Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-03-24
aliseellaneons Readin9.
The NEXT DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
1t Was Outlined In the Nebraska State Con-
yention Last Saturday.


vention Last Saturday.
The Democrats of Nebraska held
their convention last Monday, and the
occasion was marked by intense enthu-
siasm. The platform adopted is look
ed upon as forecast of the next Dem
ocratic national platform. Opposition
to trusts and Imperialism is the key
note, and there is hot protest against
the action of the Republican party in
turning the currency of the country
over to the National Bank trust. Ring
ing speeches were made by Thos. j.
Nolen and w. ]. Bryan.
Mr.. Bryan's speech before the Dem
ocratic convention dealt almost entire.
ly with money, trusts and imperialism.
He charged the Republican party with
practicing deliberate fraud upon the
voters in 1896, by holding out the
hope of international bimetalism, when
the leaders neither expected nor desir-
ed the restoration of the double stand
ard, either by independent action or
by international agreement. He said
that the Republicans were opposed to
the free coinage of silver at any ratio
or under any conditions, and pointed
to the fact that the secretary of the
treasury and the leading Republican
papers were talking in favor of the
gold standard at the very time that
the commission was in Europe trying
to get rid of it. He said that the ratio
of Is to l was the only ratio that was
discussed, and the only ratio for which
any considerable number of people
were working. He denounced the
currency feature of the financial bill,
and said that the Republican party
had never in a campaign advocated
the retirement of the greenbacks, and
it would not be able to defend that
bill before the country. He said that
national bank currency, secured by
government bonds, could not be per-
manent settlement of the currency
question, unless we had permanent
and increasing national debt.
On the trust question he reiterated
his condemnation of the Republican
party, saying the president felt it nec-
essary to denounce trusts in his message
last December, but did not recommend
a remedy.
"a Republican congress-" said Mr..
Bryan, "listened to the reading of the
message and then proceeded to estab-
lish Paper Money trust, which gives
to the people a larger chance of injury,
and to the banks larger opportunity
for profit, than any other trust in ex
istence."
He said the Republican party was
powerless to interfere with the trusts,
because the leading Republicans were
connected with the trusts, and the par
ty had to rely upon trusts contribu-
tions to carry on the coming campaign.
He presented and defended his reme-
dy suggested at the antitrust meeting
in Chicago last fall.
Mr.. Bryan, continuing, said: "The
desire to impose import duties on goods
coming from Puerto Rico compelled
the Republican party to disclose its
imperialistic tendencies.
This bill has aroused storm of
protest from Republicans in public and
private life. But why should any Re-
publican be surprised? Imperialism
means that the people brought under
the flag are not to share ip the guar
antees of the constitution 1t is amaz'
ing that Republicans contemplated the
permanent acquisition of the Philip
pines without stopping to consider the
future status of the Filipinos. Are the
Filipinos to be citizens? Are they to
be allowed to come to the United
States with their Oriental methods of
living and compete with American
labor? What good does it do to ex-
clude few Chinese and then bring in
by. force 100000 Filipinos? Are the
Filipinos to expect to participate in
our elections? Is presidential con.
test to be determined by the returns
from the Philippine islands, Are the
questions which concern our own peo
pie to be decided some day by the
senators and representatives in con-
gress from the Philippines? And if
the Filipinos are not to be citizens are
we going to change our constitution
80 as to hold them in perpetual state
of vassalage? Can we expect anything
but their hatred so long as we rule
them through carpet bag government?
"The Republicans have studiously
avoided discussion on the Philippine
question. They have opposed consid-
Grafton of that question by the cry that
nothing could be done until the insur-
rection was put down. The Puerto
Rico tariff bill, however, gives us some
idea of the treatment the Filipinos
may expect, and Prof Schurman, one
of the presidents commissioners, says
that this bill will arouse suspicion in
the miud of the Filipino as TO his fu-
ture condition"
Mr.. Bryan proposed as the only con-
sistent settlement of the Philippine
question declaration of the nations
purpose to give the Filipinos independ-
ence as soon as stable government is
established.
"When that declaration is made"
he said, "hostilities will cease and it