The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-03
WHAT WOULD BRYAN D0g
A Southern Editor Asks Him for q
Statement OF Foreign Policy.

Dixie.
Dixie would fain interrupt you. Mr..
Bryan. in your speech-making long enough
TO ask what you would do to-day II fate.
with a bit of unprecedented jugglery. pulled
Mr.. Mckinley out of the presidential chair
and set you in il all duly clothed with au-
thority.
The question is. please. not what would
you have done in the past TO have avoided
the difficulties Of to-day-it is conceded
that you would have done the necessary
thing, and that Mr.. Mckinley did not
that he made mistake in his plan OF pro-
cedure, being human. Nor Is IL what
would you do in the future2 IL Is what
would you do now, just as soon as fate put
you into that chair?
You have told US that what has been done
was wrong, and supported the declaration
with an argument OF more or less value,
according TO individual opinion. You have
told US, too, what end you would strive to
reach, and explained the beauties OF the
aim at sufficient length. So we do not ask
you to go over these things again. The
point We request information aDent Is:
What particular step would you take to-
day toward settling the Philippine mat
ter, the Chinese mix and those other va
rious and sundry little things that are an
noying the great American mind2
As il happens. the present adminisfra-
ton has had the biggest problems 10 grap-
pie with that have beset our national life
a moment. giving no opportunity for the
powers that be 10 plan any course in ref
erence TO them. IL has been necessary To
deal with them day by day. one phase
succeeded another and the exfgencies OF
the moment demanded. And under the
pressure mistakes may have been made
mistakes which may be visible in the light
of after-events. But. however that may be-
the conditions that exist to-day cannot be
changed by pointing out errors In tbs
past They must be handled with regard
IN There il ms To
on critfcism-they must be taken as they
are now and wrought OCT as well pos
sible
So Dixie asks you. Mr.. Bryan. what
would you do to-day IL the task OF settling
them were put into your hands7 You have
said what should have been done. and you
have pointed out what should De done saw
ing this was wrong and that was bad. IL
Is one thing. Mr. Bryan, 10 expose mistakes
and oppose methods and ends. IL Is an
other thing, quite, SIR, 10 do these things
correctly or say what would be the correct
thing. which same You must realize. mas
much as you make no suggestion upon
Those in authority are judged by their
actions day BY day. not by their statement
OF what they propose 10 eventually ac-
complish. IL Is only fair that the same test
be applied to YOU So ask. IL the ad-
ministration is acting unwisely. what
would you do to-day-in what way would
you act az the present moment with re-
gard TO all these questions so vital 10 the
national welfare? Come 10 the scratch.
Mr.. Bryan. Tell us what you would DO
to-day.
Ranch Tenders Murdered.
SACRAMENTO, Cal. Sept. 2-The dead
bodies OF William Taylor and Hansen Ras-
mussen. ranch tenders. were found to-day
on adjoining ranches near Folsom. Both
raen had been murdered Taylor was shot
through the head and stomach. Two bull
lets were imoedded IN Rssmussen's head
eliRhtent clew as TO the murderer