Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1900-10-12
DEMOCRATIC MEETING.

UEMUCRAIlC MEETING.
Judge Willis Opens the Campaign for
the Demo-Pops in Ramsey Cou nty.
Hon. John w. Willis, ex-judge
Of the district court of st. Paul,
Mimi, arrived in Devils Lake
Monday afternoon, and on that
evening addressed a good sized
audience at the court house in be-
half of the Independent Democra-
tic ticket. Judge Willis is a
gentleman of pleasing appearance,
and an attractive and eloquent
speaker. His speech on Monday
evening, considering the very
limited amount of material on
which he had to work, was very
interesting, being interspersed
with humorous anecdotes. The
judge threw no mud whatever at
the other side, but discussed the
issues from his standpoint in a
very courteous manner. The main
point on which he dwelt was that
Of Imperialism. He stated that at
the time the Peace Commission
was in Paris the Filipinos had
their representatives there, who
were denied a hearing, and we're
therefore obliged to return home
without having accomplished any,
thing; that thereafter, they sent a
delegation to Washington, and
were accorded the same treatment
by the administration as they had
received at Paris; that at the time
the treaty was signed the Filipinos
had adopted their own constitution
and that the officials of the United
States government knew that.
With all due respect to Judge
Willis, it might be well to remark
that he omitted to state the fact
that at the time this peace COM
mission was in session Mr.. Bryan
must have been familiar with the
steps already taken by the Fill
pinos, and he must have been
equally as cognizant with the
situation when the treaty was rati-
fed by the senate of the United
States. Mr.. Bryan put forth his
best endeavors to have the same
ratified, and through his influence
in large measure the necessary
two thirds majority of votes was
secured. Ten Democrats, three
Populists, three Silverites and one
Independent composed the contin.
gent outside of the Republican
ranks voting for the adoption o1
the treaty. Without these votes
it could not have been ratified.
Why was Mr.. Bryan SO anxious
to have the treaty ratified? II
his speech of acceptance, delivered
at Indianapolis, Mr.. Bryan, refer
ring to the treaty of Paris, said:
lieved it better to ratify the treaty and end end th
| war.
He adds:
believe we are now in better position t
wage successful contest against imperialism
than we could have been had the treaty bee
rejected.
Judge Willis did not inform
his auditors that if the treaty hac
been rejected, there would have
been no question of 'Imperialism, ,
for the United States could have
been prevented by continued op
position to the treaty from annex
ing any territory whatever. Hac
the senate insisted upon it, doet
Judge Willis, or any other Bryan
ite, doubt that Spain would have
been less willing to grant indie.
pendence to the Philippines than
to Cuba? Being compelled to re.
nounce them, she would quite as
readily have granted their indie.
pendence as their cession to the
United States. But MI. Bryan
himself gives the reason why he
was so anxious to have the treaty
ratified. He has said:
With the treaty ratified a clean.cut fssue I,
presented between government by consent
and government by force and imperiaiist,
must bear the responsibility for all that han
pens until the question is settled.
To create an issue. That was
the confessed motive of Mr.. Bryan
in urging the ratification of the
treaty. He was quite willing tc
fasten upon his friends, the Fill.
pinos, "a government by force" in
order to create a political issue
in his own country and to be able
to represent his party as the de.
fender of the idea of government
by consent" What does Mr.. vii.
lis, or the people of the United
States, think of such motives in q
candidate for the chief magistracy
of a great republic?
Judge Willis knows that the
responsibility for the ratification
of that treaty rests equally upon
all who approved it and aided in
making it law. Whatever the