Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-08-07
BRYAN ON PHILIPPINES.
DEMOCRATIC LEADER DISCUSSES
THE GREAT QUESTION.
Says the Assurance of Independence That
Was Given the Cubans Would Have
Satisfied the Filipinos Also-He Is
Against War of Conquest.


William j. Bryan discussed the PhiliI =
pine question in last weeks New York
IHdepeRdent lie says:
THE Philippine question is important
because fundamental principles are in
volved in its discussion.
There are two sources of government.
force and consent. Monarches are
founded upon force, republics upon
consent.
THE Declaration of Independence as
scrts that governments derive their
Just powers from the consent of the
governed, and this is the doctrine to
which we have adhered for more than a
century. 1t is the doctrine which has
distinguished us from European coun-
tries, and has made our nation the hope
of humanity. The statue in New York
harbor typiIied the nations mission.
DOCTRINE OF THE PROCLAMATION"
"lf the doctrine set forth in the De-
claration OF Independence is sound, how
can we rightly acquire sovereignty over
the Philippines by war of conquest?
II the doctrine set forth in the Declare =
tion of Independence is sound, how can
we rightfully purchase sovereignty from
a Spanish sovereign whose title we dis
puted in Cuba and whose rebelious
subjects we armed in the Philippines?
"In the resolution of intervention
congress declared that the Cubans were
and of right ought to be free. Why?
| Because governments derive their Just
powers from the consent of the govern
ed, and Spain had refused to respect the
wishes of the Cubans. If the CubanS
were and of right ought to be free, why
not the Fiipnos?
GOVERNMENT FROM A CANNON.
"ln the beginning of the Spanish war
congress denied that our nation had any
thought of extending its territory by
war. If we then had no thought of Sc
curing by conquest new territory in the
Western hemisphere, why should we
now think of securing in the Eastern
hemisphere new races for subiugation?
"An individual may live double life
when only one life is known. When
both lives are known he can lead only
one life, and that the worst. A republic
cannot enter upon colonial policy. 1t
cannot advocate government by consent
at home and government by force
abroad. The Declaration of Independ-
ence will lose its value when we pro-
claim the doctrine familiar in Europe.
hut detestable here, that governments
are round in shape, about thirteen inches
in diameter aud fired ont of cannon.
TIE PATHWAY TO RIGHT
"For more than a century this nation
has travelling along the pathway
which leads from the low domain of
night to the lofty realm of right, aud its
history has been without parallel in
the annals of recorded time. What will
be our fate If we turn backward and be-
| quest?
1T is not sufficient to say that the
forcible annexation of the Philippine
Islands is benevolent undertaking en-
tered upon for the good of the FilipinoS.
Lincoln pointed out that this has
always been the argument of kings.
To use his words: They always be-
strobe the necks of the people, not that
they wanted to do it, but because the
people were better off for being ridden.
SHOULD NOT FAVOR FORCE.
SIT is surprising that any believer in
Self-gOvernment should favor forcibIc
annexation, but still more surprising
that anyone who believes in the Chris
tian religion should favor the substitu-
tion of force for reason in the extension
of our nations influence.
"If we adopt the gunpowder gospel in
the Philippines how long will it be be-
fore that principle will be transplantcd
in American soil? So long as our argu-
mentS are addressed to the reason and
the heart. our progress is sure, but can
we, without danger to Christianity, re-
sort to the ancient plan of injecting re-
ligion into the body through bullet
| holes?
CALL CONGRESS TOGETHER.
''The question is frequently asked,
What can we do? Not two months
elapsed between the signing of the
treaty and the beginning of hostilities
in the Philippines. During that time
the president and congress might have
given to the Filipinos the same assur-
ance of dependence that was given to
the CubanS. Such assurance would
have prevented bloodshed. If the doe
trine of sclf-government is sound, the
| Filipinos are entitled to govern them
selves, and the president can now
promise them Independence as soon as
a stable government can be established
"lf the president is not willing to take
the responsibility of enforcing the doc
trine set forth in the Declaration of
| Independence, he can call congress to-
| gether and let it take the responsibility
a special session would be less eXpen-
| sive than the war, not to speak of the