Evening journal., 1900-10-19
MIR. NIBLDN WILL
MRET MIR. BRYAN
Accepts Chairman Neary'S
Challenge to InterrOgatO
NebraSkan Will be Asked Five QueS
tiOnS-B Bryan in Awkward
Position

John P. Nields has replied to the
challenge of Chairman Neary, Of the
Democratic County Committee in the
following letter:
Patrick Neary, Chairman of the Demo-
cratic Executive Committee Of New
Castle County.
My Dear Sir: l beg to acknowledge
the receipt Of your letter Of this date.
l accept with pleasure the invitation
of the Democratic Executive Commit
tee Of New Castle county to occupy a
seat upon the stage at the meeting TO
be addressed by Mr.. Bryan on Wednes-
day evening, October "a, at Ninth anu
Lombard streets in this city. also
gladly accept the invitation OF your
committee 10 submit seriatum TO Mr..
bryan upon that occasion the questions
hrst propounded in my speech in the
Ninth ward in this city, which are set
out in your communication to me and
which / repeat herein.
In your letter to me you state that
If you are sincere in desiring these
questions answered by him, the privi-
lege Of submitting these questions to
"a
The acceptance Of the invitation OF
your committee is the only expression
Of sincerity / can give. That a proper
and fit opportunity on this occasion
will be accorded me to submit these
questions from the platform
to Mr. Bryan so that there
can be no evasion in their answer /
leave to your own well-known and
eminent sense Of fair play.
That there may be no difference or
doubt between us as to the precise
questions to be submitted by me and
answered by Mr.. Bryan, / repeat them,
as follows:
1. VIII you, Mr.. Bryan. if elected
president, as commander-in-chief. i'm
med ately withdraw the American
army from the Philippine Islands?
2. How soon, Mr.. Bryan, do you con-
template that a stable form of govern
ment can be given to the Philippine
islands,?
g. How soon, Mr. Bryan, after a
stable form of government is estab-
/ lished, do you propose that Congress
shall declare the independence of those
1 Islands?
/ 4. Mr. Bryan, how long after a stable
form of government is established and
independence is declared, do you pro-
! pose tina American prOtectorate over
the Philippine Islands shall continue?
8. VIII you, Mr. Bryan, pay the
obligations of this government in sill
yer or gold, if elected president?
In your letter to me you state:
These are important questions which
you have submitted, and /. is only
from a desire to have them answered
by the person from whom you have in
dicated your wish to have the answer
that we extend to you this invitation. "
I assure You I fully realize their i'm
portance and share with your commit
ttee the desire to hear from Mr.. Bryan
at this public meeting direct
clear and exhaustive answers tc
them. Very truly yours, etc,
JOHN P. NIELDS.
In an interview last night Chairman
Neary said:
THE challenge was made in good
. faith, and We VIII assure Mr.. Nields ol
a courteous hearing. He will take q
I seat on the stage during the Bryan
meeting, if he desires, and at any time
in the course OF the meeting he viii be
, allowed to personally put the questions
TO Mr.. Bryan We will guarantee that
Mr.. Bryan will answer them, not as
we tell him. but as he thinks upon
those questions. Mr.. Bryan always
says what he thinks"
"Will Bryan answer the questiols?'
was asked.
I'VE will guarantee that he viii an
swer them." was the reply J sps ak
with authority and I know he viii an
swer them"
Few Democrats believed that Mr.
Nields would accept the chall-ng
Others declared that it was a scheme
TO put Mr.. Bryan in an awkward posi-
ton.
Democrats generally are aroused
ever Mr.. Neary's challenge. The
leontend that he had no au