The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1900-08-29
BRYAN ON THE STUMP
Spe ches In His Own
Congressional District.
pRnsnNr MEMBER a RnPUBLIcAN.
Urged the Election of Dem, cratic
Candidate and tho Whole
TIclkct-Dlscusscd Issues
of tho Campaign.

Auburn, Neb., Aug 22.-William J.
Bryan made here the first of a series
Of speeches scheduled for the First
congressional district The meeting
Mas held in the court house grounds
and in spite of the light rain, a large
:rOwd was present.
The First congressional district was
represented by Mr.. Bryan in congress
and has since his retirement been
represented by Republican member.
Mr.. Bryan therefore delivered the
first part of his speech to an appeal
for the elcction of Hon. G. w. Berger
tho Democratic candidate for the Of
flee of national representative.
Following this he made an appeal
for the support of the whole Demo-
cratic ticket, comparing the govern
ment to a corporation. IIe said that
all citizens are stockholders, as such
as they owe 1t to themselves to look
after the conduct of the directors of
the corporation. He charged the Re-
publican administration, the govern
ment directors, with deceit in all it's
policies. This deception had, he said.
been practiced in regard to the finan-
cial system, the trusts and the for
eign policy OF the country. He charg-
ed the Republican party with the in
tention of fastening national debt
upon the people. He devoted himself
especially to the enlargement of the
army, saying that If 1--WE could take
the Philippine islands, we could sub
ject any weak people" The Repub-
lican party is building its policy upon
the plea that "might makes right"
{, GoF hn
tion this year is the paramount
issue only because the Republican
party regards the dollar of more con"
sequence than the man. He dwelt
upon liberty as God-given right,
saying that the Fillpinos were as
much entitled to it as we are. In
forming them a government we are
only promising what the kings prom
ised under similar circumstances. We
have, he asserted, no title to the
Philippine islands according to the
Declaration of Independence. In the
first place Spain had no title and in
the second place, we cannot buy peo-
pie, nor is it any more profitable
than wise to wage foreign conquest.
Already more has been spent in the
way of treasure in the Philippines, to
profits of trade with those islands for
many years would amount to. The
flag had been hauled down in Mexico,
and the Mexican people were better
off with their own government than
they would be with an American car
petbag government in that country.
Mr. Bryan sharply arraigned the
Republican party for its alleged in
consistencies in the positions former
ly taken on the questions of militar-
ism, money and trusts, and the posi-
tions now taken on these questions,
and continuing said:
"The same spirit that carries you to
the Philippine islands will lead you
into other places and make you hold
their people and make them subjects
against their will. The same spirit of
militarism and imperialism that car
ries you to the Philippine islands will
carry you wherever you can find
people weak enough to be whipped by
the United States. The doctrine of
Imperialism is the doctrine of the
bully and the coward. 1t is the doc
trine which takes people under the
pretense that You are taking them for
their good and you reach your hands
in their pockets and rob them, while
you are taking them. They say that
we cannot haul down the flag in the
Philippines once 1t is raised there.
Even this administration does not
find any trouble or difficulty in haul
ing down the flag in Alaska. l sup
pose they contend that in cold cli-
mate you can haul it down, but that
you cannot in a hot climate. The
American flag represents the purpose
of the American people. Nobody can
haul our flag down against our will,
but the American people have the
right to put it up where they want 1t
and take 1t down where they desire.
The flag is the servant of the nation,
the people are not the servant of the
flag. If that is true, how are you go
ing to bring the American troops
back from Peking? They planted the
American flag there. l want the
American flag to come down from the
Philippine islands in order that the
flag of Il republic might rise in It's
place; l would rather that we have
two flags representing two republics
mir