The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1901-06-08

11R. Bryan Scores United States
supreme Court.
Kansas City. Mo-, June s.-Wm.
]. Bryan addressed the : Jackson
County Democratic Club tonight,
taking for his sublet "The Outlook"
The Auditorium. holding 1900,
vas packed. Mr.. Bryan was es-
pecially severe in his arraignment
Of the Supreme Court because of
its decision in the lnsular cases:
He said in part:
81 believe we have the best gov
eminent conceived by man, and
that it will remain the best govern
ment if the Supreme Court will
leave 1t alone. In discussing the
outlook for our party will say that
the things which we must ever ad-
vocate are organization and princi-
Piles. We were well organized In
1906, and had the confidence of our
supporters. believe that our stand
in 1906 saved the Democratic party
from absolute humiliation. We were
organized in 1900, and our supper
tiers believed us to be honest. There
were men purporting to be Demo-
Gratis who did not support US dur ing
those two campaigns. Now these
men are suggesting a reorganiza-
ton. These so-called reorganlzers,
who did not represent 90 per cent
of our Democratic voters in 1896,
and who represented a smaller per-
centage of our number in 1900,
would now dominate the party. A
man who supported the Republican
party in 1896 must have a big
change of heart before he tries to
lead the Democratic party. The
party must convert the men who
have been opposing it, and it must
not be converted by them.
eff the Supreme Court decision
on our insular possessions, by which
nine men, by a majority OF 'ne,
decided to convert this republic
into an empire, had been given be-
fore election the result would have
been different. The American Peo-
pie have not yet voted on Imperial
ism. We charged it, but they de-
MED it. Since the election the peo-
pie have learned that our charge
was right.
1--WE should not resort to expedi-
ency. Only principles will win.
~L;10e@-hx, afford
to be in the minority, but 1 cannot
afford to be wrong.
ssThe decision of the Supreme
Court does not settle the question.
decision in the bred Scott case,
ssThat decision was law in that
case.'
ssIt takes more than five Supreme
Court judges to annul the Constitu
ton of the United States My OBJ
lection to that decision is that 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 can trust Congress.
We would not like to trust Congress
without our Constitution. I do not
object to imperialism because an
emperor is necessarily bad, but be-
cause he denies the people their
only source of power.
ssThe decision of the Supreme
Court strikes at constitutional iber-
ty. Justice Brown says that par
haps the Porto Ricans will have
liberty of speech, liberty of the
press and other liberties that we
enjoy. 1 don't 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 perpetual. The wages Of sin is
death in a nation as in an individual
but when nation is good it lives.
If we abandon the Declaration of
independence and the Constitution
we shall die. We must appeal to
the conscience Of the people. I
want this to be world power, but
a power for good, not for evil. 1
don't want If 70 he great because its