Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1900-08-17
ACCEPTED THE NOMINATIONS.
BRYAN and Stevenson Speak on The
Paramount issues.

Bryan and Stevenson Speak on Th'
Paramount Issues.
Mr.. Bryan, in addressing the com
mittee, began by saying: ~ shall, a.
an early day. and in more forma
manner, accept the nomination which
you tender, and l shall at that time
discuss the various questions covered
by the Democratic platform. 1t may
not be out of place, however, to sub
init few observations at this time up
on the general character of the contest
before us and upon the question which
is declared to be of paramount I'M
portance in this campaign" He then
in an able and impressive manner por
trayed the present order of things in
this country in contrast to its previous
history and the teachings of Washing
ton. Jefferson, Lincoln and Others, TO-
gether with the mission of the United
States as set forth in its Declaration OF
Independence and Constitution. He
said: "In 1859 Lincoln said that the
Republican party believed in the man
and the dollar, but that in case of con-
f1ict it believed in the man before the
dollar. This is the proper relation
which should exist between the two.
Man, the handlwork of God, comes
first; money. the handiwork OF man,
is of inferior Importance. Man is the
master, money the servant, but upon
all important questions today Repub-
lican legislation tends to make money
the master 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 government of the people, by the
people and tor the people, are being
disregarded and the instrumentallties
of governed are being used to advance
the interests Of those who are in a pO-
sitiOn to secure favOrs from the gov
ernment. The Democratic party is not
making war upon the honest acquisi-
tlOn of wealth; it has no desire to dis
courage industry. economy and thrift.
On the contrary, it gives to every citi-
zen the greatest possible stimulus to
honest toll when it promises him pro-
lection in the enjoyment of the pro
ceeds of his labor. Property rights
are most secure when human rights
are most respected. Democracy strives
for civilization in which every mem
ber Of society will share according to
his m erlts. No one has right to e1
pect from society more than fair COM
pensation for the service which he
renders to society. II he secures more
it is at the expense of someone else. 1t
is no injustice to him to prevent his
doing injustice to another. 10 him
who would, either through class legis-
lation or in the absence of necessary
legislation, trepass upon the rights of
another the Democratic party says:
Thou shalt not. ~ Mr.. Bryan then
gave rapid review of the outcome of
the late war with Spain, in which he
called attention to the fact that the
Republican administration had COM
pleteIy ignored all the principles set
forth by the nation since its birth by
starting out Oh career of imperial
ism which was plunging the country
into all sorts of trouble and piling up q
stupendous public debt. He excoriat
ed the administration in it's attempts
to crush the aspirations of the liberty
loving Filipinos and it's lack OF sym
pathy for the Beers in South Africa
who were fighting the nation on the
same principles for which the colonies
drew the sword to 1876. In further
discussing the Philippine question Mr.
Bryan asked, "What is our title in the
Philippine Islands? Do we hold then
by treaty or by conquest Did we bu!
them or did we take them? Did WI
purchase the people? If not, how dit
we secure title to them? We're they
thrown in with the lands Will tn
Republicans say that inanlmate eartl
has value that when that earth is mold
ed by the divine hand and stamped
| with the likeness of the Creator it be
comes fixture and passes with th
soil? 1t governments derive their jus
powers from the consent of the govern
ed, it is impossible to secure title t.
people, either by force or by purchase
We could extinguish Spain's title b.
treaty but if wehold title we must hOl
| it by some method consistent with ou
ideas of government. When We mad
allies of the Filipinos and armed then
to fight against Spain, we disputes
Spaln's title. If We buy Spain's It'll
we are not innocent purchasers. Bu
even if we had not disputed Spain
title, she could transfer no create
title than she had. and her title wa
based on force alone. We cannot dc
fend such title, but as Spain gave u
a quit claim deed we can honorably tur
the property over to the party in poi
session. There can be no doubt tha
we accepted and utilized the service
of the Filipinos, and that when we di
so we had full knowledge that the
were fighting for their own indepent
ence, and submit history furnishes
example of turpitude baser than oul
if we now substitute our yoke for tt
Spanish yoke. If it was true, as d
clared in the resolutions OF intervel
tion, that the Cubans are and of rigl
ought to be free and independent (la
guage from the Declaration of Ind
pendence) it is equally true that Fill
mos are and ought to be free and ind
l,n.6ont y