Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-08-17

ism as the Leading Issue The Tendency To
wards Change Of Government Clearly Por
trayed-The Drift is Anti Democratic. Anti
Republican and Anti-American.
In his reply to the committee on no
tification, Mr.. Bryan said:
Mr.. Chairman and members of the
notification committee:
l shall at an early day and in more
formal manner, accept the nomination
which you tender, and shall at that
time discuss the various questions GOV.
cred by the Democratic platform. 1t
may not be out of place, however, t.
submit a few observations at this time
upon the general character of the con.
test before us and upon the question
which is declared to be of paramount
Importance in this campaign.
When l say the contest of 1900 is a
contes: between Democracy on the one
hand and plutocracy on the other, do
not mean to say that all our opponents
have deliberately chosen to give to an
organized wealth a predominating in
fluence in the affairs of the govern
ment, but do assert that on the inn
portant issues of the day the Republi-
can party is dominated by those in
fiuences which constantly tend to ele-
vate pecuniary considerations and ig-
more human rights.
In 1859 Lincoln said that the Re.
publican party believed in the man
and the dollar, but that in case of
conflict it believed in the man before
the dollar. This is the proper relation
which should exist between the two.
Man, the handiwork OF God, comes
first; money. the handiwork OF man,
is of inferior Importance. Man is the
master; money the servant, but upon
all important questions to-day Repub.
lican 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 being disregarded and the
instrumentalities of government are
being used to advance the interests of
those who are in a position to secure
favors from the government.
The Democratic party is not making
war upon the honest acquisition of
wealth; it has no desire to discourage
industry, economy and thrift. On the
it gives to every citizen the
greatest possible stimulus to honest
toll, when it promises him protection
in the enjoyment of the proceeds of
his labor. Property rights are more
secure when human rights are re-
spected. Democracy strives for civ.
ilization in which every member of
society will share according to his
merits.
REPUBLICANS ABANDON PRINCIPLES.
No man has q right TO expect from
society more than fair compensation
for the service which he renders to So
ciety. If he secures more, it is at the
of some one 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
the absence of necessary legislation
trespass upon the rights of another,
the Democratic party says: "Thou
shalt not" Against us are arrayed a
small but politically
and financially powerful number, who
really profit by Republican policies /;
but with them are large number
who, because of their attachment to
the party name, are giving their sup
port to doctrines antagonistic to the
former teachings of their own party.
who used to advocate bi.
metallism now try to convince the
that the gold standard is good (;
Republicans who were formerly at.
tached to the greenback are now seek
ing an excuse for giving national
banks control of the nations paper
money; Republicans who used to
boast that the Republican party was
paying off the national debt are now
looking for reasons to support per-
petual and increasing debt; Republi-
cans who formerly abhorred n trust
now beguilc themselves with the delu-
sion that there are good trusts and
bad trusts; while in their minds, the
line between the two is becoming more
and more obscure; Republicans, who,
in times past, congratulated the coun-
try upon the small expense of our
standing army are now making light
of the objections which are urged
against large increase in the perma.
nent military establishment; Republi-
cans who gloried in our independence,
when the nation was less powerful,
now look with favor upon foreign
alliance; Republicans who three years
ago condemned " forcible annexation"
as immoral and even criminal, are
now sure that it is both immoral and
criminal to oppose forcible annexation.
That partisanship has already blinded
many to present dangers is certain
how large 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 lnves-
tigation they found that both Lincoln
and Clay asserted and exercised the
right to criticise a President during
the progress of the Mexican war.
Instead of meeting the issues boldly
and submitting q clear and positive
plan for dealing with the Philippine
question, the Republican Convention
adopted a platform, the larger part oi
which was devoted to boasting and
self-congratulation.
THE WAR POLICIES.
In attempting to press economic
questions upon the country to the ex'
clusion of those which involve the
very structure of our government, the
Republican leaders give new evidences
of their abandonment of the earlier
ideals OF the party and of their COM
plete subserviency to pecuniary con
IL L