The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-04-13

Continued from First Page)
quers the whole world and loses its
faith in the doctrine that righteous
ness eXalteth a nation?"
Mr.. Bryan was a member of the
resolutions committee of the Balti-
more convention and his observations
on the platform constitute his first ut
terance on the subject. Mr.. Bryan
argues that there are two planks in
the Baltimore platform. pertinent to
the discussion, one which declares the
belief of the democratic party in the
ENCOURAGEMENT of the merchant ma
rine but states that it should be de-
veloped without imposing additional
burdens upon the people and without
bounty or subsidies from the public
treasures" and a second plank de-
claring in favor of the exemption
from tolls of American coastwise
ships. Mr. Bryan declares that the
opposition to bounties is a doctrine
for which the democratic party has
stood from time immemorial" He
refers TO the exemption plank as a
little plank and to the pronounce
ment on bounties and subsidies as the
larger pIank'' and says:
THE LARGER PLANK.
What opiate does the little plank
contain that it can make those who
accept it oblivious Of the larger plank?
BY what rule of construction can the
large one ignored The secret of the
strange power exerted by the little
plank is to be found in the fact that
it carefully cOnceals the means by
which it is to be carried out Had the
word subsidy or bounty been in
serted in this plank it could not have
secured the endorsement of the con-
Vention because tee contradiction be-
tween this plank and the larger plank
would have been Immediately appa-
hn o- II hno Il
in the drawing of this plank that was
used in the drawing of the plank on
the merchant marine: We favor the
exemption from toll of American ships
engaged in coastwise trade passing
through the canal but without lmpos- |
ing additional burdens upon the peo- |
pie and without bOuntieS or subsidies |
from the public treasury.
But even if the platform had not |
contained within itself a complete re- |
futation of the position taken by the |
advocates of free tolls, the president |
would have been justified in the pos |
ition that he took by the changed con- |
ditions which confronted him. A plat |!
form is a pledge and is as biSding |
upon an official as the command OF a !
military officer is upon a subordinate |
the statement cannot be made |
stronger. But the subordinate officer |
is sometimes compelled to act upon |
his judgement where a change of |
which the commanding officer is not |
aware has taken place in conditions |
1t is not only the right of the subordi- !
nate to judge the situation for him !
self where conditions have changed /
since the order was given, but it is his |
duty to do SO. In the case under con-
the president takes rcspon-
sibility for an official act which he |
regards as necessary for his countrys
welfare, and the people must decide |
whether or not he is justified; and |
those who refuse to act with him also |
assume responsibility and they, too,
must abide the judgment of the pub
lie. Such a change has taken place
since the Baltimore platform was
Had the democrats in con-
vention assembled been confronted by
the condition which now exists and
had they known what those now know
who voted for repeal, no such plank
would ever have been placed in the
platform. The conventions attention
was not even brought to the fact that
a majority of the democrats in the
house had voted against the free tolls
and that it had in fact been
passed by a combination of a minor
ity of the democrats and a majority of
the republicans"
Mr.. Bryan says that platform planks
dealing with international questions.
must be accepted with the under
standing that we act jointly with
other nations in international affairs
that even if the plank had not been
by another plank in the
platform and even if it had not con-
cealed a subsidy policy repugnant to
democratic principle and history, that
even if conditions had not changed,
4 platform plank should be taken on
questions as the ex-
preston of a wish rather than as the
of a. determination. for no
nation can afford to purchase a small {
adyantage in the face of a universal {
protest" II
IF a nation. continued the secre- |
.ary. desire to array itself against
he world, it should be sure that the
hing which it is to gain, is worth (
Hhat it costs. The president, know &
ng that every commercial nation ex- s
cent our own CONSTITUTES the treaty as I
Of a0u2I l..