The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-09-11
BRYAN'S ADVANTAGE.
Has offered a Di1emma From Which 1t
is Hard to Escape.
CNew York Evening Post.}

CNew York Evening Post.}
The melancholy condition of apathy
which causes so much concern TO Sen
ator Hanna is likely to be d if Mr..
BRYAN keeps on talking as plainly as
ne did yesterday. He took hold Of one
of the most cherished of the republi-
can scarecrows-the awful sacrilege
OF hauling down Old Glory"-and
showed up its composition very happi-
". He pointed out that the admins
tratIon IS now engaged in hauling
down the flag in Alaska, for the very
good reason that it was flying over
territory that did not belong to US.
He asked whether the fact that the
flag had been raised over Pekin COM
PEELED US 10 maintain an army perma-
nently there to keep il from being
hauled down. And he inquired partic-
uIarly as TO the matter OF hauling down
the flag in Cuba. Is President McKin-
ley going to haul down our flag when
the Cubans set up a government, or
not? If he is not going TO haul IL
down, what is the meaning of our talk
OF Cuban freedom and independence?
If he is going to haul il down, what
does he mean by talking as il the act
was a sacrilege? On this subject Mr..
Bryan has scored a distinct advantage.
He has offered the republican orators
a dilemma, from which they can es-
cape only after the manner of the cut
tlefish. They have formed the habit
of uttering a large p~latitude, n pass
ing it off on patient audiences, with
the idea that il would be received as
profound wisdom. Now they have to
deal with an orator who is not afraid
10 expose their sham patriotism, and
who makes their most exalted and i'm
pressive appeals ridiculous. Mr.. Bry-
an is vulnerable enough himself but
his adverSarieS are vulnerable on the
subjects which most interest the pub
lie and in spite of their protests n
evasions, he seems likely to keep them
on the defensive.
Mr.. Bryan did not cOnfine himself to
ridiculing the republicans, but laid
down some sound and true doctrine
concerning Imperialism in general, and
its recruits in the Philippines in par
ticular. Imperialism, he declared. is
the doctrine of the bully and the cow
ard. The spirit that carried US into
the Philippine islands will lead us
wherever we "a find a people weak
enough to be conquered. He took the
position, clearly and definitely, that We
had no title to the Philippine islands,
according to the declaration of indie
w -
is better to nave two flags, represent
ing two republics, han one republic
representing IN empire; and when the
American flag comes down in the Phil
ippine islands, it will be replaced by
the flag of a republic established by
their inhabitants. This bold and ag-
gressive attitude will be likely to win
over many doubtful voters to Mr.. Bry-
ans support. 1t appeals to the senti-
ments of justice and generosity in man
kind. and such sentiments are very
powerful political forces when they
can be aroused. To meet these APP
peals the republicans are miserably
equipped. SO far as justice is concern
ed, all that they can plead is that we
paid Spain $40, 900, 900 for her title to
the Philippines, at the end of a war
waged on the ground that her colonial
government was so bad as to annul
her title to Cuba. On the score of gen
crosby, the best that the republicans
say is that our government has killed
a large numbe of FilipinOs, in order
to impart civilization to the survivors.