The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-08-18

Discusses Paramount Questions of
the Democratic Platform.
EVILS OF REPUBLICAN POLICIES.
Rights OF the People An UnIted states
and Acquired TerrItorIes-Dan-
gers OF Impe rtniinm ana MILF
tarism--The True Republic.

y
indianapolis, Wednesday, August s
William j. Bryan said:
MI, Chairman and Members OF the Noti
ncation committees; shall, at an earl.
day, and IN a more formal manner aocep
the nomination which YOU tender and
shall az that time discuss the various ques
lions covered by the democratic platform
~ may not be out OF place, however. t,
submit few observations at this tim,
upon the general character of the contes
pelore u.s. and upon the question which
~ declared to be of paramount imDortauc,
In this campaign.
When | say that the contest of 1900 is 6
contest between democracy on the one han
and plutocracy on the other, do not meal
10 say that all our opponents have delib
erateIy chosen to give to organized wealth
a predominating influence in the affairs Of
me government. but do assert that or
the important issues Of the day the repub.
lcan party Is dominated by those influences
mnncn constantly tend to elevate pecuniary
In 1883 Lincoln said that the republican
party. believed in the man and the dollar
put that IN case OF conflict it believed in
the man before the dollar. This is the
proper relation which should exist between
the two. Man. the handiwork of God
comes nrst: money. the handiwork of man,
ter. money the servant but upon all i'm
portant questions to-day. republican legis-
tation TENDS to make money the master
the maxim of Jefferson. equal rights to
all and special privileges to none" and the
doctrine of Lincoln that this should be a
and for the people" are being disregar ded
and the lnstrumentaIities of government
are being used to advance the interests of
those who are in a position to secure faVors
from the government.
The Desire of Democracy.
The democratic party is not making war
upon the honest acquisition OF weal..., ii
mas no desire 70 discourage industry, econ
0my and thrift. On the contrary, 1t gives
TO every citizen the greatest possible slim
ulus 10 honest toll. when il promises him
protection In the enjoyment OF the pro-
ceeds OF his labor. Property rights are
spected Democracy strives for civiliza-
ton IN which every member of society
VIII share, according to his merits
NO one has a right to expect from So
eiety more than a fair compensation for
the. service which he renders to society.
II he secures more, it is at the expense
OF some one else. 1t is no injustice to him
to prevent his doing injustice to another.
TO him who would. either through class
legislation or in the absence of necessary
legislation. trespass upon the rights of an
otner the democratic party says: Thou
shalt not"
Republican Excuses.
Against us are arrayed comparatively
sman. but politically and financially pow
ertui. numper who really pront by repub-
ncan policies; but with them are associated
q large NUMBER who, because OF their at
tachment to their party name. are giving
tnelr support to doctrines antagoniStic to
the former teachings OF their own party.
Republicans who used to advocate bimet-
aiism, now try to convince themselves
that the gold standard is good; republicans
VINO were formerly attached 10 the green
back are now seeking an excuse for Civ
Ing national banks control of the nations
paper money; republicans who used to
boast that the republican party was pay
Ing off the national debt, are now looking
for reasons to support perpetual and in
creasing debt; republicans who formerly
aDhorred a trust. now beguile themselves
with the delusion that there are good trusts
ana bad trusts. while. in their minds, the
line between the two is becoming more
and more obscure; republicans who, in
times past, congratulated the country upon
the small expense of our standing army,
are now making light of the objections
which are urged against large increase
republicans who gioried in our independ-
ence when the nation was less powerful,
now look with favor upon foreign al
lance; republicans who three years ago
condemned "forcible annexation as i'm
moral and even criminal. are now sure
that 1t is both immoral and criminal to
ship has already blinded many to present
dangers is certain; how large a portion
OF the republican party can be drawn over
10 the new policies remains to be seen.
,For time republican leaders were in
clned to deny to opponents the right to
criticise the Philippine policy of the adj
minlstration. but upon investigation they
found that both Lincoln and Clay assert
ed and exercised the right to criticise a
loan war.
submitting a clear and positive plan for
dealing with the Philippine question, the
republican convention adopted a platform
the larger part of which was devoted to
Boosting and INSTRUMENTATION.
In attempting to press economic ques-
tons upon the country to the exclusion
OF those which involve the very structure
of our government. the republican lead
ers give new evidence of their abandon
ment of the earlier ideals of the party and
OF their complete subserviency to pecun-
larry considerations.
No Evasion.
But they shall not be permitted to eyade
the stupendous and far-reaching issue
which they have deliberately brought into
the arena of politics. When the president,
supported by practically unanimous
vote of the house and senate, entered
upon a war with Spain for the purpose of
aiding the struggling patriots of Cuba,
the country. without regard to party, APP
plauded. Although the democrats recog-
nized that the administration would neces-
earily gain a political advantage from
the conduct of a war which, in the very
complete victory. they Wed with the re-
publicans in the support which they gave
to the president. When the war was
over and the republican leaders began to
S066CcS
opposition at once manifested itself.
When the president finally laid before the
senate a treaty which recognized the in
dependence of Cuba. but provided for the
cession of the Philippine islands to the
United States, the menace of Imperialism
became SO apparent that many preferred
might follow rather than take the chance
of correcting the errors of the treaty by
the independent action of this country.
Trust i'm the People.
/ was among the number of those who
believed 1t better to ratify the treaty and
move the excuse for war expenditures, and
then give to the Filipinos the indepen-
dence which might be forced from Spain
In view OF the criticism which my ac-
ton aroused in some quarters take this
occasion to restate the reasons given at
that time thought 1t safer to trust the
American people to give Independence to
the Filipinos than to trust the accom-
pIlshment of that purpose to diplomacy
with an unfriendly nation. Lincoln en-
bodied an argument in the question, when
he asked: tCan aliens make treaties
easier than friends can make LAVISH" I
believe that we are nov ~ better rI post
imperialism than we would have been
had the treaty been rejected. With the
treaty ratified, a clean cut issue Is pre-.
and q government by force. and inperial-
lists must bear the responsibility for all
that happens until the QueSu0n Is settieo-
II the treaty had been rejected, the OPP
pdnents Of Imperialism would have been
held responsible for any international
complications which might have arisen
before the ratification of another treaty.
But whatever differences of opinion may
have existed as to the best method Ct OPP
posing the colonial policy, there never was
any difference IS to the great Importance
OF the question and there Is no Differences
now as to the course to be pursued.
Promises to the FtlfpfnOs.
The title of Spain being extinguished.
we were at liberty to deal with the Fill
nIuos according to American principles.
The Bacon resolution. introduced month
before hostilities broke out az Manila
promised Independence 70 the Filipinos on