The sun., 1900-08-20
BRYAN'S SPEECH A MASK
Senator HOar Tears His Argu-
InentS to ShredS.

No one is more competent to ana
I'VE and dissect Mr.. Bryan's speech
of acceptance than Senator Hoar, of
Massachusetts, the most prominent
of Republican "anti-imperialists."
Some might have supposed that the
Senator would have agreed with Mr.
BRYAN at least on this particular point.
On the contrary, in an authorized in
teryiew at Worcester recently, he de-
nounced Mr.. Bryan's anti-imperialism
as .'mask," and his speech at In
dianapols as hypocritical and insin-
cere. Senator Hoar's argument is
strong and unanswerable. Promising
that it was the National Senate
which had to decide the Philippine
question at the time of the negotia-
ton of the treaty, and that at first
it was evident that the necessary two
thirds majority was not in sight, the
Senator goes on to show how Bryan
went to Washington and fought for
the treaty.
.'In this condition of affairs" says
Senator Hoar, Mr.. Bryan put forth
all HIS DDNtl Il SlNhh paitS 'NubNif
the last candidate of his party for
the Presidency, and then reasonably
sure to be the next candidate, to Sc
cure the ratification of the treaty. Not
content with writing letters, he came
to Washington in person to overcome
| the reluctance of his followers. Sew
enteen of them voted for the treaty,
| ,e on, fiua nt
had been previously known TO be in
| it's favor. He now says he thought
| the war would go on, that there was
doubt whether Spain would have
ratified treaty if it had been amend
ed by inserting in it a provision like
that relative to Cuba. 1t was per-
fectly well-known then, as it is now.
from documents that had been made
public and had been sent in to the
Senate, that Spain was compelled to
do whatever the United States exact
| ed of her. A change would have been
agreed to in two days upon request
by our Government communicated to
her across the ocean by cable.
Mr.. Bryan says he thought that 4
i ItSOlutlUn 1lht tlittl OltlCd NY Ghls La
con would be passed afterward, which
would do as well. But every man
who knows anything ABOUT the Con-
stitution knows that by the Consti-
tuition a treaty becomes the law of
the land. 1t is the law of strongest
obligation, because Congress not only
declares it to be the law of the land,
| l.,,+ ,,lnI t1,. fotfI AT fI,n
ment and the people. Such resolution
passed by the Senate would have been
the merest idle mockery without the
assent c. the House of Representa-
tives and the President, neither of
which could be obtained.
'.The Senate was to the opponents
of imperialism what West Point was
to our fathers in the Revolution. Mr..
Bryan's conduct is as if some gen
eral in the Revolutionary army, a
great leader Of the people like Wash
ington or Greene, had given UP West
Point to the British and had induced
the Continental Congress to declare that
King George was our lawful sovereign
and the British Parliamen. our law
| lul VII tlS plttl thhb ht
wanted to stop the war and expected
afterward to get some votes through
one or the other house of British Par
lament granting us independence. The
war with Spain was over; we had nc
title. as President Mckinley declared
again and again, to anything in the
Philippines but the city of Manila. Al
Jot int in, I,. so1
all that were needed of his followers
to force through the Senate treaty
which made lawful our ownership OF
whole of the Philippines and pledged
the faith of the country that we
should pay for them, and that Con
,, gress thereafter should legislate fol
them and, according to many higl
constitutional authorities, made it the
duty of the President to reduce then
to submission. That act was itsel1
a declaration of war upon the people
, of the Philippines.a the strife whicl
had been but an accidental outbreal
which Aguinaldo disclaimed and dis
r owned, became war. And for tina
war Mr. Bryan is more responsible,
than any other single person sine,
! the treaty left the hands of the Pres
ident.
) Il did myself in my humble wa!
everything in my power to proven
!. the treaty. do not understand tina
+ any opponent of imperialism charges
me with failing to do my duty as
Senator, both by vote and speech.
did it at the cost of what was as dea
to me as my life-the approval ant
n sympathy of men who had been m,
;. friends and political companions TO
more than thirty years. Everythin.
q tried to do was brought to naugh
h by the action taken by Mr.. Bryan, al
action taken against the remon
o STRANGE of the wisest leaders in hi
a own party.
@ HE says that if he is elected, h
: shall call an extra session at one
4 and propose to Congress to give III
q the Philippines to their own people
a He is too intelligent not to know YER
f well that this talk is the idlest an
| ACf, ,,t1