The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-07
1When the Lord Gets Ready tn Speak
He Will Choose Some Other
MOuthpiece Than Mr.. Hanna"
BRYAN ON THE DEFENSIVE
LABORED EXPLANATION OF ATTI-
TUDE TOWARDS PARIS TREATY.
The Gold Standard Attacked and an
Effort Made to Show the COun-
try Is Not Prosperous.

WHEELING, w. Va, Sept. 6-The tour
of West Virginia which was begun Wednes-
day last by w. ]. Bryan, the Democratic
presidential candidate. was concluded here
with a speech this evening. He travelled
from Deer Park by way of Clarksburg and
Parkersburg. and arrived here at 7:45 D. m.
He was greeted by bonfires and rockets in
the suburbs, and the railroad for squares
was lined with people. The days run
covered about three hundred miles. The
three days tour is regarded by Mr.. Bryan
and the West Virginia Democrats who have
been escorting him as in every way sue
cessful from a political standpoint. He
has made all told six set speeches and
number of briefer addresses. and has had
uniformly large audiences. The crowd at
Clarksburg and Parkersburg were both re-
spectacle in number, while to nights meet
ing was exceptionally large. At the Par
kersburg meeting ex-United States Sena-
tor j. N. Camden presided. He had sup
ported Palmer and Buckner four years ago,
having presided over the meeting held here
for w. Bourke Cochran.
To-day's meeting was held in the city
park, and the audience was one of the
largest and most attentive that Mr. Bryan
has had on the present tour. The speech
was devoted almost exclusively to imperial
ism. Mr. Bryan said it was the question
of paramount Importance because 1t in
volved the fundamental principles of our
government. Discussing the title to the
Philippines Mr. Bryan asked: Who says
the Lord gave them TO us?''
To this question a voice in the crowd
responded: Mark Hanna
This response elected a shout and Mr..
Bryan replied: "While 1 am not prepared
to deny that God does speak through the
human voice, do think that when He gets
ready to speak to the American people He
will choose some other mouthpiece than
Mr.. Hanna"
Mr.. Bryan contended that, under the Re-
publican scheme for the control of the
Philippines, the people of those islands
must necessarily be subjects, as they could
not be citizens under those plans, and there
was no place under a republican form of
government for a subject. He charged the
Republican party with lack of sympathy
with the Beers, which was a new expert
ence for that party, for never before in
it's history had the party failed to take a
position in favor of a republic struggling
for liberty. The secret of the present atti-
tude was. Mr.. Bryan said, the fear that if
this country should take position favor
able to the Boerss the British Parliament
might declare for the Filipinos.
IMPERIALISM AGAIN.
In his speech Mr. Bryan discussed inn
perialism more fully than at any time be-
fore the charge that he had secured the
ratification Of the peace treaty with SPAIN
On this question he said:
my friends, I want to call your atten-
tion to one argument that the Republican
party seems more fond of making than
it does of making any argument in defense
of imperialism. The main argument that
/ have been hearing lately in defense of
imperialism is that 1 helped to ratify the
treaty. l want to talk about it for
moment Republicans give me too much
credit when they say secured the ratifica-
tion OF the treaty. 1t seems to me that
if 1 had to help the President secure the
ratification of the treaty that closed the
war, the Republicans ought TO feel more
kindly toward me than they do. If your
President and your party in authority in
both houses could not get the treaty rati-
fed without my help / am not such a bad
man as you thought. No, my friends, 1
have not yet found a single senator who
has publicly declared that he voted for
the treaty because 1 wanted him to, but
Senator Wellington has said that he voted
for the treaty because the President asked
him to, and promised that the Filipinos
should not be held permanently if the
treaty was ratified, so that If you attempt
to prove that I am responsible for the
treaty you cannot do it, but you can prove
by Senator Wellington that the treaty
would not have been ratified but for the
promise of your President. but I will say
that if the Republican party will not as
sumo the responsibility for the ratification
of the treaty l will do II myself. LGreat
applause.1
IT favored the ratification of the treaty
/ was not a senator and did not have a
vote. I do no. know that my voice changed
one single vote, but / willing to waive
all that, and / am willing to assume the
responsibility for the ratification of the
treaty. but, Republicans, you must assume
the responsibility for the making of the
treaty and for everything that has hap
pened since that treaty was ratified. IT
was Republican President who appointed
the commission that made the treaty, and
that treaty was made according to the ad-
vice of the President. and that treaty might
have given independence to the Filipinos
when ii gave Independence to the Cubans.
l believe that IL should have given inde-
pendence to them when IL gave independ-
ence to the Cubans. and IL when il was
made through the action of the President
the treaty had given independence 10 Fill
pinos as 1t gave independence TO the Gu
bans not one drop of American blood would
have been shed in the Philippine islands
from that time to this. [Applause.l
THE TREATY IN THE SENATE.
''You ask who is responsible for the
shedding of American blood In the Philip
pine islands, and / say that that party is
responsible for the shedding of blood that
was responsible for treaty that made free
men of Cubans and tried to make vassals
OF the Filipinos- [Great applause.l When
that treaty came to the Senate II had to be
met and there were things that might be
done. First. the treaty could be ratified:
second. IT could be amended IL there were