Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-29

in the speech delivered by William
Jennings Bryan in Chicago ON Tuesday
he Is quoted rs saying:
Your papers have called me dcmagosuc,
n there is one thing | am not 1t 10 dema'
goguc. domagoguc Is defined rs n man
who advocates a thing which he does not
believe In order TO conclllate those who
differ from him. A dcmagoguc Is man
who Is willing TO advocate anything whether
he believes Il or not which would be advan-
tagcous tc him and Eain him popularity.
Now. my friends ! have never advocated
during my public life single thing that !
did not myself believe
Mr. Bryan seems 10 he afflicted with
an mp,dimcnt in his memory IL he
really believes that he never has played
the drnagogue he has forgotten all
about his own record. Mr. Biyans
first appearance IN public life dates
back only six years. In 1890 when
he was candidate for congress- he
played the demagoguc on the prohibi-
ton issue. He was a prohbitionist to
the temperance crusaders and license
man TO the LIQUOR dealers. By playing
double he managed TO get votes from
both sides and thus to swell his ma
iority beyond the strength of his party
In 1894 only two years ago Mr.. Bryan
supported James Il. Boyd. n pronounced
gold democrat. for congress in this dis
trict and opposed u. elem Dcaver an
original free silver man. because and
/ only because he wanted to get the help
| of the gold democrats To further his
ambition to become United States sen
ator II Bryan honestly believed In
| free silver two years ago as he pro
! fcssed then and now and laborcd on
the stump and in his paper to elect Il
| gold man to congress, he proved him
| self an arraut demagogue according to
his own definition.
In 1892 Bryan was the most uncom-
promising advocate of free trade. when
he declared solcmnly 10 be the only
reform worth fighting for. Yet. in 1888.
this same Bryan urged the silver sen
ators In congress to sacrifice the great
| u,irciplr of free trade by agreeing to
pass republican protective tariff bin
on condition that Il free coinage clause
bc tackled to it rs Il rider. If this was
not the political dcmagogue sacrificing
principle for the sake of popularity
and personal ambition by what name
shall it be called?
In May 1884 when the great Deb.
strike took place on th" Northern Pa
rlfc Bryan WAS in his seat in congress
He knew that this was trial o.
strength between organized labor ant
corporate power, but he never uttered
word of sympathy for the working
man whose champion he now proclaim.
himself to be In July 1894 when the
Pullman strike was in progress at chi
rngu, congress was still in session ant
BRYAN was in his seat. The power o
the courts was invoked and fedora
troops were called in to put down tho
strikers. This Intervention Mr.. Bryar
now dcnounccs in almost every Specci
nS Il fngrant violation Of the COnslitu
tion and an outrage upon organize,
labor But the records of congress dc
not disclose one single word uttered
by Mr.. Bryan against this outrage no.
did he utter one word against 1t unit
after his nomination for the presidency
If Mr.. Bryan honestly believed thu
the intervention of the courts and th'
calling out of troops was Illegal II wa
his duty to call the judges and tn
national executive TO account for thpi
lawleSS acts on the floor of the house
He did not do so although he had ever!
opportunity to prove his present profcs
sionS of friendship for labor by wor,
and act. Was his silence due to tn
lack of moral courage to assert hi
honest convictions, or is he now play
ing the demagogue by his loud-mouthr,
| prOtestations against government b.
injunction?
, In 1896 Mr.. Bryan is waging bite
and relentless war against trusts an,
corporations generally. Mr.. Bryan wa
in congress for four years but tn
records fail TO show that he introduced
solitary bill or resolution II aboliSl
trusts or restrict corporations. If Nj
Bryan really believes what he nov
makes his daily text, how can he eX
plain his inaction in congress and on
of congress on this subject for all thes
years? Does he not lay himself opel
to the charge of playing the dpma
gogue according to his own definition
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