The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-09-28
RRYAN,s SPEECH.
Chicago letter..

(ChlcagO Letter.)
Mr.. Bryan's speech Of acceptance is
without doubt the political event of
paramount Importance in the present
campaign. Mr.. Bryan received at the
hands Of the Democratic party the
nomination for the presidency. A par
tisan utterance upon this occasion
would have been pardoned, nay more,
was even expected by the country at
large. Tradition and precedent exist
to justify a candidate tn such a course.
He OF Canton-Mark Hanna's man
who was recently notified Of a nomi-
nation. took occasion to plead for the
principles of a party and in the cause
Of an administration. In multifarious
terms he told what I'VE" had done,
and fairly reveled in the deeds of "us."
The Republican party was defended
sven apologized for, And VIM. Nc
Kinley accepted at the hands of those
who bore the stamp Of the Republican
party, the nomination for the presi-
depcy Of the United States. Mr.. Nc
Kinley's speech Of acceptance will 90
down in history as the statement Of q
party chief to his party followers. But
how different the tone and tenor Of
Mr.. Bryan's indianapolis address. Me-
Kinley spoke to a party-Bryan to a
nation; Mckinley plead the cause Of
an OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the cause
OF a people. Mckinley defended the
principles Of a party-Bryan spoke In
defense Of the principles that arc at
the foundation OF free government;
Mckinley spoke as a candidate, but Mr..
Bryan spoke as an American citizen.
In the face of existing circumstances
it is a fact OF peculiar significance that
Mr.. Bryan could reply to the notifica-
ton committee In a speech bearing
rs little trace OF partisan politics as
the constitution OF the United States
or the Declaration of Independence.
This does not indicate that Mr.. Bryan
is not a good Democrat, but rather
that the Democratic party is contend
ing not so much for certain theories
Of administration in a free government
as for free government itself. Hence
1t la that, lighting for the very exist
ence of the republic. the position Of
the patriotic citizen who stands for
free government and the position Of
the Democratic party became iden-
teal. Mr.. Bryan was great enough to
recognize this. Mr.. Dryan's speech was
remarkable enough on account Of the
things he said. Mr.. McKinley's Can
ton speech wa chiefly remarkable on
account Of the things he did not say.
The Canton speech abounds in
limitations and promises. 1t does not
hold out to the Filipinos the faintest
hope either Of independence on the
one hand or of the freedom and rights
Of American citizenship On the other.
The voter has only to read SO much
Of Mr.. McKinley's speech as relates to
this subject in order to find this state
ment to be correct. He will find some
thing about giving the Filipinos as
much self-government as they are ft
for-as though the right OF people TO-
900 miles away to self-government was
not a God-given right, but a right to
be granted by some authority In Wash
fngton. But he will md not the faint
est whisper Of such a thing as indie
pendence for a people over whom we
have no authority except such as
Spain somehow Is supposed to have
had q right to give us. In MI. Bry-
ans speech, however. the voter may
ind . pledge that II he II e1aeted he
will convene congress at the earliest