Amador ledger., 1900-09-07
Bryan's 1nsinosrity and Political chioane.

The anti press is constantly ring
ing the changes upon the "honesty of
Mr. Bryan's purpose and the sincerity
of his aims, and likewise the perfect
ingenuousness of his arguments and of
the patriotic spirit that inspires him.
1t is invariably added that all men ad-
nit these things; that no one denies
the honesty and sincerity of Bryan in
the campaign. That is another howl
ing perversion of the truth. Plenty of
people, tens of thousands of them in
every State, and we join with them,
deny the sincerity of Bryan.
If he was sincere in 1896, then he is
demagogic in 1900. He declared then
that it was impossible for the country
to prosper unless the silver standard
was adopted. 1t was rejected, and the
country has prospered as never before
in its history, but Mr.. Bryan refuses
to admit the fact. In the outbreak of
the war with Spain he was one of those
who urged the President on to action
that resulted in hostilities, and Mr..
Bryan entered the army to testify to
his faith in the justice of the cause.
When it came to the ratification of
the treaty of peace with Spain, Mr..
Bryan cast his influence for it, as the
question hung in the balance. and the
votes he controlled held the scales. He
now attempts to excuse his action on
the ground that he feared no better
treaty could be secured in time to con-
tribute to the betterment of conditions
in the new possessions. But he assails
the natural outcome of that treaty,
and proposes chimercial scheme for
undoing its essentials regarding the
Philippines.
If he is the sincere and consistent
man that is claimed for him, he would
stand by the cast of the die which he
held in his hand, and not antagonize
the Government in its endeavor to do
the very best that can be done for the
people of the new possessions On the
contrary, however, his course of fault
finding, and his promulg alton of new
and impracticable policy for the treat
ment of the Philippines, gives much
color to the charge openly made that
he favored ratification of the treaty for
the very purpose of taking the field
against it in the campaign, and thus
making political capital for the promo
tion of his own candidacy.
Selling upon the fact that large
number of businesses under the stim-
ulus of brisk times and prosperous
conditions, engaged in over-production
and over-investment, and united, COM
bined and formed partnership corpora
tions, or in other cases trusts, he takes
the stump to charge such action upon
the Republican party. Yet he well
knows that the party he assails was
the author of the only effective anti
trust legislation possible for Congress
to enact, and which a Republican party
did pass and make law.
He knows that the Supreme Court
has decided that the law in question
runs to the full extent of the constitu-
tional power of Congress, and that
other legislation of that order must
come from the States, since the Federal
arm cannot interpose, except where
the trust business becomes interstate
commerce, which alone Congress may
regulate. Yet so insincere and dema-
gogic is MIR. Bryan that he constantly
iterates that the Republican party is
the promoter of unholy capitalistic
combinations, adverse to the best inter-
ests of the people of the nation.
Knowing that the authority of the
United States is being lawfully exerted
to suppress insurrection against it in
the Philippines by tribe upon which
the Government of the nation had
made no war, and to which it had done
no wrong whatever, he pursues a
course of assault upon the Administra-
| tiQn which he falsely charges with de-
signs to overthrow American and sub
stitute imperial institutions. He thus
gives aid and comfort to foe in the
field that appeals to its followers to
continue in enmity until the election in
November, when, if he is successful
the authority of the United States will
be withdrawn, the Qne-sixth of all the
Inhabitants be recognized as the body
of the people, and be placed in domina-
ton over the entire archipelago.
If he is sincere and his purpose is
honest, he would tell the Tagal insur-
rectionists with emphasis and patriotic
jferyor not to be mistaken; that thew
must lay down their arms and cease
to war against his countrymen and
imperil all peaceful interests, American
and foreign, in the islands. The clean
illness of Mr.. Bryan's domestic life no
one has questioned. But personal vir-