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AUGUST 19. 1M4.
The Commoner.
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having both tho disposition and the
courage to enforce existing law. While
this is my view of the scope of the
common law, if It should he made to
appear that it is a mistaken one, then
I favor such further legislation with
in constitutional limitations as will
give the people a just and full measure
of protection.
"It Is difficult to understand how
any citizen of the United States, much
less a descendant of revolutionary
stock, can tolerate the thought of per
manently denying the right of self
government to the Filipinos. Can we
hope to instil into the minds of our
descendants reverence and devotion
for a government by tho people, while
denying ultimately that right to the
inhabitants of distant countries, whoso
territory we have acquired either by
purchase or by force? Can wo say to
the Filipinos, 'Your lives, your lib
erty and your property may bo taken
from you without due process of law
for all times,' and expect we will long
glory in that feature of magna charta
which has become incorporated, in
substance and effect, into the consti
tution of every state, as well as into
the fourteenth amendment tp tho con
stitution of the United States?
"Can we hope for the respect of the
civilized world, while proudly guar
anteeing to every citizen of tho United
States that' no law shall be made or
enforced which shall abridge the priv
ileges or Immunities of citizens of the
United States or deny to any person
the equal protection of, the laws, and
at the same time not only deny simi
lar rights to the Inhabitants of the
Philippines, but take away from them
the right of trial by jury and place
their lives and the disposition of their
property in the keeping of those whom
we send to them to be their govern
ors?.. We shall certainly rue it as a
nation if we make any such, attempt.
Viewing the question even from tho
standpoint of national selfishness,
there is no prospect that the $20,000,
000 expended in the purchase of the
islands and the ?G50,000,000 said to
have been since disbursed will ever
come back to us. The accident of war
brought the Philippines into our pos
session, and wo are not at liberty to
disregard the responsibility which thus
came to us, but that responsibility will
be best subserved by preparing the is
landers as rapidly as possible for self
government and giving them the 'as
surances that it will come as soon as
they are reasonably prepared for it.
"There need be no fear that the as
sertion so often made of late, that we
have now become a world power, will
then be without support. Ours is a
world power, and as such it must be
maintained, but I deny that it is at all
recently that the United States has at
tained that eminence. Our country
became a world power over a century
ago, when, haying thrown off foreign
domination, the" people established a
free government, the source of whose
authority sprung, and was continuous
ly to proceed, from the will of the
people themselves. It grew as a world
power as its sturdy citizens, to whoso
natural Increase were added immi
gration from tho old world; seeking
to obtain'here the liberty and prosper
ity denied them in their own countries,
spread over the face of the land, re
duced the.pralries and forests to cul
tivation, built cities, constructed high
ways and railroads, till now a nation
"which at the formation of the govern
ment numbered only 3,000,000 million
in population, has become 80,000,000,
and from ocean to ocean and the lakes
to the gulf, the country is tho abode of
a free and prosperous people, advanced
in the highest degree n the learning
of arts and arte of civilization. It is
the liberty, the advancement and the
Prosperity of its citizens, not any
career of conquest, that make the
country a -world power. This condi
tion wo owe to tho bounty of provi
dence, unfolded in tho great natural
resources of tho country, to the wis
dom of our fathers manifested in tho
form of government established by
them, to the energy, industry, moral
character and law-abiding spirits of
tho people themselves.
"We aro not a military people, bent
on conquest, or engaged In extending
our domains in foreign lands or de
sirous of securing natural advantages,
however great, by force; but a peo
ple loving peace, not only for our
selves, but for all the nations of the
earth.
"The display of great military ar
maments may please the eye, and, for
the moment, excite tho pride of tho
citizen, but it can not bring to the
country the brains, brawn and musclo
of a single immigrant, nor induce tho
Investment hero of a dollar of capital.
Of course such armament as may bo
necessary for tho security of tlie coun
try and the protection of the rights of
its citizens, at homo or abroad, must
be maintained. Any other course
would be not only false economy, but
pusillanimous. I protest, however,
against the feeling, now far too prev
alent, that by reason of the command
ing position we have assumed In the
world, we must take part in the dis
putes and broils of foreign "countries;
and that becauso wo have grown great
we should intervene in every import
ant question that arises in othor parts
of the world. I also protest against
the erection of any such military es
tablishment as would be required to
maintain the country in that attitude.
Wo should confine our international
activities solely to matters in which
the rights of the country or of our
citizens are directly involved. That Is
not a situation of isolation, but of
independence.
'The government of the United
States was. organized solely for the
people of the United States. While it
was contemplated that this country
should become a refuge for the op
pressed of every land, who might bo
fit to discharge the duties of our citi
zenship,, and while wo have always
sympathized with tho people of every
nation in their struggles for self-government,
the government was not cre
ated for a career of political or civil
izing evangelization in foreign coun
tries, or among alien races by inter
vention in their affairs. The most ef
ficient work we can do in uplifting
the people of other countries is by
the presentation of a happy, prosper
ous self-governing nation as an Ideal
to be emulated, a model to be followed.
The general occupation of our citizens
in the arts of peace, or the absence
of Jarge military armaments, tends to
impair neither patriotism nor physi
cal courage, and for- the truth of this
I refer the young men of today to
the history of the civil war. For fifty
years, with the exception of the war
with Mexico, this country had been
at peace, with a standing army most
of the time of less than 10,000 men.
Ho who thinks that the nation had
grown effeminate during that period
Should read the casualty rolls of the
armies on either side at Shiloh, An
tletam, Fredericksburg and Gettys
burg, at Stone River and Chickamauga.
I would bo the last man to pluck a
single laurel from the crown of any
one of the military heroes to whom
this country owes so much, but I in
sist that their most heroic deeds pro
ceeded infinitely more from devotion
to the country than from martial
spirit.
"As I have already proceeded at too
great length, other questions suggested
hi the platform must await my letter
of acceptance.
"Mr. Chairman: In most graceful
speech you have reminded me of the
great responsibility, as well as the J
great honor of tho nomination be
stowed upon mo by the convention you
represent this day. Be assured that
both aro appreciatedso keenly appre
ciated that I am humbled in thoir
presence.
"I accept, gentlemen of tho commit
tee, tho nomination and If tho ac
tion of tho convention shall bo in
dorsed by an election by tho people,
I will, God helping mo, give to the
discharge of tho duties of that exalted
office the host service of which I am
capable and at tho end of the term
retire to private life. I shall not bo
a candidate for, nor shall i accept a
rcnomination. Several reasons might
be advanced for this position, but tho
controlling one with me is that I am
fully persuaded that no incumbent of
that office should over be placed in a
situation of possible temptation to
consider what the effect of action
taken by him in an administrative
matter of great Importance might havo
upon his political fortunes. Questions
of momentous consequence to all of
tho people have been in the past and
will be in the future presented to the
president for determination, and ap
proaching this consideration, as well
as in weighing tho facts and the ar
guments bearing upon them, he should
be unembarrassed by any possible
thought of the influence his decision
may havo upon anything whatever
that may affect him personally. I make
this statement, not in criticism of any
of our presidents from Washington
down who have either hold the office
for two terms or sought to succeed
themselves; for strong arguments
could be advanced in support of tho
re-election of a president. It is sim
ply my judgment that the interests
of this country arc now so vast and
the questions presented are frequently
d such overpowering magnitude to tho
people that it is indispensable to the
maintenance of a befitting attitude
before the people, not only -that tho
chief magistrate should be Indepen
dent, but that that independence
should bo known of all men."
Mr. Bryan's New Platform
Big newspaper guns have been
turned on William Jennings Bryan,
because of his new platform. He has
nailed his colors to the mast, and will
advocate, regardless f the result of
the national election: "
State ownership and operation of
railways.
Government ownership and opera
tion of telegraphs.
Popular election of federal judges
and United States senators.
Local nomination of postmasters.
His enemies, and he has them in
clusters, say that the platform Is
stark, staring, howling madness, and
not even worth discussing.
But aro any of the Issues he has
touched on well regulated, from the
people's standpoint, today?
There is being built up, by mergers
and gentlemen's agreements, a rail
road trust in this country that will
eventually, if not checked, outdo any
combination of capital and power
hitherto dreamed if. It is dangerous
in its possibilities and in its immoral
propensities.
Why shouldn't the government
transmit communications by wire as
well as by mail? It has shown its
ability to perform the latter service
with less error and greater dispatch
than a private company could hope to
equal.
The misuse of power by federal
judges has given growth to a popular
hatred for that particular branch of
authority. The fact can not be dodged.
Perhaps the plain people are wrong,
but they hate well.
The election of United States sena
tors has become a synonym for boo
dle, and seats in the "Millionaires'
Club," at Washington, are purchased
as surety as the sun shines.
It Is an advanced platform, but to
call it "howling madness" Is to stamp
ovcry now Ism as dementia. Munici
pal ownership has been called folly,
and 'tiomo of the best minds In tho
country were and arc convinced that
high protection Is highway robbery,
and ho it goes all along the line of
things untried.
Mr. Bryan serves his country by
forcing tho people to think. He doesn't
ring the boll every tlmo, but with mil
lions of brains in action thero must
cortainly come light that will lead
this good and fairly prosperous land
into paths that will bring those who
aro down up, without pulling those
who aro up down.
America needs moro prosperity for
all, a wiser and moro honest division
of things that aro good. Cincinnati
Post.
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