Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-07-19
HOW THE MATTER STANDS.
Col. William J. Bryan Gives an Interesting
Interview.

IHc new 1Ork WOrf0 1OlkS naQ an
interview with Bryan last week and
the result follows:
Il am not only not candidate for
any Office, but have no candidate in
mind for any office. My interest
centers in principles, and men are
important only as they aid in carrying
out these principles.
"The Democratic party stands for
definite, positive principles, and unless
l mistake the sentiments of the masses
the voters will insist upon adhering to
these principles in spite OF the threats
of reorganizers.
"Those who argue from the stand
point of expediency will not have in
fiuence with the voters, because no
one can say what is expedient.
"We may deserve to win and yet
lose, but it still remains that to deserve
to win is the surest road to success"
A reporter of The World asked Mr..
Bryan:
Why do you call Senator Hanna,
of Ohio, the logical candidate of the
Republican party in 19O4?''
1 do not desire Mr.. Hanna's nomi-
nation," Mr.. Bryan replied, "because
| do not think that one should desire
bad thing, however hopeful he may
be that good will come out OF it. Mr..
Hanna is the logical candidate of the
Republican party because he repre-
sents the dominant force in that
party, which is commercialism. He
thinks in his pocketbook and talks
with his money, and is fitting repre-
sentative Of the greed which dictates
the policy for which the Republican
party now stands.
"Mr. Roosevelt better represents
imperialism and the warlike spirit
which was developed by the war of
conquest; but the Republican party
does not support Imperialism because
OF any special love OF war, but because
it regards the holding of the Philip.
pines as profitable to the exploiters
who control the Republican policy.
For that reason ! think Mr.. Hanna
is more likely to be nominated than
Mr.. Roosevelt"
Mr.. Bryan was shown the following
sentence from the speech of Senator
Foraker at Columbus, before the Ohio
Republican State convention: "There
is only one intelligent man in Amer
ica who does not now zee that the de-
feat of Bryan in 1896 saved US from ir-
retrievable disaster and the coroner"
"When Senator Foraker said that
Mr.. Bryan said, che made an unjust
reflection upon the intelligence of
more than 100000 of people, for
there are that many who do not be-
lieve that Democratic victory in
1896 would have brought disaster to
the nation, and they are all sufficient
ly intelligent to deserve the respect OF
Senator Foraker"
"Do you intend to continue your
leadership OF the Democratic party?"
al intend to state the principles
which think best for our nation. If
l have any influence it will be because
the things which / advocate are &C.
ceptable to a large number, and that
is question which neither l nor the
Republican newspapers can decide"
"Have you any views to express as
to the decision of the Supreme Court
in the Porto Rico case?"
eyes," answered Mr.. Bryan, al
have two questions to suggest. They
60 to the root Of the matter, and no
Republican paper, so far as / have
seen, has undertaken to answer them.
First-Is a written constitution a
good thing for the people of the Unit
ed States? If man answers it by
saying no. he attacks the whole the.
ory of constitutional government. If
be answers it by saying 'yes,' he is
confronted by the second question,
which is:
"'Why. then, is written constitu-
ton not good for the people of Porto
Rico?
"In order to defend the Supreme
Court decisions the Republican party
is compelled to assert the principle
which, if carried out, will destroy the
constitution in this country; for, if the
Porto Ricans do not need constitu.
ton to protect them from Congress
which they do not elect and cannot
remove, no one can argue that we
need a constitution to protect us from
a Congress which we do elect and can
remove"