Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-06-14
BRYAN INTERVIEWED
The Presidential Candidate Dis
cusses Political Matters.
his VIEWS ON The PLATFORM GIVEN


and Imperialism Principles Of Chi.
cago Platform K@fsrmed.
Chicago, June 14.-William J. Bryan
was in Chicago yesterday and the
center of much political discussion,
all OF it bearing on what may be done
at the democratic national convention
next month. He saw scores of peo-
pie during the day. He talked "busi-
ness" with Senator Jones, chairman
of the national committee; ]. G..
Johnson, head Of the executive COM
mittee; Charles A. Walsh, secretary
of the national committee, and Dam
lei J. Champau, national committee
man from Michigan. The platform
to be adopted at Kansas City and the
vice presidential question, especially
the Towne-Populist nomination an
gle Of it, were considered at some
length.
On the question Of platform, the
trend of discussion forecasted to some
extent the differences of opinion
which may arise at Kansas City even
among loyal Bryan men. The ques-
ton is whether the money plank and
other legacies from 1896 shall be
handled by reaffirmation of the Chi
cago platform in lump or whether
some planks of the 1896 platform, and
especially the money plank, shall be
rewritten. Mr.. Bryan favors rewrit-
ing much of the 1896 platform this
year.
Senator Jones, according to credi-
BILE advices, advocates reaffirmation OF
the Chicago platform as whole and
then a quick transition to the newer
issues of imperialism and trusts.
81 say, as ! have before SO many
times" Mr.. Bryan said, when asked
what he thought the platform and is
sues this year would or should be-.
shat think the three big questions
before us are money, trusts and i'm
perialism. The money question, OF
course, includes the question of sill
yer and of paper money; the question
of Imperialism includes militarism
and the policy of which our national
administrations work in the Philip
pines and attitude on the Boer ques-
ton are samples.
II believe the principles adopted in
the platform of 1895 were adopted as
a part of the party creed, never to be
departed from. I do not think they
should be or can be departed from
this year. That platform must, how
ever, be added to as new issues arise.
As ! do not expect to be delegate
to the national convention, I cannot
presume to discuss the form in which
these principles shall be stated in the
platform to be adopted there.
81 cannot undertake to say what
will be the paramount issue. No man
can. One thinks one question is the
biggest and another man thinks an
other Is.
"What do think should be done
in the Philippines? I think this
country should tell these people that
we are there only for the purpose of
establishing a stable government and
that when we have done so we should
turn the islands over to the people
there and protect them against for
eign aggression, as we have protected
The South American republics,
1.-THE conditions ahead and the plan
Of campaign? Why, conditions are
much more favorable than they were
at this time in 1896. The republican
party is on the defensive. 1t will
talk prosperity, of course, but we'll
be willing to take the votes of all
the people who have not had their
share of prosperity and leave them
the votes of the people who have had
their share.
81 should say our plan of campaign
will be to carry every state in the
union. Cannot carry all of them?
I would not speak so harshly of the
people Of any state as to say that !
thought the people there intended to
support the republican party"
Senator Jones says: 81 believe that
William ]. Bryan will carry every
state he carried in 1896 and moreover
will carry Kentucky and Maryland.
He has a splendid chance in Indiana,
Ohio and New York. The great fight
will be in New York and Ohio and
we have gained in both states since
1896. The Pacific coast is stronger
to-day for Bryan than In 1896. Kan
sas and Colorado we will carry and
the situation in the two Dakotas is