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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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Vol. 6. No. 16
Lincoln, Nebraska, May 4, 1906
Whole Number 276
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CONTENTS
Mk. Bxtan's Lketeb
Was 1890 a Dream? t
Armour and Sinclair
. Thk Blind Will Sim .
Gcen. Weaykr on Socialism
Tile Kansas Platform
Mb. Bryan in India
Regulation or Ownership
Washington City Letter
comment on current topics
' r- Home Department
Whether Common or Not
NeVS of the Week
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GOOD FOR THE SOUL
However desirable it, was to defeat "
the;freeiirvdpvitatfpri in 1896, did the
end Justify the means employed to ac
complish that defeat? It is not too much
to say that the money spent in 1896 to
prevent the election of Bryan resulted in
political debauchery, such as was never
before experienced in the United States,
and from which the politics and business
of this country have not even yet re
covered. It is not far from the truth
.to say that the country has suffered more
-by reason of the political corruption of the
1896 campaign than it would have suffered
from the triumph of free silver, lamentable
as that would have been. Bryan's tri
umph of free silver would have given
the markets a terrible shock, but Bryan
could not have really done much harm
in a practical way, and the country would
have made a speedy recovery from the
disaster, but it will take many years to
recover from the effects of the political
debauchery which has been brought about
by the abuse of millions 'of dollars in
political campaigns. Wall Street News.
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Why not catch him coming as well as
going, Mr. Roosevelt?
THE PHILIPPINE PROBLEM
. .;':':'..- Concluded'
Mr. Bryan's Sixteenth Letter
KANSAS DEMOCRACY
The Kansas democrats have ifominated a
ticket composed of men of such high character
that even republican newspapers bear testimony
to its strength. In its local columns the Kansas
City Journal, a republican paper, says: Senator
Harris heads what will generally be conceded to
he the strongest state ticket that Kansas demo
crats have ever placed in the field." In an edi
torial the Journal pays a high tribute to Mr.
Harris. Men of all political parties concede that
the state convention acted wisely m the selection
of its ticket, and it is generally agreed that there
is something more than a fighting sliow for the
Kansas democracy. T.nonn .
It is to bo hoped that every Kansas voter
who believes in bringing the government "back
to the people" will exert himself in the effort
to elect the excellent state ticket nominated at
Topeka.
In speaking of Philippine independence I
have presented some of the reasons given by
Filipinos for desiring it, but there are arguments
which ought to appeal especially to Americans.
If it were our duty to maintain a colonial policy,
no argument could be made against it, because
duties are Imperative and never conflict. If, on
the other hand, the Filipinos desire independ
ence and are capable of self-government, we
cannot justify the retention of the islands un
less we are prepared to put our own interests
above theirs, and even then we must be satis
fied that our interests will be advanced.
In the beginning of the controversy there
.were, many who believed that the Philippine
Islands would become a source of profit to the
United States. It was confidently predicted that
a multitude of Americans would flock to the
islands and find rich reward in the development
of their resources. These hopes have not been
realized. Except in Mindanao, of which I shall
speak later, there is no evidence of any present
or future colonization by Americans. There are
a few Americans engaged, in business in Manila
and at other army posts, but these are in
significent in number and the business jlone by
them is nothing as compared with the cost of
colonialism to the United States. We are main
taining about twelve thousand American soldiers
in the island and five thousand native scouts,
officered by Americans and paid for by the
United States. Besides this outlay for the army,
our Philippine policy has been made the excuse
for a large Increase In our naval expenditures.
While it is difficult to. determine accurately the
annual cost of our Philippine policy to the peo-
pie of the United States, it is safe to" say that
It exceeds the value of all the merchandise that
we export to the Philippine Islands and all the
money made by Americans in the islands, In
cluding salaries paid to Americans from taxes
collected in the Philippines and the expenses
are borne 'by all the people while the benefits
are received by a mere handful. No one, there
fore, can justify the holding of the Philippines
on the ground that they are a pecuniary advan
tage. If it Is urged that we need the Philippine
Islands as a base for the extension of our trade
in the Orient, I answer that it is not necessary
to deny the Filipinos Independence in order to
hold a sufficient number of harbors and coaling
stations to answer all the requirements of trade.
The Filipinos are not only anxious to have the
advantage of our protection, but they recognize
that to protect them we must have harbors and
a naval base. In return for the services we
have rendered them we have a right to ask,
and they would gladly grant, such reservations
as we might need. These reservations could be
properly fortified and would furnish coaling sta
tions both for our navy and for our merchant
marine. It goes without saying that in case
we had war. with an oriental nation, it would
be infinitely better to have the Filipinos sup
porting us, in their own interest as well as out
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