The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-17
THE ISSUE.
Free Silver, Free Trade md Hard
Times Va. Prosperity.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
ar. Bryan is surely beginning to discern
that the people. not the platform makers,
determine what the so-called paramount is
sues of the campaign are. The attempt to
make imperialism, a thing that has no
foundation In fact as applied to the admin
istration of William Mckinley, the main is
sue i'm this campaign, cannot but prove TO
be a miserable failure. like all other frauds.
when put to a fair test. The real and only
Issue is, shall Bryan, free silver. free trade
and hard times be substituted for McKin-
ley, sound money. protection and prosper
ity for the next four years? This is the is
sue, and the man who kinks otherwise is
simply deluding himself.
Mr.. Mckinley, as President, has been
guilty of no unconstitutional act. no viola
ton of his country's laws. and has coun-
seled no violation of the letter or spirit Of
the Constitution by others. On the con-
trary. he is known to be a patriot of the
highest type. From the beginning OF the
trouble with Spain, which the President
sought to avoid in every honorable way
possible, until this hour, every executive
act has been within constitutional limita-
tons. Mr.. Bryan dares not charge the
President with any specific violation of the
Federal Constitution, or the doing Of any
particular act hostile to the spirit and pur-
pose of our government, yet by inference
he would have the people believe by his in
temperate speeches that the reelection of
William Mckinley was almost the last step
towards the establishment of an empire
upon the ruins of this great Republic.
Bryan is not the first presidential aspirant
who has falsely accused a patriotic Pres
fdent of being an imperialist. Thomas JEFF
ferson charged President Washington with
holding imperialistic notions and with be-
ing under the domination of Alexander
Hamilton, against whom he made a like ac-
cusation. The people refused to believe
that calumny against George Washington
in that day and generation. and the people
of this day and generation will hardly show
Jess good sense with respect to the same
charge against the lovable and patriotic
William Mckinley. That same Thomas
Jefferson opposed the ratification of the
adoption of the Constitution of the United
States. That same Thomas Jefferson that
falsely accused George Washington tried
to get the several States to nullify the acts
of Congress on a certain occasion. That
same Thomas Jefferson founded the doc
trine of State sovereignty that caused the
war of the rebellion. That same Thomas
Jefferson was the fist President TO inaugu-
rate the policy of national expansion,
which. though going on for nearly a CEN
fury, is especially a subject of alarm TO the
Democratic party of to-day
Next to the President himself Mr.. Bryan
did more TO bring about the ratification
of the treaty OF Paris and the annexation
of the Philippine islands than any other
man, and in all decency Is bound by the
inevitable consequences of that annexation,
namely, war against the insurrectionary
inhabitants of these stands preliminary to
the establishment of civil government Nc
Kinley's answer to the charge of imperial
ism made against him by Bryan leaves that
gentleman hors de combat. 1t is:
1.-The Republican party, does not have to
assert Its devotion to the Declaration of
Independence. That immortal instrument
Of the fathers remained unexecuted until
the people. under the lead of the Repub-
lican party, In the awful clash OF battle
turned its promises into fulfillment. 1t
wrote into the Constitution the amend
ments guaranteeing political equality to
broken them or counseled others in break
ing them. 1t will not be guided in its con-
duct by one set of principles at home and
another set in the new territory belonging
TO the United States. If our opponents
would only practice as well as preach the
doctrines of Abraham Lincoln there would
be no fear for the safety of our institu-
ions at home or their frightful influence
in any territory over which our flag floats.
Empire has been expelled from Porto Rico
and the Philippines by American freemen.
these islands as an emblem of rightful
sovereignty. Will the Republic stay and
dispense 10 tnelF lIlndDltdnIS the blessings
OF liberty. education and free institutions
or steal away, leaving them to anarchy and
Imperialism? The American question is be-
tween duty and desertion. The American
verdict will be for duty and against de-
~sertion, for the Republic against both an
archy and Imperialism"
In conclusion IL may be safely said that
the greatest menace to the life and secur-
ity of our Republic does not come from the
lives and works of such men as Washing
ton. Lincoln, Grant and Mckinley. ali of
~LA~. nv honr1 ranliOna6 hv tH4s- o.Is..z-
opponents with a desire to destroy the Re
public, but from the false and anarchistic
doctrines promulgated by Bryan, Altgeld
and a host of other Democratic leaders.
These are the men We have to fear-the
men who preach the gospel of hate. who
against labor. If our glorious Republic is
ever wrecked and an empire built upon
its shattered fragments Mr.. Bryan will be
entitled to a full share of the glory of the
achievement.
JEFFERSON H. CLAYPOOL.