The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-10-30
BRYAN WILL OBEY LAW
As to Payment of Government
Bonds in Silver or Gold.
REPLIES TO SERIES OF QUESTIONS
Withdrawal Of Army from the Philippines
and Declaration Of Their Independence
ms soon rs stable Government Can Be
Estabiished-Ia Turn, Asks n Number Of
Questions fer some Responsible Repub-
hcan 10 Answer-The Monroe Doctrine.


hcan 10 Answer-The Monroe Doctrine.
Wilmington, Del, Oct. 24.-The first o.
Mr. Bryan 5 night meetings in this city
was held IN a big tent, and while the
meeting began much earlier. Mr.. Bryan
| did not appear until 3 O'Clock He had
long and busy day, and found it necessary
TO take an unusually prolonged rest after
| his arrival in this city. The tent was
crowded 10 suffocation, and there were
| far more people on the outside of the tent
| and in its immediate vicinity than there
were on the inside OF the canvas.
The great crowd yelled Itself hoarse
when NJ Bryan entered, and some time
was required to secure quiet After in
/ Producing his speech by expressing MS
| qualification at being present. Mr.. Bryan
| took up the issues Of the campaign. lie
| took cOgnizance OF a series of questions
| propounded to him by John p NieIds, of
! this city. These questions were as fol-
| lows:
!. VIII he. If elected President, as
| commander-in-chief. Immediately with
| draw the army from the Philippine ISL
| ands?
2. How soon does he contemplate that a
| stable form of government can be given
10 the Philippine Islands?
3. How soon, after a stable form of gov
| eminent is established. does he propose
! that Congress shall declare the indepen-
/ dence OF these islands?
| /. How soon after a stable form of gov
| eminent is established and Independence
I Is declared does he propose that the Amer
/ lean protectorate over the Philippine ISL
| ands shall continue?
>. VIII he pay the obligations OF this
! government in silver or gold if elected
/ President?
Mr.. Bryan read the questions, and re-
! Piled, as he proceeded to each of the In
! quiries. He said, in effect, that he would
! get the army out OF the Philippines as
| soon as possible, and with reference to
! the payment of the national debt, that he
would obey the law.
His Policy in the Philippines.
introducing the subject, Mr.. Bryan said;
II l were to permit a Republican in
each town 10 select the subjects which
was to discuss l am afraid that every
where some Republican would avail him
! sell OF the opportunity in order to prevent
| my discussing the things Republicans did
L
| that some questions were to be asked.
! suggested that IL was only proper that
| the Republican committee should back
| the questions so that there would be a re-
! spoasible party known in the transaction.
/ have not heard yet whether the Repub-
/ iican committee was willing to ask these
questions on its responsibility or not, but
/ thought that | would make an excep-
| ton Of this case and answer the i've
questions and then ask some"
He then took up the questions and re-
| piled 10 them seriatim, as follows:
As a reply to the first question he quot
| ed from his speech of acceptance. saving.
Il stated that if elected President would
| Immediately convene Congress in extraor-
binary session and would ask Congress
to declare the nations policy to be to es-
tablish stable government in the Phil
ippine Islands, as we are now establish
ing a stable government in Cuba; TO de-
clare our purpose to give independence
TO the Filipinos as we have promised to
/ give independence TO the Cubans; 10 de-
clare our purpose to give protection to
( the Filipinos as we have promised to give
/ protection TO the Cubans and have for
! seventy-five years given protection to the
| republics of Central and South America"
| Less Time Than X e q uired in Cuba,
| On the second question. he said: mo
one has attempted TO fix the number of
! hours or days or weeks or months neces-
sary, but l will say this, that l believe
that we could establish stable govern
ment in the Philippine Islands in less
| time than the Republican party has estab-
! lished one in Cuba, and that l think
| can promise you that our officials would
! not embeZZle as Republican officials have
embezzled Cuban money"
| To the third question, he answered that
! in his speech of acceptance it was pro-
posed to give them independence as soon
| as their stable government is established
The phrase and ''as soon" means "imme-
diately' in our language; 1 don't know
what il means in Republican, and answer
ing the fourth question, he said:
IF the questioner had read my speech
| he would have seen that there was no
| limit on the protectorate, and we believe
| that this nation can assert the doctrine
| that when this nation helps a republic to
| stand upon its feet the ground wherein
it stands is holy ground, and that no king
shall ever set his foot on st."
| On the fifth question, relative 10 pay
| ing the obligations of this government
in silver or gold if elected President, he
| said:
Il want the Republicans who want that
| question answered to first find out what
| the law requires, and then | want them
to know that If elected President will
! enforce that law just as ! will enforce
| the law against trusts and put striped
clothes on big thieves as well as little
| thieves But if you ask me to construe
a Republican law, / reply that | shall
not cOnstrue a law until ii becomes my
| duty TO enforce it,
| MIR. Bryan Asks Questions in Tutn.
| Having replied to the questions. Mr.
| Bryan then propcunded some of his own.
| He said:
| Now. I want TO ask Ave questions, and
| when | ask these questions. ] want some
responsible man 10 answer them. 1t Is
| hardly fair for a man who has no respon-
sibility 20 place his responsibility against
| that Of one who has responsibility placed
upon him by a party. and | want your
| party leaders 10 answer the questions
| that am going to ask.
| Mr.. Bryan then quoted from the Presi-
| dents message of December s. 1885 rec
| ommending the increase of the army 10
| 10000 men. and asked If the Republican
| PARTY, through any one authorized 10
! speak. will declare that Republican sue
| cess this fall means a standing army OF
/ 0.o00 in this country.
| His second question was: IF the Dec
! laration OF Independence is true, that
/ governments derive their just power from
! the consent of the governed. ! want 10
ask how you can Duy the right to govern
/ people or secure title 10 them by force
/ The third question was: rs the Filipino
/ going TO be a citizen or a subJect2' and
/ the fourth question: can you purchase
trade with human blood?'
Monroe Doctrine in the Pacific.
The fifth question related 10 the estab-
/ lishment OF a protectorate in the Philip
pine Islands. concerning which Mr.. Bryan
said: Republicans say that We cannot
protect the Filipino without a great deal
| of trouble We have protected the repub-
| lies Of Central and South America for
seyenty-five years. and We have had no
authority IL those South American re-