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all future time." 6.

This decision to seize the hole of the Islands came as

a surprise to the people and immediately met with a well or

ganized opposition. The lation greeted the news with the following editorial:

"Dispatches from Paris and washington agree that the Commissioners sent by the United States to arrange with Commissioners of Spain the terms of a treaty of peace, on Monday demanded as one of its features the surrender by Spain to this nation of all the Philippine Islands, as territory of the United States. We do not no discuss the wisdom or folly of annexing this archipelago. We simply point out that its acquisition would mean the incorporation into our system of an immense group of islands on the other side of the globe, occupied by eight millions of people, of various races, that for the most part are either savage or but half-civilized; which the most arden advocates of the policy admits can never become States in the Union, and which, therefore, must constitute colonies of such a sort as were never contemplated by the founders of this nation, and for the government of which we have no precedent in our history. • Yet a change in policy of such stupendous importance to democracy is to be nade - so far as the Mckinley Administration can make - without an expression of opinion on the subject by the people through a vote, either directly or indirectly, and in response to the supposed demand of the populace." 7.

Bryan's Interview of December 13th.

Mr. Bryan's regiment had been stationed near Savannah

6. Stanwood, II, p. 23.

7. Nation, Nov. 8, 1898. p. 323.

p

during the latter part of the war. He had refrained from making any announcements of party policy during his period of service. On the day following his discharge he gave an interview to the press in which he outlined the attitude which he took to the treaty of peace, the terms of which were known, having signed on the 10th. The entire interview was given in the New York Sun and I give it as I found it there in a news article.

"BRYAN'S TONGUE UNLCOSED

"Savannah, Ga., Dec. 13 - Colonel
William Jennings Bryan until last night
in command of the Third Nebraska Regiment,
Infantry, left Savannah tonight for ash-
ington. He will stay there a few days
before going West. Col. Bryan has been
very popular in Savannah. He was escorted
to the station by quite a number of the
officers of his late command.

"The silence which has made Colonel
Bryan as no ted since entering the army
as his readiness to take upon any public
question before that even was broken this
afternoon for the second time since he
was commissioned. He said, in connection
with his resignation:

"My reason for leaving the army was
set forth in my letter to the Adjutant-
General tendering my resignation. Now that
the treaty of peace has been concluded, I
believe that I can be more useful to my
country as a civilian than as a soldier.

"Col. Bryan then proceeded to the discussion of the public questions, saying:

"'The people of the United States having rescued Cuba from foreign control, may now resume the discussion of the domes

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