Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-04-26

we have discovered the recommendation
that the Philippine Islands be abandoned
to their fate was never made by the hero
of Manila.
If that distinguished son of Vermont
succeeds in securing the nomination of
the democratic party at Kansas city OH
a platform condemnng the policy carried
out thus far by the republican administra-
ton with reference to the restoration Of
law and order in that archipelago and de-
claring in opposition to expansion, he will
inevitably find some difficult Philippine
nuts to crack. lie will quite naturally be
asked to explain why he did not take adj
vantage of the opportunity afforded by
his presence in the Philippines and his in
innate knowledge Of the conditions actu-
ally existing to warn the American people
difficulties that would attend any attempt
ON our part to acquire permanent posses
sion of that territory, instead of waiting
two years to arraign the republican party
for a policy for which he as much as any
other one man is to be held responsible.
SO great was the admiration of the AM
crican people for Admiral Dewey upon his
return to the United States and so i'm
plicit their confidence in his wise iudg-
ment and discretion that n single word
from him at that time regarding the I'M
wisdom of attempting to annex perma-
nently the Philippine Islands would I'M
doubtcdly have turned the tide of public
sentiment in this country and forced upon
Congress and the administration the
necessity of dcvising some other means
for the disposition of the Philippines
That warning never came, however, not
even in connection with the report of the
Philippine commission, and il Admiral
Dewey now seeks at this late day TO undo
the work which he was so Instrumental in
performing in the Philippines and asks
the American people to help him, they
will he very likely to ask why he waited
until thousands of lives had been lost in
the effort to establish our sovereignty
over that archipelago before raising his
voice in opposition to expansion. We do
not believe that Admiral Dewey can accept
a nomination for the presidency on n plat
form arraigning the administration for
the work which he performed, particular
ly when the cable affording communina-
lions with this country was cut but II no
does he will be compelled to attempt to
answer some very embarrassing questions
in that connection.
II William j. Bryan, on the other hand,
succeeds in capturing the nomination of
his party for the Presidency and is placed
upon an anti-eXpansion platform he will he
forced to explain why he failed to throw
his influence against the acquisition of the
Philippines when that opposition would
have counted for more than at any other
time. 1t will he recalled that when the
treaty of peace with Spain was being con-
sidered in the United States Senate not a
few republicans argued strenuously
against its ratification owing to its provi-
sion for the transfer of sovereignty over
the Philippines from Spain to the United
States.
! That was the time when opposition to
expansion on the part OF Bryan would
have been of weight, but at that time he
was not an anti-expansonist, except per-
haps in name. On the contrary it is on re-
cord that he counselled democratic NOM
bers of the United States Senate not to
oppose the ratification of the treaty, and
no matter what part his influence may
have played in connection with the en-
dorsement of the administration treaty,
he became morally responsible for the
consumma ton OF the annexation project
by throwing his influence on the side of
the expansion republicans instead of the
anu-expansion republicans,
/ Ii Bryan did this for the sake of making
party capital and thus contributed to the
loss of precious American lives in the
! Philippines, how can he have the assur-
ance at this time to appeal to the people
of the United States to make him Pres
! ident because the Mckinley administra-
ton has carried out the provisions of the
treaty of peace which included our acqui-
sition of the Philippines?
If the democratic party hopes for sue
cess on the expansion issue, il must nom
mate a man for the Presidency who stood
against the annexation of the Philippines
before their acquisition had been consum-
mated and before their purchase price had
been paid by our overnment to Spain, and
not one who then helped the project OF
annexation along in order that he might
expansion