Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-08-16

Adlai e. Stevenson was also notified
of his nomination for the Office of vice
president. In reply to the notification
Mr.. Bryan said in part:
MIR. Bryan's Speech.
Mr. Chairman and Members of the No
ification Committees: l shall, at an early
day, and in a more formal manner, ac-
sept the nomination which you tender,
and / shall at that time discuss the Nafl-
Gus questions covered by the Democratic
platform. 1t may not be out OF place,
however, to submit a few observations az
this time upon the general character OF
the contest before us, and upon the queS-
ton which Is declared to be of paramount
Importance in this campaign.
When | say that the contest of 1900 Is a
contest between democracy on the one
hand and plutocraey on the other, / 90
not mean TO say that all our opponents
have deliberately chosen to give 10 or
ganized wealth a predominatng influence
IN the affairs of the government put !
do assert that on the important Issues OF
the day the Republican party Is dominat-
ed by those influences which constantly
tend to elevate pecuniary CONSIDERATIONS
and ignore human rights.
In 1859 Lincoln said that the Republican
party believed in the man and TIE dollar,
but that in case of conflict II believed in
the man before the dollar This Is the
proper relation which should exist be
Sod, comes first money, the handlwork or
man, 8 of inferior Importance. Man Is
the master; money the servant, but upon
all important questions today republican
legiSla ton tends to make money the mas
ter and man the servant.
The maxim of Jefferson. equal rights
to all and special privileges to none, and
the doctrine of Lincoln that this should
be a government "of the people, by the
people and for the people" are being dis
regarded and the Observation-Disclosures of gov
ernment are being used to advance the IN
teTeStS of those who are in position TO
secure favors from the government
The Democratic party is not making
war upon the honest acquisition of
wealth; II has no desire to discourage IN
dustry, economy and thrift. on the con-
trary, it gives to every citizen the great
est possible stimulus TO honest toll, when
it promises him protection in the enjoy
ment of the proceeds of his labor. Prop
erty rights are most secure when human
rights are respected. Democracy strives
for a civilization in which every member
of society will share according to his mer-
its.
No one has a right TO expect from So
ciety more than fair compensation for
the service which he renders to society.
If he secures more, it is at the expense
of someone else. 1t is no injustice to him
to prevent his doing injustice to another.
TO him who would, either through class
legislation or in the absence of necessary
legislation, treSpasS upon the rights OF
another, the Democratic party says Thou
shalt not
Against us are arrayed comparatively
small, but politically and financially pow
erful, number who really profit by Repub-
lican policies; but with them are asso-
c!ated q large number who, because of
their attachment to their party name, are
giving their support to doctrines antag-
Cnistic to the former teachings OF their
own party. Republicans who used to ad-
voCate bimetallism, now try to cosvince
themselves that the gold standard is
coed; Republicans who were formerly at
tached to the greenbaCk are now seeking
an excuse for giving national banks con-
troll of the nations paper money; Repub-
lcanS who used to boast that the Repub-
lican party was paying off the national
debt are now looking for reasons to sup
port perpetual and increasing debt; Re
publicans who formerly abhorred a trust
now beguile themselves with the delu-
sion that there are good trusts and bad
trusts, while. in their minds the line be-
tween the two is becoming more and more
obscure; Republicans who, in times past,
congratulated the country upon the small
expense of our standing army are now
making light of the objections which are
urged against a large increase in the
psJmanent military establishment; Re
pH6licans who gloried in our Independence
VIXEN the nation was less powerful now
i ok with favor upon a foreign alliance;
Republicans who three years ago con-
demned ''forCible annexation as immoral
and even criminal, are now sure that 1t
is both immoral and criminal to oppose
forcible annexation. That partisanship
has already blinded many to present dan
gers is certain; how large portion of
the Republican party can be drawn over
to the new policies remains to be seen.
Criticising the Administration.
For a time Republican leaders were in
Glined to deny to opponents the right to
critcse the Philippine policy of the adj
ministration, but upon investigation they
found that both Lincoln and Clay assert
ed and exercised the right to criticise a
President during the progress of the Mex
lean war
Instead of meeting the issue boldly and
submitting a clear and positive plan for
dealing with the Philippine question, the
Republican convention adopted plat
form, the larger part of which was de-
voted to boasting and self congratulation.
In attempting to press economic ques-
items upon the country to the exclusion
of those which involve the very structure
of our government, the Republican lead
ers give new evidence of their abandon
ment of the earlier ideals of the party and
of their complete SubSerViency to pecu-
piary considerations.
/ was among the number of those who
believed 1t better to ratify the treaty and
end the war, release the volunteers. re-
move the excuse for war expenditures,
and then give to the FilipinOs the indie
pendence which might be forced from
Spain by a new treaty.
In view of the criticism which my ac-
ton aroused in some quarters | take this
occasion to restate the reasons given at
that time. ] thought 1t safer to trust the
American people to give independence to
the Filipinos than to trust the accomplish
ment of that purpose to diplomacy with
an unfrierdly nation. Lincoln embodied
an argument in the question. when he
asked, Can aliens make treaties easier
than friends can make laws" ] believe
that we are now in better position to
wage a successful contest against hnperi-
treaty been rejected. With the treaty rat
ified a clean cut issue is presented be-
tween a government by consent and a gov
eminent by force. and impeTialists must
bear the responsibility for all that hap
pens until the question is settled. If the
treaty had been rejected. the opponents
of Imperialism would have been held re-
sponsible for any international complica-
lions which might have arisen before the
ratification of another treaty. But what
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