Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-09-20


Plea For the Constitution, the Far
amount Political Event of the Cam
pnIgn--Mr. McKInIey's LRudation OF
"our' Party an Appeal 20 Partisan
PrejudIces and Selfish Interests.
Especial Chicago Lettorl
Mr.. Bryan's speech Of acceptance at
Indianapolis will without doubt con
tinue to be the political event Of para.
mount importance In the present cam
paIgn. 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 pardoncd-nay more,
was even expected by the country ut
large. Tradition and precedent exist
to justify a candidate In such Il course.
He of Canton--Mark Hanna's man
who was recently notified Of nomlna-
ton, took occasion TO plead for the
principles Of party and In the cause
OF an administration. In multlfarious
terms he told what 1--WE" had done, and
fairly reveled In the deeds Of "ua"
The Republican party was defended
even apologlzcd for. And William Nc
KInley accepted at the hands OF those
who bore the stamp Of the Republican
party the nomination for the prcsi-
dency OF the United States. Mr.. Nc
Kinley's speech OF acceptance WIN go
down In history as the statement Of
party chief to his party followers. But
how different the tone and tenor Of
Mr.. Bryan's indianapolis address.
Mckinley spoke to party Bryan to a
nation. Mckinley pleaded the cause OF
an administration Bryan the cause OF
n people. Mckinley defended the
principles Of party Bryan spoke In
defense of the principles that arc nt
the foundation Of free government
Mckinley spoke as a candidate but
Mr.. Bryan spoke ns an American clti-
zen.
In the face of existing circumstances
1t is a fact Of peculiar significance
that Mr.. Bryan could reply to the mott
fication committee In speech bearing
as little trace Of partisan politics as
the constitution OF the United States or
the Declaration Of Independence. This
does not Indicate that Mr.. Bryan IL
not good Democrat but rather that
the Democratic party Is contending
not so much for certain theories of adj
ministratlon In free government as
for free government itself Hence II
is that, fighting for the very existence
OF the republic, the position Of the
patriotic citizen who stands for free
government and the position of the
Democratic party become identical. Mr..
Bryan was great enough to recognize
this. Mr.. Bryan's speech was remark
able on account of the things he said.
Mr.. McKinley's Canton speech was
chiefly remarkable on account Of the
speech abounds In vague intimatlons
and promises. 1t does not hold out to
the Filipinos the falntest hope either of
independence on the ono hand or of
the freedom and rights of American
citizenship on the other.
The voter has only 10 read so much
Of Mr.. McKinley's speech as relates to
this subject in order to find this state
ment to be correct. He win find some
lnlllB dDOub giving 10 lne flllplHOS us
much self government as they are at
for-as though the right OF people TO-
600 miles away to self government was
not 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 Is supposed to have had a
right to give us.
In Mr.. Bryan's speech, however the
voter may find pledge that If he is
elected he Will convene congress at the
earliest moment to declare the nations
purpose:
First, to establish a stable form OF
government In the Philippine Islands,
just as we are now establishing
stable form of government In Cuba.
Second, to give independence to the