The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-22
BRYAN AT AUBURN
Begins a Series of Speeches in
His Old District.


made the first speech here today of a
series scheduled for today in the First
congressional district of Nebraska. The
meeting was held in the court house
grounds, and in spite of light rain
which was falling, good crowd was
present. The First congressional dis
trict was represented by Mr. Bryan in
congress and has, since his retirement,
been represented by a Republican men,
ber.
Mr.. Bryan made a plea for the election
of G. W. Berger, the Democratic can
didate for congress. He compared the
government to a corporation. He said
all citizens were stockholders, as such
they owed it to themselves to look well
after the conduct of the directors of the
corpora ton He charged the Republi-
can administration, the government di-
rectors, with deceit in all it's policies.
This deception had, he said, been prac-
tised in regard to the financial system,
the trusts and the foreign policy Of the
country. He charged the Republican
party with the intention of fastening
national debt upon the people. He de-
voted himself especially. to the enlarge
ment of the army, saying that if I'VE
could take the Philippine islands, we
could subject any weak people" The
Republican party was building its policy
upon the plea that might makes right
They were asserting that the financial
question was this year the paramount
issue only because the Republican party
regarded the dollar of more conse-
quence than the man.
He dwelt upon liberty as a God given
right, saying the Filipinos were as much
entitled to it as we are. In promising ]
them good government we are only
promising what kings promised under
similar circumstances. We have, he
asserted, no title to the Philippine is
lands according to the Declaration of
Independence In the first place Spain
had no title and in the second place,
we can not buy people, nor was it any
more profitable than wise to wage for
eign conquest. Already what had been
spent in the way of treasure in the Phil
ippines to say nothing of blood is more
than the profits of trade with those is
lands for many years would amount to-
The flag had been hauled down in Mex
leo and the Mexican people were better
off with their own government than
they would be with an American carpet
bag government in that country.
Mr.. Bryan sharply arraigned the Re
publican party for its alleged inconsist-
ency in the position formerly taken on
questions of militarism, money and
trusts and the position now taken on
those questions, and continuing said
THE same spirit that carries you to
the Philippine islands will lead into
some other places and make you hold
the people and make them subjects
against their will. The same spirit of
militarism and imperialism that car
ried you to the Philippine islands will
pie weak enough to be whipped by the
United States. The doctrine of impe-
rialism is the doctrine of the bully and
the coward. 1t is the doctrine 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. Republicans, your papers tell
you that the FilipinOs are savages; you
dare not say it, because you do not arm
savages and turn them out to fight peo-
pie. They say we can not haul down
the flag in the Philippines once it is
raised there. Even this administration
does not find any trouble or difficulty in
hauling down the flag in Alaska. 1
suppose they contend that in a cold
climate you can haul it down, but that
you can not in a hot climate.
THE American flag represents the
purpose of the American people. No
body can haul our flag down against
our will. but the American people have
the right to put it up where they want
it and to take it down where they de-
sire. The flag is the servant of the ma
tion-the people are not the servants
of the flag. If that is true, how are
you going to bring the American troops
back from Pekin? They planted the
American flag there. I want the Amer
lean flag to come down from the Phil
ippine islands in order that the flag
of a republic might rise in its place.
1 would rather that we have two flags
representing two republics than one
representing an empire.
CUT SHORT AT TECUMSEH.
Tecumseh, Neb., Aug. 22.-The train
bringing Mr.. Bryan from Auburn to
this place was an hour late, and in con-
sequence he was compelled to cut snort
his stay here in order to fill his other
engagements of the day. His speech
was briefer than that made at Auburn,
but covered very much the same
ground. The crowd was again large.
In the course of his speech here Mr..
Bryan related that he had made his
first Fourth of July speech in this,
Johnson, county, twelve years ago.
s'When concluded he said, two men
came to me and asked me whether
was a Democrat or Republican,; but
they don't do that any more. When a
man makes a speech in favor of the
Declaration of Independence they know
he is not a Republican,
Mr.. Bryan left Tecumseh Immediately
after his speech for twenty mile drive
across the country to Pawnee City,