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__** William Jennings Bryan Occupation:**__ Congressmen __**Position on the Issue:**__ I am an anti-imperialist. I do not think that we should conquer the Philippines. Although some Americans may believe otherwise, the Filipinos do not want us to rule them. They want to become an independent nation just as we did over 100 years ago. The fact that we want to conquer the Philippines instead of granting them their freedom proves that the paralyzing influence of imperialism has already taken hold. Previously we have always sympathized with countries fighting for civil liberty because it reminds us of when we were in their situation. However because of imperialism we want to control the Filipinos instead of helping them gain independence. Imperialism has cause us to forget the very thing that our country was built on. Lincoln once said that the saftey of this nation was not in its fleets, its armies, or its forts but in the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Does this not apply to the Filipinos as well? __**Reasons for Interest in This Topic:**__ I feel that America should not follow an imperial policy. If we justify the acquisition and forcible annexation of the Philippine Islands we will end up justifying the seizure of other islands and the domination of other people and other wars of conquest. This will result in a growth of our military establishment. A large standing army is a burden to the people and a menace to the republican form of government. The army is a personification of force and will inevitably change the ideals of people and turn the thoughts of people from the art of peace to the science of war. The government would no longer rely on its citizens for defense but instead it will have a large body of professional soldiers on call. A small standing army and state militia have always been sufficient in ordinary times and in emergencies we have always relied on our citizens. Not to mention that a large standing army would burden the people. Farmers and laborers have small incomes and it hurts them when taxes are raised, which they inevitably would be if we were to have a large army. Imperialism also hurts the farmers and the laborers in other ways. The laboring man would be the first to suffer if Filipinos came to America to seek work. They would also be the first to suffer if American capital leaves our shores to employ Filipino labor. **__ Bibliography: __** **William Jennings Bryan** "The Paralyzing Influence of Imperialism," //Annals of American History//. <__http://america.eb.com/america/article?articleId=386552&query=**William**+**Jennings**+**Bryan**__+> [Accessed March 26, 2010].

Bailey, Thomas A., and David M. Kennedy. "William Jennings Bryan Vents His Bitterness (1901)." //The American Spirit//. Ninth Edition ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. 190-192. Print.

"William Jennings Bryan." //United States History//. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2010. .