The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-12-18
BRYAN's SPEECH.
(Chicago Letter.)

-(Chicago letter.
Mr.. Bryan's speech Of acceptance is
without doubt the political event Of
paramount Importance in the present
campaign. Mr.. Bryan received at the
hands of the Democratic party the
nomination for the presidency. A par
tisan utterance upon this occasion
would have been pardoned, nay more,
was even expected by the country at
large. Tradition and precedent exist
to justify a candidate in such course.
He of Canton-Mark Hanna's man
who was recently notified of a nomi-
nation, took occasion to plead for the
principles of party and in the cause
of an administration. In multifarious
terms he told what I'VE" had done,
and fairly reveled In the deeds Of 'us."
The Republican party was defended
ev@l apologized for And VIM. Nc
Kinley accepted at the hands OF those
who bore the stamp Of the Republican
party, the nomination for the presi-
dency Of the United States. Mr.. Nc
Kinley's speech of acceptance will go
down in history as the statement OF a
party chief to his party followers. But
how different the tone and tenor OF
Mr.. Bryan's Indianapolis address. Nc
Kinley spoke to a party-Bryan to a
nation; Mckinley plead the cause of
an ministration-Bryan the cause
OF a people. Mckinley defended the
principles of party-Bryan spoke in
defense of the principles that are at
the foundation of free government;
Mckinley spoke as candidate.b but Mr..
Bryan spoke as an American citizen.
In the face OF existing circumstances
it is fact of peculiar significance that
Mr.. Bryan could reply to the notifica-
ton committee in speech bearing
as little trace OF partisan politics as
the constitution OF the United States
OF the Declaration of Independence.
This does not indicate that Mr.. Bryan
is not a good Democrat, but rather
that the Democratic party is contend
ing not so much for certain theories
OF administration in free government
as for free government itself. Hence
it is that, nghting for the very exist
ence OF the republic. the position OF
the patriotic citizen who stands for
free government and the position of
the Democratic party became iden-
teal Mr.. Bryan was great enough to
recognize this. Mr.. Bryan's speech was
remarkable enough on account of the
things he said. Mr.. McKinley's Can
ton speech was chiefly remarkable on
account OF the things he did not say.
The Canton speech sbounds In vague
intimations and promises. 1t does not
hold out TO the Filipinos the faintest
hope either of independence on the
one hand or of the freedom and rights
of American citizenship on the other.
The voter has only to read so much
of Mr.. McKinley's speech as relates to
this subject In order to find this state
ment to be correct. He will find some
thing about giving the Filipinos as
much self-government as they are Mt
for-as though the right OF people TO-
600 miles away to self-government was
not a God-given right. but right to
be granted by some authority in Wash
ington. But he will find not the faint
est whisper OF such thing as indie
pendence for a people over whom we
have no authority except such as
Spain somehow LIS supposed to have
had a right to give us. In Mr.. Bry-
ans speech. however the voter may
md pledge that II he is elected he
will convene congress at the earliest