The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-01-25
BRYAN TARRlES
IN WASHINGTON
Holds Informal Conferences With
Leading Democrats
FULLY DEFINES his POSITION.
To Avoid Errors He Writes tier
views With Himself as to
Future Political Course.

views With Himself as to
Future Political Course.
A Washington special says: William
Jennings Bryan, of Nebraska spent
Friday in Washington, most OF his
time being devoted to conference with
other Democratic leaders. A number
of questions of party policy and polit-
ical management were under consider
alton.
Mr.. Bryan reached the city early
Friday morning and went to the Me-
tropolitan hotel. There he was
warmly greeted by party OF leading
Democrats. About II o'clock he went
to the capitol and spent some time
there, making his headquarters In the
committee room Of Senator Jones, of
Arkansas. There he was closeted with
leading Democrats and represents
tives. Later he appeared in the mar.
BILE room of the senate, where all q
the Democratic and . number OF The
Republican senators paid their To-
spects to him. -
During the most of the time he was
in the marble room Senator Hanna sae:
at the other end of the room talking
with some political allies. It was noted
that Senator Hanna was not among
those who paid their respects 70 the
NebrasSan.
Later Mr.. Bryan had the same soEt
of reception in the speakers lobby g
the house, almost all of the DemocraN
and Populists and q number OF Repub
licans who served with him in congress
going out to shake his hand.
When askel concerning reports
that western friends and supportetss
had urged against the election Of New
York as the place for holding the ma
tional convention. Mr.. Bryan said
that he had expressed and would az
press ABSOLUTELY no preference in this:
regard. He added that it is . fact that
he has no preference; the matter Ct
the place and time for holding the con-
yention is in the hands Of the national
committee and he should certainly DO
nothing to influence the action Of the.
committee against any OF the cities
making application for the conyention
There was more talk upon the Phil.
ippine question than anything elsa.
Mr. Bryan wss called upon more than
once to cor iect the impression given
by an interview published in Minnie
spoiis and telegraphed throughout thes
country which seemed to present him
as having gone over to the expansion
side of the controversy. He eexpiained,
however, that the chief mistakes arose
from the Interpretation placed upon
the interview rather thsn from the in-s
terview itself.
In order that there might be no mis-
take about his position on expansion,
Mr.. Bryan wrote with his own hand the;
the following interview with himself
writing out the questions as well g
the answers. "a
"What about the Minneapolis inter.
view? Have you changed your views
on expansion?"
"Not in the least. That intervieY
as sent out contains some things that
I did not ssy. am advocating today
exactly what I did in the interview
given out the day after I resigned hom
the army, December Is, 1898. am
opposed to imperialism. lam opposed
to the permanent retention OF the
Philippines.
'I have not changed my position
on the principles involved in the Phil
ippine controversy since my first rtts--
ance Immediately after I came ont O
the army" said he. Eyefything z
have said has been so misrepresentsd
and distorted by the Republican press
that the impression may hsye been
created OF change on the line you sug-;
gest, but assure you there hsye been
no changes. At that time I main
tanned that we could secure BY hold
ing naval station in the Philippines
every possible advantage that coHid
be had by retaining the entire group
of islands. Looking at the question
purely from q selfish. standpoint. I
have never seen any argument that
proved the contrary"
81 believe that this government
should at once declare it's purpose %
give independence to the Filipinos on
the same terms that Independents has
been promised to the Cubans. and be-.
lieye further that we should protect
the Filipinos from outside interference
Will othey work out their destiny, Just
as we have protected the South Amer.
ican and Central American republics.
I am not opposed to expansion. Each
proposed annexation must be settled
mon its own merits. I have tried to-
distinguish between the peaceful ex-
tension of the limits of republic and
the change of republic into an ena-
pre-"
LAWYERS EXONERATED.