Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-08-17
NOTIFICATION SPEECH.
BRYAN ON PARAMOUNT IS
SUE IMPERIALISM.
Address of the Presidential Nominee In
Accepting the Nomination OF the Kan
sas City Convention, Delivered at In
dlanapolls, August &.

w. j. Bryan and Adlai +. Stevenson
were officially notified of their nom
nations for President and Vice Pres-
dent by the Democratic national con-
vention at Indianapolis, August g. In
accepting the nomination Mr.. Bryan
spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Members of the
Notification COMMITTEES: l shall. at an
early day. and in a more formal man
ner. accept the nomination when you
tender. and l shall at that time discuss
the various questions covered by tne
democratic platform. 1t may not be
out Of place, however, to submit rev
observations at this time upon the gem
eral character of the contest before US
and upon the question which is declared
to be of paramount Importance III TINS
campaign. ooo
is a contest between democracy on the
one hand and plutocracy on the other
II do not mean to say that all our OPP
ponents have deliberately chosen 70 give
TO organized wealth predominating m
fuence in the affairs of the government
but l do assert that on the important
issues of the day the republican party
is dominated by those influences when
constantly tend to substitute the worship
of mammon for the protection OF the
rights of man.
In 1853 Lincoln said that the republic
an party believed in the man ana the
dollar, but that in case of conflict IL pc
lieved in the man before the dollar. This
Is the proper relation which should eX-
work of God, comes first; money. the
handiwork of man, is of inferior i'm
portance. Man is the master, money the
servant. but upon all important questions
today republican legislation tends to
make money the master and man the
servant.
The, maxim of jefferson, Equal rights
to all and special privileges to none"
and the doctrine of Lincoln that this
should be government ''of the people.
by the people and for the people, are
ties of government are being used to
advance the interests of those who are
in position to secure favors from the
government.
The democratic party is not making
war upon the honest acquisition of
wealth; 1t has no desire to discourage
industry, economy and thrift; on the
greatest possible stimulus to honest toll
when it promises him protection In the
enjoyment of the proceeds of his labor.
Property rights are most secure when
human rights are most respected. Democ-
racy strives for a civilization in which
every member of society will share ac-
cording to his merits.
No one has right to expect from
society more than a fair compensation
for the service which he renders to So
ciety. If he secures more 1t is at the
expense of someone else. 1t is no in
justice to him to prevent his doing IN
justice to another. To him who would.
either through class legislation or IN
pass upon the rights Of another the
democratic party says, Thou shalt not"
Against us are arrayed a compare
cially powerful number who really profit
by republican policies; but with them are
associated large number who, because
of their attachment to their party name,
are giving their support to doctrines an
tagonistic to the former teachings OF
their own party. Republicans who used
to advocate bimetallism now try to con-
vince themselves that the gold stanaara
Is good. republicans who were formerly
attached to the greenback are now seek
ing an excuse for giving national banks
control of the nations paper money; re-
publicans who used to boast that the re-
publican party was paying off the ma
tional debt are now looking for reasons
to support perpetual and increasing
debt; republicans who formerly abhorred
trust now beguile themselves with the
delusion that there are good trusts anu
bad trusts, while in their minds, the
line between the two Is becoming more
and more obscure; republicans who. IN
times past. congratulated the country
upon the small expense of our standing
army, are now making hight of the objec-
lions which are urged against large
increase in the permanent military es-
tablishment; republicans who sloried IN
our Independence when the nation was
loss powerful, now look with favor upon
foreign alliance; republicans who three
years ago condemned 'forcibe anneXa-
ton" as immoral and even criminal are
now sure that 1t is both immoral and
criminal to oppose forcible annexation:
That craftsmanship has already blinded
many to present dangers Is certain; how
large a portion of the republican party
can be drawn over to the new policies
remains to be seen.
For a time republican leaders were
inclined to deny to opponents the right
to criticise the Philippine policy of the
administration, but upon investigation
they found that both Lincoln and Gay
asserted and exercised the right to criti.
else u president during the progress of
the Mexican war.
Instead of meeting the issue boldly
and submitting. a clear and positive plan
for dealing with the Philippine question
the republican convention adopted plat
form, the larger part of which was de-
voted to Boosting and self-congratula-
ton.
In attempting to press economic ques-
tons upon the country to the exclusion
of those which involve the very structure
of our government the republican leaders
give new evidences of their abandon
ment of the earlier ideals of the party
and of their complete subserviency to Pc
cuniary 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 war with Spain for the
of Cuba, the country, without regard to
party, applauded. Although the demo-
Gratis recognized that the administration
would necessarily gain political advan-
.tage from the conduct of war which il
the very nature of the case must soon
end in complete victory, they We'd with
the republicans in the support which they
gave the president. When the war was
over and the republican leaders began
TO suggest the propriety of a colonial
policy, opposition at once manifested it,
self. When the president finally laid be-
fore the senate a treaty which recog-
nized the independence of Cuba. but pro-
vided for the cession of the Philippine
islands to the United States, the menace
of imperialism became SO apparent that
many preferred to reject the treaty and
risk the ills that might follow rather
than take the chance of correcting the
errors of the treaty by the independent
action of this country.
/ was among the number of those who
believed it better to raitfy the treaty
and end the war, release the volunteers
remove the excuse for war expenditures
and then give to the Filipinos the indie
pendence which might be forced from
Spain by new treaty.
In view of the criticism which my ac-
ton aroused in some quarters, l take this
occasion to restate the reasons given at
tat time. / thought 1t safer to trust
tie American people to give independence