The age-herald., 1900-08-27
CHARLES DENBY
 ATTACKS BRYAN
Defends the lmperiaIiStic Policy
 ot Mckinley.
A REPUBLICAN DOCUMENT
MT. Denby Attempts to Argue That by Advocating the Ratification of the Peace Treaty MT. Bryan
 Started Imperialism

Chicago, August 26.-The Hon. Charles Denby of Indiana, Ex-United States Min ister to China and member of the first commission to the Philippines, who was a Democrat, has written letter urging the reelection of President Mckinley. It is entitled, "Bryan's Attitude Towards the Philippines" and is made public by the Republican National Committee. The let ter Is in part as follows:
 ''In his speech of April F, 1900, in the Senate MT. Hoar said that he could not forget that MT. Bryan, unless he is much misrepresented, used all his power and in- fluence with those of his friends who are ready to listen to his counsels to secure the ratification of the treaty. meaning the Paris treaty.
 There were seventeen Democratic Sena- tors who voted for ratification. Two-thirds majority was necessary. The treaty was ratified by one vote.
 MT. Bryan has squarely assumed the responsibility of the ratification.
 we had taken Manila August 13, 1898. In December, 1898, Spain had made a treaty ceding the islands to us. We had occupied them until February 5, 1S99 On that day Aguinaldo made war on us. Our soldiers had to fight for their lives. The treaty was ratified on February 2, 1899. MT. Bryan advised his friends in the Senate to vote to ratify the treaty after the battle of February had been fought. He knew that war had begun. He might readily have forseen what complications might possibly occur out of the existing condi- tions. Then was the time to have talked about the "consent of the governed" and not now, when every speech he makes adds ten names to the roll of our dead, and one hundred to the Filipino dead.
 MT. Bryan having the undoubted power to prevent the ratification of the treaty, actually by his own confession, advised it's ratification. Neither in law nor in mor- als can he be permitted now to secure po- litical advantage from denouncing course of conduct which he himself ad- vised.
 Thought It Safer
 "Mr. Bryan gives as his reasons for ad- vising ratification that he thought 1t safer to trust the American people to give in dependence to the Philippines than to trust the accomplishment of that purpose to di- plomacy with an unfriendly nation.'
 This puts MT. Bryan in the attitude of desiring independence for the Philippines very ardently. Why should he become so suddenly imbued with antagonism to the Democratic principle of expansion ex- emplified by all Democratic statesmen from Jefferson to Voorhees,? If we could stand the annexation of Hawaii, why balk at the acquisition of the Philippines?
 MT. Bryan's own explanation is as fol- lows:
 'I believe that we in better position to wage a successful contest against imperialism than we would have been had the treaty been rejected"
 Here then we have the real reason for this strange parody of Jekyll and Hyde. He wanted to create the bogy of imperial ism in order that he might fight and over come the monster. If. MT. Bryan had op- posed the ratification of the treaty the Filipnos would have gone their way eth- into the arms of Spain or of Germany or into discordant warning and petty states. At all events we would have been done with them. This would not have suited at all, because MT. Bryan wanted to wage a successful contest against i'm perialism. And so imperialism was born and its actual father was William J. Bry- an. He is now endeavoring to destroy his own child Let it be remembered that this extraordinary dread of imperialistic rule
 
 ed the nomination of the fusion Populists or Peoples party. The Populist platform demands that the country should own and operate the railroads in the interest of the people, Is not that imperialism"
 The Philippine Commission
 Mr. Denby then reviews the work of the first Philippine commission which was ap- pointed in January. 1S99 and continues:
 
 fish a civil government for the Philippines It is now at MNila, and the government 1t has framed wlll\be put in operation the first of September, 1900. Is 1t not fair and right to ask that 1t be tested In practice before it Is condemned? It Is believed by the insurgents that Bryan's election will ensure their Independence, and they are en- couraged to hold out. The success of the Democratic party means success for them If the Tagalos quit fighting and take the oath of allegiance on the moment the par amount issue' Is dead, and so is the De- mocracy. In this contest the Democrats stake their all on the continuance of fight ing. It strikes one as odd that a great party should base its hopes of success on the killing and wounding of our troops. Will not a flame of patriotism rise up over the land which will testify that at all hazards we will stand by the flag, that come what may, we will not turn our backs on the Philippines, disgraced and dishonored na- ton? What we may do with the Philippines ultimately is not the question now. The Democratic platform favors an immediate declaration of the nations purpose to give to the Filopinos first a stable form of gov ernment; second, independence, and third protection from outside interference, such as has been given for nearly century to the republics of Central and South Amer ica."
 Stable Form of Government
 "In the list of things to be done, first comes a stable form of government We are trying to give them that now. If we retain them. the third clause. protection will necessarily follow Why, if we do not