Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-02-22
BRYAN ON EXPANSION.


Folio wing is a continuation of William
]. Bryan's speech in Baltimore on expan
sion, began in our last weeks issue: =
read a sermon not long ago. delivered
by a man named Brown, IN r Dchester, n
Y. He took for his text the words which
describe the scene where Christ was before
PLATE, where PLATE said to him "KnOwesl
Thou not that / have power to release
Thee or to put Thee to death" Taking
that text, he contrasted force and love
PLATE represented force; behind him was
Cesar; behind Caesar was the Roman gov.
eminent, and behind the Roman govern
ment were the legions of Rome. Before
PLATE, helpless and alone. stood Christ
preaching the gospel of love. And force
triumphed. They nailed him to the tree
and those who believed in the triumph OF
force stood around and said, He is dead
but the minister pointed out from that day
the power of Cesar waned and the power
of Christ increased. He pointed out how
in a few years the Roman government was
gone and its legions forgotten; while the
influence of the Master increase with each
advancing year, until millions to-day take
His name with reverence upon their lips.
nation PLATE and Christ stand face to face
and that upon the decision of this question
hangs the question whether this nation will
stand before the world as the exponent Of
brute force or stand as an example of the
uplifting power of love- Auplanse
believe be spoke the truth. Applause
I believe that to-day might and right are
struggling for the mastery; that to-day
reason and force stand face to face, and
that upon the decision of this question will
hang the question whether this nation will
build for eternity or sink to the low Level
of the nations that have gone to decay
Tell me that you want the glory OF empire:
Why, for hundred years this nation has
travelled the pathway that leads from the
low domain of might to the loftier realm Of
right, and | would not trade its history
for ali the glory Of all the empires thai
have risen and fallen since time began
[Applausel.
Tell me you want to be a world power.
Why, for more than ten decades this nation
has been the most potent influence in the
world: for more than a hundred years this
nation has done more to affect the politics
of the human race than all the other
nations of the world together. Here you
have witnessed the triumph of an idea
During the closing years of the eighteenth
century this republic was formed; it was
dedicated to the doctrine that all men
are created equal; that they are endowed
with inalienable rights, that governments
are instituted to secure those rights, and
that governments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed. During
the nineteenth centuryIthis idea has grown
All, my friends, this idea has been more
powerful than all the armies and all the
navies of all the monarchies of the earth
GApplausel And | would not trade this
idea for the results of warfare of con
quest. Shall we build upon the doctrine
laid down by the fathers, or shall we build
upon the shifting sand?
A prominent Republican said the other
day that nations may die, whether they
expand or not, but that only expanding
nations leave glorious history protest
against any such doctrine III this nation
There is no reason why a republic should
die; monarchy resting upon force; an
empire built upon force will disappear
when some greater force arise; bat a re
public resting upon the doctrine of self
government and administered according to
the Jeffersonian motto of equal rights to
all and special privileges to none need
never die; and will never die. TAp.
plause.l
But they say that we are in it snd can
not get out. Laughter l want to re-
mind you that the people who say we can
not get out are the people who led us into
the trouble. Tell me that God did it; !
tell you that the Republican administration
10 htc for sah
every argument in favor of permanent
retention is based They say, we must stay
in the Philippines, because Dewey de-
stroyed a feet at Manila? | reply that
Sehley destroyed one at Santiago APP
plause] And yet the Republican President
promised the Cubans that we would get
out of Cuba. Tell me we must stay in the
Philippine Islands because American blood
was shed on Philippine soil? l reply that
American blood was shed at San j uan Hill
and Ell Caney, and yet the President
promised the Cubans that we would get
out of Cuba. Tell me that our flag has
been raised over the Philippine Islands
and that when once raised it can never
come down? / tell You that that flag was
raised over Havana year ago and yet the
President told the Cnbans that he would
haul it down when the flag of the Cuban
republic was ready to raise in its place.
Applausel You cannot find an argument
for the permanent holding of the Philip.
pine Islands that will not apply to Cuba
When we went into the war we said that
the people of Cuba are, and of RICH. ought
to be, free, and I challenge you to draw a
line between the rights of the Cubans and
the rights of the Fllipinos Did God say
that the Cubans are entitled to their tree
dom and that the Filipinos are NOT? No
my friends, there is only one difference
between Cuba and the Philippine Islands
We promised independence to Cuba, we
did not promise it to the Philippine Islands
But our promise was but the recognition
of right that would have existed without
the promise. We said that "Cuba is, and
of right ought to be, free" and, if that was
a right, then, my friends, it existed in the
Philippine Islands without the necessity OF
an express promise. Applause1.
But you aek me what could have been
done l say that if the administration in
making the treaty had provided for the
independence of the Philippines wheE il
provided for the independence of the
Cubans there would have been no trouble
in the Philippine Islands. But you say
that was not done. l say that if the
administration bad promised the Filipinos
independence on the terms offered to the
Cubans there would have been no trouble
But you say the President did not have
the right to promise it. / remind yon that
Congress was in session three months, dur
ing which time be could have asked Con-
gress for the authority to make the prom
ise He not only did not ask the authority
but when the Bac7n resolution made the
promise all the influence of the Republican
administration was brought to bear
against it; and with all the influence
of the Republican administration the
resolution was tie in the
Senate, and it took the Vice President.
vote to defeat it. But you say that, wal
having broken out, you must now whip the
Filipinos before you deal with them. Il
they have right to independence there il
no humiliation in telling them our purpose
in dealing with them. EApplause You
tell me you must whip them first / tel
you that if you had given them the prom
Use Of independence you would not have
had to whip them at all; and that if you
promise them independence now, the wal
will stop. [AppIausel. You ask me whal
20 do. l tell you that the Democratic
party for more than year has been on
record on this subject. We say, treat the
FiIipinos as we promised to treat the Gu
bans; we told the Cnbans that we were