The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-09-10
THE PRESIDENTS accEPrANcE.

THE PRESIDENTS ACCEPTANCE.
The great length Of the Presidents let
ter OF acceptance win limit the number
Of i,s readers. II must be that he regards
ahc outcome OF the presidential contest
very doubtful. Otherwise he would moi
have made his letter as long as his aver
age annual message 20 Congress. II h
clear that he agrees with the statement
made IN the Democratic national platform.
namely. that imperialism Is the para
mount issue. although his campaign man
ayers are insisting the silver question h
the paramount issue. n Is worthy OF no
,ice that he dcvoies nearly the whole OF
his letter to che Philippine question. lie
recognizes. apparently. tbas Mr. Bryan's
speech IN response 70 the committee noti-
flying him OF his nomination made a pro-
found impression on the country. and he
strives IN his letter TO eounteract is in
fiuence.
II Is true thas he gives the silver ques-
tion the place OF Honorable FIRST place
but he dlsmisses ~ quickly. after pointing
out that IN the platforms Of all three Of
the parties which have nominated Mr..
Bryan for President great prominence b
given to the Is 20 I idea. and saying that
the gold standard L. safe 90 long az the
party responsible for the gold standard
legislation remains IN power. The infer
enee to be drawn from this t. that he
wishes Il 10 be understood thas II Mr..
Bryan should be Effected efforts would be
made az once 20 overthrow the gold stand
ard. lie does not seem to have much con-
gold standard law. though Il has
been only few months since the
Republican leaders were boasting chat the
gold standard was on such firm basis
thar there was no danger Of its being
overthrow. even though It's friends were
not retained IN control OF the governments.
Evidently the President Is trying TO alarm
che business interests Of the country. To
do so Is a part Of the tactics Of the Re
publican leaders In the management OF
their campaign.
The President insists that nothing Hike
Imperialism Is contemplated By the Phil
lppine policy Of the Republican party.
and thas the course that has been pur-
sued in the Philippines Is the only wise
one. II h natural Of course for him TO
take that position. lie practically admits
that Mr.. Bryan has put him on che de-
fensive. and be makes the best presenta-
ton OF his side Of the case that In oil
probability & Is possible to make But
when he contends chat only small mi
nority OF the Filiplnos are in sympathy
with the insurgents, that the great ma
jority OF them are IN fuH sympathy with
che United States. Il IS doubtful n the
American people VIII agree with him. He
makes his statement the basis OF hls argu-
ment against the charge OF Imperialism
and milltarism which has been brought
against his party. According 10 his view
the United states nave the consent OF the
Fiiipinos 20 govern them. and that the
adoption OF Mr.. Bryan's policy for dealing
with the Filiplnos would mean Imperialism
and miliiarism. because the United States
would have to defend the great majority
of them against the minority OF their fel-
low citizens. and also the entire Filipino
people against foreign interference. To
DO that. the President says. would require
much larger army and navy than will
be necessary TO firmly establish the au-
thority Of the United States in the philip-
pines. The argument IL rather ingenious
but not convincing. IL only a small mi-
nority OF FBipinos were against us e
would not require an army Of 600 troops
10 uphold our authority In the ISL
snds. The President has an uphill job
in defending the Philippine policy OF his
party.