The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-01-18
His Old Following Not Behind Him.

His Old Following Not Behind Him.
The people of the Southern States,
where all the largest majorities were
rolled up for Bryan in 1896, are almost
unanimously for expansion. The lead
ing Democratic journals in that sec
ton, which, from political motives,
were at first inclined to oppose the
Republican expansion policy in the
Philippines and elsewhere, have been
compe11ed-by the demonstrations
made that the retention of the islands
will "he1p the South" more, perhaps,
than any section of the country, and
by the steady rise to food-height of
the annexation sentiment which has
always pervaded the South-to change
their attitude. Here, for instance, are
extracts from three of our Southern
exchanges received by yesterdays
mail:
Memphis Commercia1-Appeal: We
have, of course, great respect Tor the
private opinion of Mr.. w. ]. Bryan on
am national question, but it is not law
with us. His position on the expan-
sion question we dissent from very
positively, because we do not regard it
as to the interest of the South. Con-
traction means 1ow-priCed cotton and
the same old pitifu1 struggle every
year in this section, the only hope be-
ing a small crop. Expansion is espec-
tally the doctrine for the South, for it
is synonymous with progress and pros
perity, and we would rather see good
times on the plantations than to have
any mans opinion indicated.
Nashville American: We must con-
TESS we are at loss to see how an
issue for the coming national campaign
can be evolved from the question
expansion and anti-expansion. AS the
erudite Cu1bertson of Texas remarked,
we've done expanded" There are
some people who may not like it, who
may say it is bad thing and a mis-
taken policy, but we have accomp-
1ished it. 1t is a part of our history.
The Philippine islands belong to us as
much as does Texas or Alaska. They
came to us through the fortunes of
war. We paid Spain, which had au-
thority and sovereignty there for over
300 years, $4,000, 900 for them, just as
we paid Russia for Alaska, and just
as we paid France for the Louisiana
territory, embracing the biggest sec
ton of our great country. The Stars
and Stripes are floating over them, and
there the flag will remain. The islands
being ours, we mean to keep them,
just as we mean to keep. Texas and
Alaska, until a greater power can
wrest them from us.
Atlanta Constitution: We have not
sought to annex the Philippines; we
have not gone out of our way in war
of conquest; we have simply fallen
heir to Spain's authority, which must,
through some orderly process, be sue
ceeded by an authority which will be
answerab1e to the civilized world.
It must be remembered that every
one of the journals quoted supported
Bryan in 1896. Similar quotations
could be produced from the foremost
journals in every quarter of the South.
And not only from these, but from
Northern and Northwestern papers
which supported Mr.. Bryan with equal
u
York Journal and the Seattle Times.
1t is one of the political anomalies
of the day that while the people in
all the regions where Bryan's follow
ing was large are. enthusiastic for ex-
pansion, Mr.. Bryan comes to Minneso-
ia to address meeting Eavowedly
- 49, 70 4I1o Sfn
sentiment! The explanation may be
that he believes the loyal Americans
of the South, though afre for expan-
sion, will vote the Democratic ticket
anyway, and that more votes may be
gained in Minnesota and other north
ern states-where he was "snowed
under'' in 1896-by the advocacy of
anti-expansion and copperhead ideas
like those of Gov. Lind, than by any
other method. He is likely, however,
to find himself vastly mistaken. Did
he speak at Minneapolis with the Solid
South behind him on this issue, and a
united Democracy East and West,
holding up his arms, what he has to
say would carry considerable weight
with hearers who like to ''go with the
crowd. But in this instance the crowd
is marching away from Mr.. Bryan, not
with him; and his utterances will
bring forth little fruit, no matter how
painfully Gov. Lind, Rev. w. B. Riley
and others of that un-American stripe
have have sought to prepare the ground
for them.-St. Paul Pioneer-Press.