The sun., 1900-10-16
NATIONAL HONOR OVER
COLONIAL QUESTINS.
Why Judge Hornblower De-
clines to Support Bryai
Opinion Of Leading New YorIJurist
Whose Elevation TO the Supme
Bench Was Beaten
d. B. Hill.

NtW OIhJ
Judge William B. Hornblowe of New
York, who was nominated tothe Su-
preme bench of the United tates by
President Cleveland, and who's confirm
alton was beaten in the Senattfor pure
ly personal causes by David B Hill, has
made the following statementyhy he,
Democrat, cannot support BEn:
/ have been repeatedly aged during
the past few weeks what, i my judg-
ment is the duty of a Coll Democrat
who is also an Anti-Imperidst, in the
pending presidential campgn.' The
question is by no means akimple one,
and can well understand an appreciate
the position taken by such hen as Mr..
Schurz, Mr.. Shepard and Mr.. Olney.
For my own part, however, cannot see
my way clear to reaching their conclu-
sions. The same reasons wich compel
cd me to oppose Mr.. BryaIfn 1886 COM
pei me to oppose him in thepresent cam
paign. All the heresies, financial and
Populistic, which were erpodied in the
un-Democratic, crazy-quilt platform of
1896 are readopted withou any attempt
at modification or mobilization by the
Kansas City platform. The 16 to plank
is expressly reaffirmed ad redeclared,
and this at the instancebf Mr.. Bryan
himself l cannot suppot candidate
who still adheres to a PROPOSITION which,
to my mind, is a monstroity and which,
If carried into effect, void in my judg-
ment produce untold disaster to all
classes Of the communit and bring dis
honor and humiliation toour nation. The
fact, if 1t be a fact, thit recent legisla-
ton has made it diflicul for Mr.. Bryan
to carry into practice hi avowed princi-
pies does not, it seems to be, make it
any the more right tosvote for man
who still maintains thee principles. Ii
is quite within the ossbilities that dur
ing his administration he should be
elected, a complete chAge might be eff
fected in the political conposition of both
houses Of Congress, ad the verdict of
the people expressed atthe polls in favor
of Mr.. Bryan's electin as President
might be carried into fleet. 1t will Ger.
tainly be Mr.. Bryan'sduty, according to
his expressed declaration. to do what in
him lies to bring abou this result.
1t is not to be forgotten that Mr.. Bryan
Of the Democratic pirty, but he is the
candidate also of thePopulist party, and
has accepted the nomiation on their plat
form. The radical nltions of the Popu-
lists, if ever carried into effect in this
country, would redrce popular govern
ment to position A;here we should be
the laughing stock bf the nations, and
would produce a rea.tion in the minds of
the voters which w,uld carry us far in
the direction of domestic imperialism,
which l suppose will be conceded to be
of vastly more moment to us and to our
posterity than coloial imperialism. In
deed, the chief objection to colonial i'm
perialsm is its probable effect upon our
domestic institutions, and its tendency to-
wards enlarging th powers of the execu-
tive as between he executive and the
legislative departments of the govern
ment, and towards increasing the pow
ers of the Feder, government as be
tween itself and the States.
The question as to what is the para
mount issue" in tais campaign is one on
which men may honestly differ. 1t seems
to me, however, that the most important
issue before us at the present moment is
whether our domestic affairs are to be
thrown into confusion and exposed to dis
aster. The rights and wrongs of our CO.
lonia possessions must in this emergency
be subordnatedlt to the rights and wrongs
of our own affairs.
Furthermore, II am by no means satis-
fed that Mr.. Bryan would be safe per-
son to whom to intrust the imperialistic
questions which will confront us in the
f,,A To-, Ind hn
have made his fight at the time when the
treaty with Spain was before the SEN
ate. He should have upheld the hands
of such dissenting Republicans as Sena-
tor Hoar, and he should have opposed to
the bitter end the principle of buying for
eign peoples without their consent and in
the midst of IA war for independence on
their part. BY supporting the treaty Mr..
Bryan made himself a party to its COM
pact, and is, more than any other one
man, except Mr.. Mckinley, responsible
for the situation. The treaty was rati-
fled, the purchase money was paid, the
islands are in our possession. In my
judgment, the question of their future
and of our future, as determined indi
rectly by their future, must wait until we
have settled the question of the present,
and that question is whether honesty, in
tegrity and common sense shall be ap-
piled to the financial affairs of the United
States, or whether popular approval shall
he given TO the vagaries, whims, and fall
lacies of the Populists and Bryanites,
with all the resulting disaster and dis
honor.
WILLIAM B. HORNBLOWER.
New York, Sept. is.