Evening star., 1900-08-10


perity at home; prestige abroad" as op-
posed to 'Panics at home, and a perilous
pusillanimity abroad!"
Platform HumbuEgery Personihed.
The various humbugging. vote-inviting in
consistencies which have been noted as de-
veloping in and under the Kansas City
platform give to that document, as vary
inely construed and practically applied. the
aspect of grovelling in the dust to beg for
votes. and of submitting even to the hu-
initiation Of confessing insincerity and dis
regard OF veracity If only its mendicancy
may be successful To such an extent. in
deed, does this spirit permeate and char
acter1xe the document that, without any
severe strain upon the imagination. the
platform, personifed, may be conceived as
saving to American voters:
III you are offended at anything I assert,
don't believe it. 1 can say without either
undue vanity or mock modesty that 1 have
built up notorious reputation which
| 1itles me to make this request for incredu-
| lity with full confidence that it will be
readily granted
You will remember that I made free
trade the paramount issue in 1892 and won
upon 1t, but the prophecies of evil based
upon my success were not fulfilled. for l
did not redeem my pledges l adopted the
Wilson tariff bill, which. you will remem-
Der, was denounced by my own people
protective in principle.
In 1876 made free silver at 16 to the
paramount issue to please the populists and
silver republicans OF course, being unsuc-
cessful, l cannot demonstrate that l was
no more In earnest about free coinage than
| about free trade. 1t is significant, how
! ever, that with the conditions unchanged
from 1896, except that the republicans have
| identified themselves more completely than
| ever with the gold standard. l consider the
money question as no longer paramount. |
| treat 1t as subordinate and incidental. and.
OUTSIDE OF the perfunctory verbal reitera-
tion OF 1t. am disposed to- shelve 1t as not
| an issue at all.
III by directly contradicting the money
plank of the republican platform 1 have
| inadvertently made silver free coinage the
one technical, legal issue of the campaign
am inclined rather than have words over
the matter to yield and confess judgment
on that issue
SO in respect to anti-imperialism about
which have SO much to say as the para
mount issue today. No expansionist needs
10 be alarmed. You will notice that do
not propose to abandon any of our acqui-
sitiens; that hint at this course only In
the case of the Philippines and that even
IN respect to these islands l announce as
the nrst step the provision of a stable gov
ernment. l do not say that 1 would take
any other course to establish this stable
government than that followed by the re-
publican administration Who can say
how long 1t will take me to establish this
stable government? Who can say that
long before this stable government is es-
tablished to my satisfaction the Filipinos
themselves will not wish to remain an
nexed?
"A number Of statesmen and newspapers
support the Kansas City platform in the
light of this reading and construction of it.
why may not any expansionist do the
same? The solid south. my strongest
backer. produces the cotton which is the
most conspicuous factor in our wonder
fully-increasing Asiatic trade. The ma
terial interests of the south demand ex-
pansion and the merest glance at condi-
tions In North Carolina and Louisiana, as
sample states will indicate how much So
In he
pines to secure the uncoerced consent of
the dark-skinned governed.
The Independence which is suggested by
me for the Filipinos is sandwiched between
preface of stable government and the
postscript OF protectorate. 1t is to be
delayed indefinitely during the unlimited
period Of establishing a stable government
and modified Indefinitely. If it ever arrives
by a sovereignty dividing protectorate.
The foreign policy declared by me is
viewed by some Of you as pusillanmous,
but l call on you to note that as the sup
porter of an advanced Monroe doctrine in
this hemisphere which declares the
pubic's imperial jurisdiction over the
Three Americas and throws down the
gauntlet of defiance to the outside world,
1 go farther than the farthest. for 1 an
nounce that % the United States has ex-
rate over the republics of Central and
South America, and t9 that this protec-
torate is of the same order as that which
the United States would exercise over ter
might grant domestic self-government.
There is not much peace-loving pusillanim-
ity in policy which thus irritates the
sensitive and jealous Spanish South Ameri-
cans, and slaps the whole world in the
face. Nor is there any pusillanimity in my
suggestion of a war with England over the
inalienable right Of the Beers to govern
the outlanders without the latters con-
sent.
"All sorts and conditions of political
opinion may gather comfortably my
declarationS-free coinage and anti-free
coinage voters; silver republicans and gold
democrats: populists and conservative anti
populist democrats; contractionist antf-im-
perialists and trade and territorial eXpan-
sionists; imperialists who favor a protec-
torate and the manifest destinarians of the
advanced Monroe doctrine.
ITO any class of voters whatsoever who
are inclined to cast their ballots against
me because they credit what l assert or
seem to assert any subject l can only
say: Believe me, l am not to be believed
Hosea Biglow has we'll stated my po-
litical creed:
'' In short firmly du believe
In Humbng generally.
Fer It's a thing tibet perceive
To hev solid vally;
l,is hafh mr. shenhnrd