The San Francisco call., 1896-12-29
BRYAN TALKS To
TRAVEL ING MEN
Says That the Promised
Prosperity Is Not Yet
Restored.
Quotes Figures to Show That
Commercial Failures Are
On the Increase
But the Defeated Candidate With One
Iiea Is Rather Premature in
His Criticism.

LINCOLN, NEBR,, Dec. 28.--The large
dining-room of the Lincoln Hotel was
tastefully decorated tonight when the It's
invited guests of the Lincoln Travelling
Mems Bryan Club sat down to the ban
quet which was given in honor of W. ].
Bryan. a large portrait of Mr.. Bryan,
draped in the National col RS, occup pied a
prominent place at the head of the room.
The columns and arches of the dining
room were covered with smiIax, while the
north windows were banked with flowers
and plants. Letters of regret were read
from Hon. R. P. Bland, Missouri; Hon.
Charles A. Towne, Minnesota; C. S.
Thomas, Colorado; Hon. D. o. Meyer,
Kansas; Governor Stone, Missouri; Gov
ernor Altgeld, Illinois. and Congressman
elect w. L. Stark, Nebraska.
In addition to the address delivered by
Mr.. Bryan Governor Holcomb Senator
w. V. Allen and other prominent men of
the State spoke.
Introducing Mr.. Bryan Toastmaster
Hitchcock said: ''The cause of the people
is never beaten-the hero of the people is
never vanquished. After the gloom at VAL
ley Forge came the glory at Yorktown.
After the disappointment of 1896 will
come the joyful triumph of 1900. Tonight
we entertain guest whom many millions
love and whom all the world respects.
Gentlemen, propose toast to the great
guest of the evening-our candidate that
was, our leader that is, and our Presi-
dent that is to be:-William Jennings
Bryan of the United States"
In responding to the toast Mr.. Bryan
said:
! am glad to have the travelling men inter
ested in bimetallism, because they are always
able to defend any position taken and are
travelling missionaries in behalf of any cause
which they espouse. ] expect them to be of
great service during the next four years in
presenting the merits of free coinage to the
business men OF this country.
The travelling men are in a position to
measure the promises made by the Republican
party with the fulhllment of those promises.
In other words they are prepared to compare
the goods delivered since The election with
the samples shown during the campaign. The
public was told that Republican success would
restore confidence, and that conf1dene. was
the only thing lacking. In Dun's Review of
November we find these words: "A great
revolution has been effected this week in the
conditions which control business. It could
not be in any fair degree reflected as yet in
transaction or in records, but there is ample
evidence already that crushing weight has
been lifted and rolled away, and the business
world has begun to adjust itself to a state OF
freedom and security which it has not known
for years. Dread of immeasurable disaster no
longer locks up resources and paralyZes in
,dustry, and new contracts involving many
millions have become binding since the elee-
tion.''
The following week the same Review says:
t'No one now doubts that the brighter day is
dawning, and it is the common remark that
never before has business shown SO great
change for the better within single week.
On the following week the Review starts out
with the statement: ''The gain in volume of
business continues entirely without prece-
dent" By the fourth week disappointment
began TO manifest itself and l find, according
to Dun's report, that five OF the eight reports
failures over the corresponding weeks of last
year. For the eight weeks since the election
the reports show seventy five business failures
more than Tor the corresponding eight weeks
OF 1885 call attention to these figures be-
cause they show either that confidence has
not yet been restored, or that if confidence has
been restored 1t has not restored prosperity.
means loss OF employment 20 travelling men.
and every failure among retail establishments
means the loss of a customer.
Bimetalltsts have contended that hard
times are due mainly TO the rise in the pur-
chasing mower of money. They have contend
ed that prosperity must begin with the
farmer and laborer, and afterward reach the
promised TO restore normal conditions with
out increasing the volume of currency. What
they may do hereafter remains 10 be seen but
II is evident that they have thus far failed to
bring relief TO the people. DuRs Review OF
December % reports falling off OF "a per
cent in bank exchanges in the leading cities
for tie five days ending December "a from
falling of OF is per cent from the correspond
ing days of 1892