these islands. which may or
may not be in the mind Of the president.
We have no right to assume otherwise than
that the spvereignty ultimately to be en-
forced there will be in alignment with es-
tablished American institutions.
that sovereignty Is of such a nature, per Sc
as to be subversive of the fundamental
el tine Of TO @ 5 d
that our government of them will not be
INSTITUTED for the maintenance of these
| rights and the Filipinos having beer
granted a voice in the government, if you
will demonstrate that 1t will not derive
| its just powers from the consent of the
governed" We will all agree that your con,
! tention is well grounded. The proof of al
! this is the burden which your denunciatior
imposes upon your shoulders. If you are
| in possession of all the necessary facts tC
support it, well and good. But unless yor
| do produce the facts to prove your con
| tention the universal verdict of the Ameri
| can people and of the civilized world will
| be that you and your coadjutors are "ar
| evil brood that fouls it's own nest
But If you will study the declaration
you will discover that it contains no ref
erence whatever to the right of acceptanc,
or rejection of sovereignty, per Sc.
| deals exclusively with that abuse of SOW
ereign power by which 1t becomes de
structve to the fundamental human rights
| ness" and the cognate right to a voice II
| the government whose enactments are tn
supreme law by which ones social inter
| relations are to be regulated. It's declara
| ton is that when the sovereign power i
| so exercised as to become subversive o
these rights it forfeits all just claim t.
| sovereignty
| It is freely admitted that Spanish soy
eregnty was destructive to these rights
| and hence that 1t violated the principle
enunciated in the Declaration of Inde
| pendence. The Filipinos were justified
| therefore in their resistance to 1t, Blu
the republican administration is attempt
! ing TO enforce American sovereignty, no
Spanish. And Mr.. Bryan. are you read
| the doctrine that American sovereignt
over American territory is such that 1
If you are not 1t is of paramount impor
| tance to your reputation as a patriot
citizen of this republic and to the part
you represent that you qualify your Ian
| guage and explain your position more full
than appears in any of your speeches.
WILLIAM b. ELY.