The Iola register., 1900-10-19
HARD ONES FOR BRYAN
Democratic Platform Quoted by Mr..
Meiklejohn in the Sulu
COutpOVppSV

NOlNlONtloN
Chicago, oct. l2.-Geo. d. Meikel-
john, assistant secretary of war, has
mailed the following letter to w. j.
Bryan:
Chicago. Oct. ll.--Dear Sir: In
your communication to me of the 10th
instant you refer to the fact that the
Republican party adheres to its doc
trine that the constitution cannot he
extended to new territory acquired by
the treaty making power of our gov
ernment nor by the military COM
manders of our armies. You then de-
clare that therefore the President was
not obliged to refuse his approval to
that portion of the Sulu agreement
which permitted the temporary con-
tinuance of the alleged slavery in the
Sulu islands.
"The point to which I called your
attention in my communication was
that the President did refuse his APP
proval, and, therefore, that portion
of the agreement is not existing. |
am gratified that you direct attention
to the fact that the present admins
tration does not require the force of
constitutional provision to prompt it
to recognize the rights of men. Per-
init me- however, to call your atten-
tion to the concluding words of the
amendment to the constitution to
which you refer; Neither slavery
nor involuntary servitude shall exist
within the United States, or any place
subject to their jurisdiction.
"While amendments to the consti-
tuition are under consideration will
you give an explanation of the dis
crepancy between your platform this
year and the one on which Tilden
made his canvass? Your platform
declares:
We, the representatives of the
Democratic party of the United States,
assembled in national convention up
on the anniversary of the adoption
of the Declaration of Independence,
do reafiirm our faith in that immortal
proclamation of the unalienable rights
of man and our allegiance to the con-
stitution framed in harmony herewith
by the fathers of the republic
GAS framed by the fathers of the
republic, the constitution recognized
slavery and provided that slave es-
Gaping into free state did not be-
come free, and must be returned to
his owner. Article 4, section ,,
clause 3. The constitution as framed
by the fathers did not contain the
guarantees for the rights of our
colored citizens provided by the four
teenth and fifteenth amendments.
The Tilden platform declared as
follows; For the Democracy of the
whole country we do here reallirm our
faith in the permanence of the federal
union, our devotion to the constitu-
tion of the United States, with its
amendments universally accepted as
a final settlement of the controversies
that engendered civil war and do
here record our steadfast confidence
in the perpetuity Of the Republican
self-government.'
'Why does your platform refuse
adherence to the amendments of the
constitution
"In view of your present contention
might | beg to request an explanation
OF the concluding words of the Chi
cago platform of 1896, on admission
of territories which reads;
we recommend that the territory
of Alaska be granted delegate in
Congress, and that the general land
and timber laws of the United States
to extended to said territory. Very
respectfully-G. d. Meiklejohn. The
Hon. William j. Bryan, Cleveland,
Ohio.n