The Republican journal., 1900-09-27
NEAR TO TREASON.
Plain Talk About Bryan's EncouraRemen
of FilipinOs.

lcal editorials are feature of this pres
idential campaign, in a recent issue
said:
Among the ten thousand words of
Mr.. Bryan's painfully wrought essay on
the theme that republics can have no
subjects" these are deserving of seri-
GUS considerations:
eff elected l shall convene Congress
in extraordinary session as soon as / am
inaugurated, and recommend an imme-
date declaration of the nations pur-
pose, first, to establish stable form of
government in the Philippine Islands.
just as we are now establishing a stable
form of government in the island of
Cuba: second, to give independence to
the FlllpinoS, just as we have promised
to give independence to the Cubans;
third, to protect the Filipinos from out
side interference while they work out
their destiny, just as we have protected
the republics of Central and South
America, and are, by the Monroe doe
trlne, pledged to protect Cuba
This is definite enough as statement
of intentions and pledge of action in
case Mr.. Bryan is elected president.
He will convene Congress in extraodi-
nary session, and use all the power that
a president can exert to induce Congress
to withdraw the flag of the United
States from the Philippine islands.
When Mr.. Bryan pronounced these
words, did it occur to him that he might
be giving at that very moment the
signal for the death of hundreds or
thousand of our soldiers in the Philip
pines? The United States government
is engaged in stamping on the embers
of rebellion in LuZon, and our men
there are doing their duty under the
flag
The instruction in Luzon has found
its mainStay in the encouragement to
continued resistance which the utter
ances of certain American citizens
here at home have afforded to it's lead
ers. Most of Aguinaldo's sympathizers
have been persons without official re-
spOnsibility, but the utterances of even
these irresponsibles and light-weights
have served, as Gen. Lawton testified
just before his own death, to speed the
bullets that have sent our officers and
privates to the grave.
And now the man who will be presi-
dent of the United States, if the demo-
cracy wins this election, sends to the
insurgents his message of hope and
stimulus. ''keep up your fight" he
says to Aguinaldo's Tagals. Keep on
shooting down the men who wear the
| nited States uniforms. If | am elect
ed you will have WON
In the maze of his theoretical argu-
mentations and in the confusion of his
rhetorical detail. did William J. Bryan
treason? Did he toresee the one direct,
ma inll mn ajfan+ of l,;c IMAM,
Use to the rebels in arms against the
[ nited States Government and flag?
The Washington Times attacked the
Suns editorial, declaring the conclu-
sion TO be preposterous. If it is a fair
deduction says the Times, the adj
ministration is with equal logic charge
able with treason in the introduction of
our armies into Iu2on and the cause
which has resulted iii the killing and
numbering OF so many Of our soldiers,
including the brave General Lawton.
TO which tine sun a few days later re-
plfed:
The mention here of Gen. Lawtons
name makes it exceedingly pertinent to
llull dSdlI tlitl llSlOlC OlllCtl CIV IL
testimony as to the reasonable and
mountaineering expressions of sympa-
thy and encouragement which have
gone forth to Luzon from certain per
sons III this country, mostly Bryanites
and supporters of the policy announced
in Bryan's indianapolis speech. Writ
ing in November last. only few days
before his death by a Filipino bullet,
Gen. Iawton said to John Barrett:
Il would to God that the whole truth
of this Whole Philippine situation could
be known to every one iii America as |
know it.
If the real history inspiration and
conditions of this instruction, and the
influences, local and external, that now
encourage the enemy, as we'll as the
actual possibilities of these islands and
people and their relations to this great
East, could be understood at home, we
would hear no more talk of uni Just
shooting of government into the Fill
pinos. or Of hauling down our Ameri-
can flag in the Philippines
''If the So-called anti-imperialists
would honestly ascertain the truth on
the ground and not in distant America,
they whom | believe to be honest men
and misinformed, would be convinced
of the error of their statement and con
clusion and of the unfortunate effect of
their publication here.
"If | am shot by Filipino bullet, it
might as we'll come from one of my
own men, because | know from obser-
walton, confirmed by captured prison.
ers, that the continuance of fighting is
chiefly due to reports that are sent out
from America
The sad prophecy was fulfilled. The
very next month Henry W. Lawton was
struck dead by a Filipino bullet, practi-
cally moulded, aimed and sped by those
here at home who were engaged in en-
couraging the insurgents in Luzon to
continue the fighting. Gen. Lawton's
blood is on the hands of some of his
fellow cOuntrymen.
Treason is defined by the constitution
of the United States as ''levying war
against them the United States OF adj
herring to their enemies, giving them
aid and comfort" The revised statues
provide for this crime the maximum
penalty Of death. The constitutional
meaning of ''enemies" has been held by
the supreme court to apply only to sub
jects of a foreign power in state of
open hostility with us. This distinction,
however, is not quite clear, for the
same opinion, as rendered by Justice
Field, goes on to say that ''to constitute
a Lowing IF war thnra Ouct no on