The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-17

policy"
He asserted that this policy of imperial
party, and added They want the splen-
doris of Europe. They want to hear the
tramp of armies: they want the glory of
crowning heroes returning home. their
thanks and their plaudits. The Republicans
want the drum TO beat so that 1t could be
heard around the world. We want the
light of liberty to shine so brightly here
that 1t will be seen around the world and
everywhere inspire people,"
In Standardization of his assertion that
the Democrats were not raising a scare
crow Mr.. Bryan referred to the Porto
Rican legislation of the last session of
Congress as proof Of what people say. He
declared that this legislation was based
upon European ideas and not upon Ameri-
can principles. According to that document,
he said. a President is bigger than the Con-
stitution. And then Mr.. Bryan exclaimed:
Beware, my friends, of a President when
he becomes greater than the Constitution.
There IS no place where you can draw the
line; it will become all President and no
Constitution"
the disposition 10 be made of the Fflipinos,
he said: ''Who Is to decide their welfare?
We. Who is to decide our duty? We.
What has the Filipino to do with us?
Nothing at all. They do not dare defend
that plank. and 1 am afraid before this
campaign is over that they will try to
prove that it was not written by the Re
publican convention at all, but that it
was put In there by some one who had
TO authority. He said his reason for ex-
pressing this opinion was the fact that
the ratification of the peace treaty had
been placed at his door. He then took up
the question of his connection with the
ratification Of the treaty, and said that the
Republicans could not find a senator who
would say that he had voted for it be-
cause he CMr. Bryan had favored 1t, and
continued: But / can prove by Senator
Wellington, a Republican, that without his
vote ii would not have been ratified, that
ho would nnf hnxrG NnfQn for II h11f for tho
fact that the President promised that the
Philippine islands would not be held per-
manentiy."
Mr.. Bryan then declared that he was
willing TO assume the responsibilities for
the ratification of the treaty if the Repub-
leans would take the responsibility for the
themselves and for what had happened
since. 1.-The President is responsible for
that" he said, and if he had given TO the
Filipinos the same assurance of independ-
ence that he gave to the Cubans not a gun
| would nave been fired in Manila and these
people would have been our friends to-day.
WHY HE APPROVED THE TREATY.
Mr.. Bryan then explained his reason for
supporting the ratification of the treaty,
saying that if it had been rejected the mat
ter would still have been in the and Of
the President, so far as this country was
concerned; that he believed it better to
ratify the treaty and leave Americans to
deal with the Filipinos than to have the
Spaniards deal with them. He declared
that the treaty had not conferred upon the
United States the title to the Philippines,
and said; can now do what the Re
publican party ought to have done, and our
| platform declares that We shall do 1t. 1
have said that the first act of my admin
istration will be to call Congress together
and ask it to do now what 1t ought to have
done a year and a half ago." This senti-
ment was applauded.
Mr.. Bryan referred to the charge that he
| was responsible for the continuation Of the
war in the Philippine islands and said: IF
l am guilty of this charge then who is re-
sponsible for the fact that our forefathers
fought the same battle a hundred years
before / was born. They should KNOW" he
continued, that Ii was the Almighty who,
when He gave life to the Filipino, gave
him the love of liberty. They should know
that 1t was God linked together in every
human breast life and liberty, and what
God hath joined together let no Repub-
lican party rend asunder."
Colonel Bryan accused the Republican
party OF a desire to evade the Philippine
question and said that that party was so
| sordid that it desired TO put the dollar
above the man and make money more pre-
cious than human life If we had any title
TO the Filipino 1t was a title based on force
and such a title was not good according
to American ideas. The Filipinos were not
desired by any one as citizens and the
Democrats did not intend that they should
- A10 -
let them stand under their own flag and
have their own government and be masters
OF themselves and work out their own
destiny.
Mr.. Bryan declared that if a Republican
President could haul down the flag in Cuba,
200 miles from our shores, a Democratic
President could haul it Town 1000 miles
away from our shores. In closing he said
that instead of desiring a nation ever ready
to resort to force he wanted II to be a
peacemaker among the nations. Then
he said, 1--WE can claim the reward prom
ised TO the peacemakers. and say Blessed
are the ~peacenakers, for they shall be
called the children of God"
Mr.. Bryan concluded his speech at 3
o'clock precisely, having spoken one hour
and fifty-one minutes. The crowd rose and
cheered as he left the platform in compan
with Mr.. Croker. shaking hands as he
left.
The applause for Mr.. Bryan as he went
AVA blended with that for Adlai Z. Stew
enson as he arose TO speak. The cheers
died out and the noise of the crowd getting
out prevented Mr.. Stevenson from speak
ing. He finally secured a hearing, but
| there were few people left in the hall.
Webster Davis was the next speaker.
At the conclusion Of his speech Mayor
Jones. of Toledo, was introduced and he
was heartily cheered. The other speakers
were John b.. Stanchfield and w. f. Mac
kay. When the latter concluded the band
struck up Dixie and the small remain
Ing portion of the throng that had gath
cred in the garden early in the evening
| filed out.