The age-herald., 1900-10-13
ANOTHER LETTER
 FROM MEIKELJOHN Came Back at Mr. Bryan on the
 Question at Issue. THE SULU TREATY AGAIN Concludes With Request for Explana-
Concludes With Request for Explana- tion of Differences Between Kan sas City Platform and One on
 Which Tilden Ran

Chicago, October 12.-Hon. George D. Meikeljohn, assistant secretary of War, has mailed the following letter to W. J. Bryan. which the latter will receive today: Chicago, October Il, 1900. "Dear Sir: In your communication to me on the 10th, you refer to the fact that the Republican party adheres to its doctrine that the constitution cannot be extended to | new territory acquired by the treaty-mak- ing power of our government nor by the military commanders of our armies. You then declare that, therefore, the President was not obliged to refuse his ap- proval to that portion of the sulu agree ment which permitted the temporary con- tinuance of alleged slavery in the Sulu Islands The point to which I called your attention in my communication was that the President did refuse his approval, and therefore that portion of the agreement is not existing.
 T am gradfed that you direct attention to the fact that the present administrator does not require the force of constitutional provision to prompt 1t to recognize the rights of men. Permit me, however to call your attention to the concluding words of the amendment to the constitution to which
 
 tary servitude shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurs- diction
 While amendments to the constitution are under consideration, will you give an explanation of the discre pency between your platform this year and the one on which Tilden made his canvass? Your platform declares:
 ,4oti, ,f 4ha cratic party of the United States, assem- bled in national conventoin on the anniver- sary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, do reaffirm our faith in that immortal proclamation of the inalienable rights of man. and our allegiance to the constitution framed in harmony herewith by the fathers of the Republic
 "As framed by the fathers of the Repub- lie the Constitution recognized slavery and provided that a slave escaping into a free state did not become free and must be re- turned to his owner: article 1, section ?, clause B. The Constitution framed by the fathers did not contain the guarantees for the rights of our colored citizens pro- vided by the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments.
 "The Tiden platform declares as follows: " For the Democracy of the whole coun- try we do hereby reaffirm our faith In the permanence of the Federal Union, our de- Votion to the Constitution of the United o'a'SS' "h-Ch Wili US dhheHumentS uHlVer- sally accepted as a final settlement of the controversies that engendered civil war and here record our steadfast confidence in the perpetuity of the republican self government
 Why does your platform refuse adher- ance to the amendments to the Constitu- tion?
 Tn view of your present contention, I beg to request an explanation of the con cluding words of the Chicago platform of 1896, on admission of territories which reads:
 We recommend that the territory of Alaska be granted delegate in Congress- and that the general land and timber lands of the United States be extended to said territories Very respectfully, 70. D. MICKELJOHN. /" "Hon. W. J. Bryan, Cleveland, O."