Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-08-16
MIR. BRYAN's SPEECH.
Full Text of the Speech of Accep
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Mr.. Chairman and Members of the No
LITIGATION Committee: shall, at an early
day, and in a more formal manner, ac-
cept the nomination which you tender,
and shall at that time discuss the vari-
Gus questions covered by the Democratic
platform. 1t may not be out of place,
however, to submit a few observations at
this time upon the general character of
the contest before US, and upon the ques-
ton which is declared to be of paramount
Importance in this campaign. When I
say that the contest of 1000 is a contest
between Democracy on the one hand and
plutocracy on the other, do not mean to
say that all our opponents have DELHI
erately chosen to give to organized
wealth predominating influence in the
affairs of the government, but do assert
that on the important issues of the day
the Republican party is dominated by
those influences which constantly tend to
elevate pecuniary considerations and ig-
more human rights
In 1859 Lincoln said that the Repub-
lican party believes in the man and the
dollar, but that in case of conflict it be-
lieved in the man before the dollar. This
is the proper relation which should exist
between the two. Man, the handwork of
God. comes first; money, the handiwork
of man, is of inferior Importance. Man is
the master; money the servant. But upon
all important questions to-day Republican
legislation tends to make money the
master and man the servant.
The maxim of Jefferson. Equal rights
to all and special privileges to ntne,' and
the doctrine of Lincoln that this should
be government "of the people, by the
people. and for the people," are being dis
regarded, and the instrumentalities of
government are being used to advance
the interests of those who are in a posi-
ton to secure favors from the govern
ment.
The Democratic party is not making
war upon the honest acquisition Of
wealth; it has no desire to discourage in
dustry, economy and thrift. On the con-
trary, 1t gives to every citizen the great
est stimulus to honest toll, when 1t prom
ises him protection in the enjoyment of
the proceeds of his labor. Property rights
are most secure when human rights are
respected. Democracy strives for civil
ization in which every member of society
will share according to his merits.
Republicans who three years ago con-
demned "forcible annexation" as i'm
moral and even criminal are now sure
that it is both immoral and criminal to
oppose forcible annexation That parti-
sanship has already blinded many to pres
ent dangers is certain: how large a por
ton of the Republican party can be
drawn over to the new politics remains to
be seen.
For time Republican leaders were in
clined to deny to opponents the right to
critcise the Philippine policy of the adj
mnistration, but upon investigation they
found that both Lincoln and Clay assert
ed and exercised the right to criticise a
president during the progress of the Mex
lean war.
Instead of meeting the issue boldly and
submitting a clear and positive plan for
dealing with the Philippine question, the
Republican convention adopted a plat
form the greater part of which was de-
voted to Boosting and self-congratulation
In attempting to press economic ques-
tons upon the country to the exclusion
Of those which involved the very struc-
ture of our government, the Republican
leaders give new evidence of their aban-
donment of the earlier ideals of the party
and of their complete subserviency to
pecuniary considerations.
But they shall not be permitted to
evade the stupendous and far-reaching
issue which they have deliberately
brought into the arena of politics. When
the president, supported by a practically
unanimous vote of the house and senate,
entered upon apwar with Spain for the
purpose of aiding the struggling patriots
of Cuba, the country, without regard to
vt, ho
Gratis recognized that the administration
would necessarily gain political advan-
tage from the conduct of war which,
in the very nature of the case, must soon
end in a complete victory, they WED
with the Republicans in the support
which they gave to the president When
the war was over and the Republican
leaders began to suggest the propriety Of
ifested itself When the president final
ly laid before the senate
treaty which recognized the in
dependence of Cuba, but provided
for the cession of the Philippine islands
to the United States, the menace of i'm
perial:sm became so apparent that many
preferred to reject the treaty and risk
the ills that might follow rather than
take the chances of correcting the errors
of the treaty by the independent action OF
this country. l was among the number
of those who believed it better to ratify
the treaty and end the war; release the
volunteers, remove the excuse for war
expenditures, and then give the F'ilipinos
the independence which might be forced
from Spain by new treaty. Even now
we are beginning to see the paralyzing
influence of imperialism.
Heretofore, this nation has been prompt
to express its sympathy with those who
were fighting for civil liberty. While our
sphere of activity has been limited to
the Western hemisphere, our sympathies
have not been bounded by the seas. We
have felt it due to ourselves and to- the
world, as well as to those who were
struggling for the right to govern them
selves, to proclaim the interest which
our people have. from the date of their
own independence, felt in every contest
between human rights and arbitrary
power.
Our opponents, conscious of the weak
ness of their cause, seek to confuse i'm
perialism with expansion, and have even