Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-23
Mr.. Bryan and His Issues.


"Mr. Bryan has said that a man worthy
to lead a great cause should be willing
to die for it, In 1900 Mr.. Bryan SAID
that if any one said he had changed his
mind about free silver he was falsiiier.
Yet Mr. Bryan made the platform OF this
year, and that platform has omitted men
ton of free silver: and Mr.. Bryan says
| that a candidate is bound by what the
platform omits as we'll as by what IT CON
| tains. Therefore. Mr.. Bryan has either
| discarded free silver as BELIEF or ne mas
omitted it this year as a matter OF po-
| litical expediency still believing in the
doctrine If he still believes In free Sill
| yer it is obvious that he no longer thinks
| 1t necessary to die for 1t. If he does not
believe in it, then he has been convinced
| that he made stupendous mistakes in 1896
and 1900 when he forced the issue on his
party.
| Maybe Mr. Bryan considers that he died
for silver in 1896 Certainly there was
nothing left of him on that issue at the
close of the polls that year.
And maybe he considers that he died
for anti-imperialism in 1900. He trum-
peted loudly on that issue. and drew to
his side men like Carl Schurz, who had
opposed him four years before on silver.
But the country voted against scuttle.
It was decided to keep the flag flying in
| the Philippines.
And maybe Mr.. Bryan considers that
| he died again in 1904 when he supported
| a man whose nomination he had opposed
as unfit to be made, and a platform
which he had denounced in committee as
unworthy of adoption. Never was a poll
tican obliged, for regularity's sake, to do
| a more repulsive thing than was Mr..
Bryan in that campaign.
This time Mr.. Bryan wants to live for
| something and SO limits himself. His
affections in the main are centered on is
sues untried. His panacea for trusts, and
his plan for insuring bank deposits, are
| new, and do not smell of the grave. If
necessary he will die for them.
But can Mr.. Bryan free himself from
| the issues he has died for? He has been
asked what he would do in case the
money question became acute during his
presence in the White House. 1t is quite
| as fair and pertinent to ask him also what
he would do as President in case Of a
serious and widespread revolt against
American authority in the Philippines.
There would be danger of that. Mr..
Bryan would not be able to lower the flag
| in the archipelago. but those Filipinos
who are impatient for independence could
| not be easily brought to believe SO. He
| stands in their eyes as their champion in
this country. and they would expect him
| to work wonders as President in their be-
half. If he failed them they might make
rush for the bushes, and renew their
old tactics of armed opposition to Amer
lean rule. Feeling they had been deceived
they might make our difficulties in the
islands greater than ever
There would be but one thing in such
circumstances for Mr.. Bryan to do. AS
President he would have to maintain au-
thority by force. and force would be en-
ployed. But it would give the anti-im-
perialists in and around Boston a fright
full turn to see the army and navy en-
ployed under Mr.. Bryan's commander i'll
chiefship subduing the little brown brother
| and bringing him to order again. And, if
the expression is allowable, the joke would
| be also on Mr.. Bryan.