The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-06-07
WINDY WILLIE
TALKS SILLY
TO A DEMOCRATIC HARMON
IZING CLUB.
SUPREME COURT DECISION
Looms UP Before His Vision and
Fill His Imagination With
All Kinds of Calamities.
SUPREME COURT DECISION

Kansas City, June 5.-William ].
Bryan addressed the jackson County
Democratic club, taking for his sub
ject. "The Outlook" The Auditorium,
holding 1900 was not large enough
to meet the demands of the occasion.
Bryan was especially severe in his
arraignment of the supreme court be-
cause Of it's decision. In part Bryan
said:
81 stopped off to visit this club be-
cause l have heard that it is a har-
monizing club, and we need just such
clubs all over the country to resist
the effort that is being made to con-
vert the democratic party into the
republican party.
Il believe we have the best gov
eminent eve conceived by man and
that it will remain the best govern.
ment if lie supreme court will leave
it a.one. In discussing the outlook
tor our party, | will say that the two
things which we must ever advocate
are organization and principles. A
minority well organized is more eff.
fective than a majority unorganized.
The organization must have the con-
fidence OF our supporters. We were
we'll organized in 1896 and had the
confidence OF u supporters. l be-
lieVe that our stand in 1896 saved the
democratic party from absolute an
Inhalation. We were organized in 1900
and our supporters believed us to be
honest. There were men, purporting
to be democrats, w1o did not uppor
us during those two campaigns. Now
these men are suggesting reorganiza-
ton. These s%o-calleu reorganizers,
who did not represent 20 per cent of
our democratic voters in 1896, and
VINO represented a smaller percentage
of our number in 1900 would now dom
mate the party.
If the supreme court decision on
our insular possessions, by which nine
men, by a majority OF one, decided to
convert this republic into an empire
had been given before election the re-
suit would have been different. The
American people have noty yet voted on
imprialism. We charged it but they
denied it. Since election the people
have learned that our charge was
right.
1--WE should not resort to expedi-
ency. Only principles will win. My
philosophy is that l can AFFORD to be
in the minority but l cannot afford
to be wrong.
"The decision of the supreme court
does not settle the question. Abra-
ham Lincoln said of the decision in
the bred Scott case: THAT decision
was law in that case 1t takes more
than five supreme court judges to
annul the constitution of the United
States. My objection to that decision
is n a you cannot carry out the logic
OF it without destroying the liberties
of the peoples affected by it. Justice
Brown says that the Porto Ricans
a trust congress. We would not
like to trust congress, without our
constitution. l do not object to i'm
perialism because an emperor is neces.
sally bdu, DuL DCCduSe liz uSul6S L00
people their only source of power.
"The decision of the supreme court
strikes at constitutional liberty. JUS
tice Brown say that perhaps Porto
Ricans will have liberty of speech, lib,
erty of the press and other liberties
that We enjoy. I do not believe in
perhaps rights. Other nations have
tried the doctrine of imperialism and
none has escaped. There is no reason
why this nation should not be perpet-
ual. The wages of sin is death in ma
ton as in individual, but when a ma
ton is good it ilves. If we abandon
the declaration of independence and
constitution we shall die. We must
appeal to the conscience of the people.
l want this country to be a world
power, but also a power for good and
not for evil:A l do not want it to be
great because it's drumbeat can be
heard around the world, but because
it's civilization can be felt everywhere.
tThe time viii come when the Amer.
lean people will become aroused and
right the wrongs of republican doc.
trine. If | we're the only opponent OF
republicanism in the United States
l would be glad to have the fact writ.
ten on my tombstone"