The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-01-24
BRYAN GIVES HIS POSITION.
HE is AG AINSC IMPERIALISM.
Our Intentions Towards tn. Islands
should b Mad Kn wn-IIc Writes
an Interview To Prevent Errors

VIM. Jennings Bry8n, Of n ,brasky
the ID D5mocratic standard D arcr /
1896 spent Il day in WASHINGTON in-
week IN conference with d mocratt
'aders, when several Qu4stioos ,
party polcy and political managemcn
were under considerations The rr
suit oi the cDafereLco is stated AS fol
lows:
Frst, that Mr Bryan is nos oppose,
to Nv York ~ the place for no diuA
the national convention.
Second, that the party platform will
oa IN al ess ntials the platfor N OF 1896
the only changes in the written ducu
men being those necessary ~ meet th,
Cuaugud conditions.
Third. that on the Philippine Quc,
zion the party will take u strong st.nu
dy"lnst permanent retention.
F,urth, that while the territorial
quest on will, vhey feel, in all prob .bil
.Cy be that most discussed ia the cain.
paIgn, the Democratic leaders mani.
lest no disposition to put tle money
| question TO The rear, but Oh the con.
.rary they profess to believe that b..
cause ,f .he Republican advocacy of
TIC SIM le god standard and III! pas.
sage oI tn pending currency buil tne
d. mucrat, Will ue AZ better advantage
than they were in 1896, when they had
TO defend their plan for plmcta, ism
against R1pu biican claims OF frieLd.
ship Tor the white metal.
When Mr.. Bryan was asked Concern
ing the rsEorts lha. some Of his Wes
tern friends and Supporters had u"yed
o0Jtctlor To tao selection OF New York
as the place for holding the national
convention, Mr. Bryan said that he had
expressed and would express u absolutely
no preference In this regard. h G added
that 1T Is Is TACT that he has no prefer
eDce the matter of the place and the
time for b, lding the cOuvention is in
the hands OF the national committee,
and hc should certainly do nothing to
lDh Lcnce the acU!On Of the committee
against any Of the cities making ap-
pilcatlOn for the convention. Some OF
thO-e who talked with Mr. Bryan be-
nina the closed doors Of the committee
room expressed the opinion that the
natlJnai comnitteu's decision would
lie between Milwaukee and New York.
argument being made in behalf OF
Milwaukee is that the presence of the
convention there would show to the
German vute"s of the Northwest tn
sincerity of the d .mOcrat; in declaring
against any sLep toward colonial
form Oi government, such rs would en-.
tail large increase ~ the standing
army and the cong gu ut militar.sm
against which the Germans auu utuer
foreigners are supposed to be 30
strongly arrayed. The application OF
the same argument with regard to
New York makes the Eastern metro.
poils the second choice Of many Of those
who arc In favor OF Milwaukee as their
first choice. Those who talked with
Mr. Bryan in the conferences saw tha.
he carefully avoid d an expression 0!
uplL lou or Of choice. 1t Is the lmpres.
sion among leading ID smocra,s that the
lie, d ls abs )lutcly open ant that with
the proper kind Of Ctf5r New York;
caance will be ex telent
Tnere WAS more talk upon the Phil
ippine Question than anything else.
Mr.. Boy an was called upon moro than
once TO correct the impression given
by an interview published in Minne-
apoiis end telegraphcd throug hout the
counIry which seemed to present hlm
as having gone over to the expansion
side OF the controversy. He exp aimed,
however, that the chief mistakes arose
from the Interpretation plaC el upon
the interview rather than from the
interview Itself.
have not changed my position on
the principles involved in the Pnilip-
pine controversy since my first utter
arcs immediaLely after came out OF
the 8riny," said he. Everything !
nave said has been so misprcsenLuu
and distorted by the Republican press
tnat the Impression may have been
C c'eatcd Of change on the line you sug-
gest, but | assure you there have been
no changes. AT that time maintained
that we could secure by holding na-
nj OF in mi
possible advantage that could be had
by retaining the entire group Of is
lands. Looking ut the question purely
from q selfish standpoint, have never
seen any argument that proved the
contrary.
In order that there might be no mis-
take about his position on expansion,
MIR. Bryan wrote With his own hand
the following Interview with himself,
writing out the questions as well as the
answers
What about the Minneapolis inter
view Have you changed your views
on expansion ?'
Not in the least. The interview rs
sent out contains some things that |
did not say. | am advocating today
given out the day after resigned from
the army, December l3, 1898. am
opposed to imperialism. am opposed
to the permanent retention OF the
Philippines.
IL believe that this eovcrnm snl
saOuld at once declare Its purpOs to
give Independents TO the Fitiplnos 90
the same terms that independence has
been promised to the Cubaas, and be.
lieve further that we should prot5ct
the FiIipinos from outs de iute ference
" hile they work out their destiny, lust
rs we have projected the South Amer.
lean aud Central American republics.
am opposed to expansion. Each pro.
posed annexation must be settled upon
it's own merits. | have tried " ais.
nguish between tn, peaceful cx:en-
5 on OF the limits Of q republic and
the change of republic into an en-
pire."
Mr.. Bryan is a strong clever In the
ABILITY OF the FIlipinOS to work out
their own salvation und,r the proLec
tion Of this government. H. does not
believe IN sucn cvasivo promises OF u
future Independence as will leave H.
In the power OF those who may b, in
control OF this governmt mt t. postpone
iuu fnitely the creation OF an indep IN
dent Filipino government on tho pea
II lat the people thcre lot have attaic.
ed to the highest intelligence and civi.
lization according to tlc American
8 andard.
t Wa baUe ypt a lonp atort of ybo,,