The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-24
A REPUBLIC OR AN EMPIRE?
This is the Question Now Confronting Us,
Bryan Declares.
HE POINTS OUT THE EVILS OF MILIIARISM


ic party as reorganized in 1S96-and that
had shown the virtue and courage neces-
Sary to adopt the Chicago platform. In
the Democratic party that had nominated
you, sir, four years before, after a
struggle in which the army of plutocracy
intrenched within the lines of the Demo-
cratic party, was driven out, to be- we
pray, excluded forever from it's coun-
cils
But above and before all the conven-
tion of the Peoples party determined to
rest its faith upon you. In you they
recognized the broadcast, bravest, purest
and most sympathetic of our country's
public men. To you they were willing,
SO far as their votes could, to entrust
the glorious but arduous duty of redeem
ing our common country from it's peril
and disgrace.
when the platform of the Democratic
party is compared with that of the Peo-
pies party, reasons for faith in the Dem
ocratic party abundantly appear Both
conventions recognized with equal clear
ness the wrongs that were being inflicted
upon the masses by the money boarding
and trust-breeding classes, and the
deadly peril with which the republic is
clared, with equal distinctness, their
immovable purpose to redress every
wrong and rescue the republic from it's
perils.
1T is urged that there is little dan
ger under the benign reign of Mr.. Nc
Kinley and the Republican party that
the unrestrained power of Imperialism
will be misused Association with polti-
cal parties does not change the nature
of men; and the nature of men is to en-
croach upon one another's rights and to
go to excess when their attempts are
resisted. The Constitution was framed in
view of this nature in man. and the
United States courts were created to en-
force the safeguards of the Constitution
against all who surrender their conduct
to the bad impulses of their nature But
however benign the sway of the Presi-
dent, such a government is tyranny.
Daniel Webster, the great constitutional
expounder, well expressed it when he
said There is nothing that satisfies
mankind in an enlightened age unless
man is governed by his own country and
the institutions of his own government
No matter how easy may be the yoke
of foreign power no matter how lightly
it sits upon the shoulders, if it be not
| imposed by the vote of his own nation
and his own country he will not and
cannot, and he means not to be happy
under its burdens.
'It was in such lights that the Philip
pine question presented itself to the Sioux
Falls convention. How did the conven-
tion view it? AS BELTS patriots and
American citizens. With ringing voice it's
platform declares Murder and arson
have been our response to the appeals
of the people who asked only to estab-
lish free government in their own
land The Declaration of independence,
the Constitution and the American flag
are one and inseparabe. We demand
Stoppage of this war of determination
by the assurance to the Philippines of
independence and protection under a
stable government of their own crea-
tion'
Here again we find the Democratic
brain and heart acting in patriotic uni
son with the Populist brain and heart
The Democratic party gave this grave
issue more prominence in it's platform
than did the Populists; but it could not
give it greater emphasis. All that the
Democratic platform declares concerning
it is accepted by Populists as supplement
that the Declaration of independence is
the spirit of our Government of which
the Constitution is the form and letter.
Pcpulists hold with Democrats that the
Constitution follows the flag, and that no
nation can long endure half republic and
half empire;; and they unite with the
Democrats in warning the American peo-
pie that Imperialism abroad will lead
quickly and inevitably to despotism at
home They agree that while the Fill
pino has given abundant evidences OF
his capacity for lf-government this
Asiatic people with their modified Asiatic
civilization, cannot become citizens with
out endangering our American clviliZa-
ton, and that they cannot become sub
jects without imperiling our form of
government; and that we are not will
ing to surrender our civilization or to
convert the republic into an empire.
With the Democrats the Populists favor
an immediate declaration of the nations
purpose to give to the Filipinos, first, a
stable form of government; second indie.
pendence; third, protection from outside
interference, such as has been given for
nearly a century to the republics of
Central and South America.
"Mr. Bryan, nothing that | can say can
add to the fullness Of the honor, faith
and affection in which American patriots
hold you. Whether native to the soil or
born in foreign climes, as patriotic Amer
leans they look to you as the defender
of the faith of freemen and protector of
their assaulted institutions. Those who
fed from the tyranny of their own coun-
try to find liberty in ours, in assuming the
duties of citizenship swore before high
heaven with uplifted hand to protect and
defend the Constitution of our country.
1t is this Constitution that is assailed,
and our foreign born citizens will not
forget the oath which admitted them to
share its blessings. You have a stupen-
dous struggle before you-one that must
try to the utmost the moral, intellectual
and physical qualities with which the
Creator has endowed you But, sir, We
are assured that the just and merciful
God that raised you up to be the leader