Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-09-26
THE PHILIPPINES.
Middle to Which the Bryan
Plan Invites Us.
POWERS CT TIE PRESIDENT.

There Is Bot One Wise Way to Handle
the Matter and That Is the One when
to the Bryan Scheme.
1.-The power confided to me will be
used to hold, occupy and possess the
property and places belonging to the
government So spake Abraham Lin
coin in his address upon his first in
auguration as President That sim
pie sentence mai ed 4 ue- r--0 wide dif-
ference between him and ai5 predecC s.
sor, President Buchanan, in a mater
absolutely vital to the very life of the
nation. If William ]. Bryan were
President, would he do as Lincoln de-
clared that he would, and as Lincoln
did, or would he do as Buchanan did?
Buchanan betrayed the great interests
of the natiun entrusted to him under
his official oath, simply by inaction,
lamentng all the time his inability
and lack of authority, where Lincoln
at once found ample power and righ
for action.
Would Bryan be Buchanan or a
Lincoln? 1t is only by being a Buch-
anan that he can carry out his party S
platform and his own declarations in
regard to the Philippines. From the
minute thai the United States Senate
with Bryan's own and acknowledged
aid, ratified the treaty with Spain, the
Philippine islands were as absolutely
property AID places belonging to the
government as anything in America
that Lincoln neld and aetended.
No President has for one minute the
power to surrender them without the
base betrayal OF his highest trust. He
cannot negotiate with Aguinaldo and
his associates for any form OF surren
der, even implied without deserving
Impeachment, Even Buchanan knew
that, and kept his administration
clear from any official dickering o.
thought of it, with seceders, in regarl
to the government property within
their respective states.
What would Bryan do were he Pres
ident? The executive is only the Gus
of the United States, just as Lincoln
declared. Congress alone can decide
for the people whether any Of the pub
lie possessions shall be turned over 10
some one else. Some might question
whether even Congress can give away
what belongs to the entire people of
the United States, because, if the Phil
ippine islands can be ceded away now,
so can Alaska. and the Louisiana pur-
chase, or any other property and
places Of the nation.
But the Democratic platform de-
clares, and Bryan elaborates in his
indianapolis speech, that they will
give the Philippines their independ
ence. Will the anxious Aguinaldo
wait, however, upon the slow motions
Of Congress. even though it might be
convened by Bryan in special session,
to haul down the American flag?
Who could control the Tagalos, if they
saw directly ahead OF them the in
creased prospects of complete inde-
pendence? Could our army and navy
in the islands do anything with them
under such circumstances? 1t would
be directly up to Bryan as President
while waiting for his Democratic Con-
gress to act with him.
And if he didn't have a Bryan Con-
gress. what could he do anyway?
What avail would Glr soldiers ami
sailors be, if they knew and the Tag
alos knew, that the 'scuttle policy"
of Bryan and his party had been adopt
ed by the United States? Would not the
difficulties and dangers be more than
doubled among all the hostiles the day
that they heard of Bryan's success?
in those four months until his inaug-
uration, infinite loss to our brave boys
might well be expected, and when he
became President, what then?
Even suppose that the Democratic
Platform plan should be enacted at
last, and finally be started into opera
tion under Bryan's Presidency. What
would then occur? The first promise is
for "a stable government" Who
would be the judge of that? Would
the Filipinos, with freedom just in
front of them, submit patiently, or at
all, to Mr. Bryan's definition of a
stable government" Mind you, the
Bryan plan contemplates the complete
surrender Of the authority and power
of the United States in the islands