The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-25


ton of Independence that all men are
created equal After qualifying this by
showing that in health, in mind, in
meaning to be that men should not i'm
pose on the weak, that it was wrong TO
take from one for the benefit of another,
that the rights of men should be pro-
tected in the spirit of Justice
He followed this with the idea that in
all ages men have been trying to get
their hands into the pockets of others 10
take from them what is theirs. Without
making any specific application as to
whether he meant by this protective
tariff, as he certainly did when he first
made the argument in 1896, or whether he
meant the money question rthe trust
question, ne drifted away from his Dec
laration text and launched into what ne
must have regarded as a humorous line
of talk. He said Republicans were form
erly independent thinking men. men
made I'D from other parties protesting
against the wrong in those parties. Now
Republicans are athletes who must flop
by order of the boss. AS an illustration,
he referred TO the position OF the Repub-
lican party on international bimetailism.
He says the party Topped from bimetal-
ism in 1899 to international bimetillism
in 1896 and then TO the gold standard in
1900. Mr.. Bryan IS apparently unable to
see the meaning of the money terms he
uses. He does not seem to know that
bimetallism had It's origin in a Dyo-o-
sition for an international agreement. 1t
was not believed feasible by Mr.. Armischi
and Mr. Walker that silver could be
maintained at par with gold without a
concurrent action of the chief nations,
and this plan they designated bimetal-
ism. Mr.. Bryan uses the terms in such
loose way that it is confusing to follow
him.
Mr.. Bryan apparently has no idea that
his hearers will know anything save
what he telsl them. Hence he makes use
of anything that comes to mind regard
less of what may be back of it TO defeat
his argument. For instance he uses the
name of Lincoln and eulogizes this great
man. The idea Of Democratic politician
praising Lincoln without bowling his head
in shame for all the unfriendly and un-
called for abuse heaped upon him in the
hour of his country's trial. abuse that
hurt his sensitive nature beyond meas
ure, seems wholly out Of place. No man
was ever more abused without cause
than Lincoln, and that by Democrats
and men posing as Lincoln Republicans
Bryan is welcome to al 1.-The capital he
can make with the great name of Lin
coin
Mr.. Bryan also uses the name of Lin
coin in that he signed the law making the
greenback legal tender. Suppose he did,
what was the attitude of the Democrats
toward the greenback? Every Democrat
in congress vote1 against the greenback
as unconstitutional In fSs9 the supreme
court held the greenback unconst thu
tional, the court dividing on party lines,
four Democrats to three Republicans
Afterward the court was increased to
nine members and Grant appointed two
Republicans to fill the then two va
cancies and the court held by vote Of
five Republicans to four Democrats in
1870 that the greenback was lawful
money. But at no time did a Democrat.
from 1862 to 1884, have a vote in congress
or a voice in a court decision that he did
not pronounce the greenback uncorsti-
tutional and unlawful Matters like This
do not seem to disturb Mr. Bryan hen
he wants to claim the Democratic party
for the greenback No man can safely
say whether Mr.. Bryan Is profoundly
ignorant in his country's history. or is
oblivious to the ultimate application of
the history he tells in part, or thinks
his hearers don't know a thing or two
When he comes to deal with the trust
question he IS Just as lame and impotent
as on other questions. He was never al
home on any question except the silver
question under Democratic administra-
ton when everything was declining in
price and he could lay all the evils TO
the failure to coin silver at 1e to /. When
he could find an outlet for his denuncia-
ton in that "a protective tariff had slain
its thousands but that the gold standard
had slain its tens of thousands" he was
In his element. But when he comes to
deal with trusts he is hardly plausible
The antitrust law was passed by a Re
publican congress in 1890 on a platform
promise of 1855. II was held by the su-
preme court in 1894 that the law could
have no application to the sugar trust, as
term interstate commerce Bryan was in
congress. What did he do? d did he
offer to abolish, regulate or control the
trust as he now insists the Republicans
ought to do? The fact Is the United
States can only deal with the trust as
it affects interstate commerce, making a
very limited field for action unless the
constitution is changed and enlarged
Bryan's idea of licensing the trust or
corporation by the nation when taken In
It's practical sense is no solution of the
evil whatever. II one should carry for
ward the practical application and IN
quire how the matter Of whether the
concern be or be not a monopoly. how
the rights are to be protected and tried
IN what courts he would soon see the
moonshine in Bryan's trust-busting rem
edy. Again it did not seem to embarrasx
him TO assert that the United States now
has 900. 10000 more gold than four wears
ago, to recall II he did that VIXEN he
predicted the continued outflow Of gold
II Mckinley were elected.
On the Philippine question he asserts
that II we bought the Filipinos them
selves, we were buying men as slaves
II we bought the land we ought 70 Shoot
the land, and not the FIHplnos. We
bought Louisiana and did not ask kthe
consent Of the natives, but did II over
their protest; 50 we did with Florida and
New Mexico. Il this were ever a question
It has been settled for more than fifty
years.
The idea OF esta hlishing a stable gov
eminent for the Filipinos-a people Il
seif-government-ought TO appear ridicul-
Gus The idea OF making ourselves a
protectorate over the Flipinos With all
the cost. responsibility and danger and