Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-20

An illustration of the unadulterated
demagogy In which Colonel Bryan so
largely deals is contained in his speech
at Louisville, where he said: "When
Greece was struggling for freedom,
Daniel Webster thundered the approval
of the American nation. Now the gall
liant Beers in Africa are shedding their
life blood for the right of men to gov
ern themselves and this nation stands
The whig party, of which Daniel
Webster was leader, was heartily in
sympathy with the people of Greece in
their struggle for freedom, but how was
1t with the democratic party of that
time? When Webster made his elo-
Greece that eminent democrat John
Randolph of Roanoke opposed the
proposition that this government should
declare sympathy with the Grecians,
chiefly on the ground that 1t was an old
world affair from which this country
democrats of that time held this view.
But there Is absolutely no parallel be-
tween the struggle of Greece for free
dom and the resistance which the Beers
are making to the assumption by Great
Britain of right to interfere with their
Internal affairs. In the one case 1t was
an effort to throw off most oppress-
i've and brutal depotism, which had
been marked by barbarous cruelty; in
the other case 1t Is defense of rights
long recognized. The conflict in South
Africa is between two established gov
not enjoyed unrestricted relations with
the rest of the world by reason OF
obligations entered into with the other.
Grant that the Beers are fighting for
the right of men to govern themselves,
to manage their domestic affairs as they
stickler for the consent Of the gov
erned" as Colonel Bryan think Of the
case of the outlanders, who asked to
be permitted to participate in the gov
ernment? These people, British and
American, constitute majority Of the
They have large investments of capital
there, they pay the bulk of the taxes
and it is admitted that the material prog
ress of the republic is largely due to
their energy and enterprise. They de-
sire some share in the administration
of affairs, some voice in the government.
Certainly no one who believes that gov
ernments derive their just powers from
the consent of the governed can deny
that these people have a right to what
they ask. Nor does acknowledgment of
this involve approval Of the course of
the British government which was
prompted by considerations other than
the interests of the outlanders.
The people of the United States are
in sympathy with the Beers, not be-
cause they think the outlanders were not
justified in asking to have share in
the government to which they so largely
contributed, but for the reason that they
believe Great Britain took advantage Of
the appeal of the outlanders for fair and
just treatment to extend British
domination and power in South
Africa. They regard it as an
other exhibition of British greed. But
SO far as our government is concerned,
it must be apparent to every intelligent
and unprejudiced mind that it could
not properly interpose in this South Az
rican conflict, in which no American in
terests are involved. There are certain
well defined international obligations
which this government cannot afford to
disregard and one of these requires that
we shall not thrust ourselves into the
quarrels of other governments at least
until we have been asked by one of the
parties to do so. In the present instance
there is every reason to believe that any
attempt to meddle on our part would be
resented by both the Beers and the Brit
ish.
Colonel Bryan is as prolific now in
demagogic appeals to popular prejudice
as he was three years ago, but where
he gains one supporter by this means
among the thoughtless he will lose ten
among the intelligent and discrimi-
mating.
DEMAG(NJTES avn ERATrS