The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1900-09-02

trusts to be organized during the last
three years than had mbeen organized
during the last three years than had been
organized in all the history of the country
before that time 1t does not matter which
side the Republican takes you can con-
front with the question that he cannot an
swer, for if he desires to defend the trusts
you can point to the republican platform
adopted at Philadelphia which denounces
the trusts you can point to the record of
his administration that has failed to de-
stroy the trusts
A Few Arguments
He also pointed out weapons to be used to
meet other Republican arguments.
IF a Republican tells you that it is a
good thing to have a good standing army,
tell him that until this campaign the Re-
publicAns have always pointed to the adj
vantage of not having a large standing
army; remind him that when a Republican
President was sent into office we had an
army of q, 900 soldiers, and that that same
President asked for standing army of 100,-
900 soldiers in December, 1898, four times
the size of the standing army when he
was inaugurated, and then remind him of
the fact that if we are to have imperial
ism we will never have a smaller army than
We have now
1.-The same spirit that leads us to take
possession of the Philippines and govern
them without consent and tax them without
representation, will lead us to seize any
other lands weaker than we are
If Republican tells you that imperial
ism is the same as the expansion that JEFF
ferson sought for, you tell him that jeff
erson wanted to expand the limits of the
republic and to build up the territory into
States, and that he wanted the inhabitants
to be citizens and to share in the guaran-
tees of the constitution while the Repub-
lican party has already enacted a law in
regard to Porto Rico that rests upon the
theory that outside of the forty-five States
the President and Congress have power
as unlimited as any despot ever exercised
in the history of the world (Applause)
"If any Republican attempts to justify
the Porto Rican policy you tell him that
when we found the people of Porto Rico
they had representatives in the Spanish
Legislature and that we now refuse to give
them representation in our Legislatures
When we found the Porto Ricans they had
free trade with their mother country, but
now we refuse to give them free trade
with the United States. although they must
swear allegiance to our flag"
As to the Philippines
Here Mr.. Bryan was reminded that his
time was brief. He closed as follows:
"But I am told that there Is only
speak to you, and in that minute l want
to suggest two questions for you to use
with those who defend the imperialistic
policy in the Philippines. Ask them whether
the Filipino Is to be citizen or subject
IL he is to be a citizen he must share with
us in the destiny of this nation. If he Is
to be a subject we must change our form
of government. I do not want him as
citizen; I don't want him as subject;
want to give him independence and let him
work out his own destiny" (Applause)
The meeting at this place tonight was
held on the courthouse grounds. Mr. .Shively
presided. but he contented himself with
mere presentation of Mr.. Bryan.
The Bryan speech was a discussion of the
issues of the campaign, but special at
tention was paid to the paramount issue,
which he insisted was the question of inn
perialsm. He insisted that the Republicans
were doing all they could to convince the
country that finance was the principal is
sue, Notwithstanding their previous declar-
alton that silver Is a dead issue.
AS for himself, he had never doubted
that the position of the Kansas City plat
form was correct but while this was true.
it was still a fact that the tendency to
Imperialism was of more immediate concern
than the question of finance. In that prob
lem was comprised the perpetuity of the
republic-whether we should have rep
resentative government or not.
He also discussed trusts, Imperialism and
other subjects. He elaborated upon wheth-
er a Filipino citizen was citizen or a
subject, and repeated the statement that
the Republican party hard never formulat-
ed any policy for the government of these
people. The Spooner resolution was the most
definite formulat ton of this subject. Inter-
preting this resolution, Mr.. Bryan said that
1t meant that when the war is over-no-
body knows when 1T will be- the President
will do something-nobody knows what, and
will keep at it-nobody knows how long
until Congress does something-nobody
can guess what except Republicans"
He added
"Are not you ashamed of that policy?"
Mr.. Bryan defending his course In adve-
eating the ratification of the peace treaty.
said he considered 1t preferable 10 have
the treaty ratified 20 having another one
made by the same parties, believing 1t bet
ter to eliminate Spain from the question
entirely.