The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-10-27
BEFORE HIS ALMA MATER
BRYAN PROCLAIMS HIS ALLEGI-
 ANCE TO LAW AND 0RDER.

Confesses the Value of Gold-Used With
 Silver it Gives the Most Stable and Most
 Equitable Currency-A Short Crop of
 Wheat Increases It's Value-A Short Crop
 of Money Increases Its Value.
 Jacksonville, H., Oct. 26.-The streets of Jacksonville began to show evidences early this morning that some especial event was about to take place. Vehi- cles in which people had driven miles lined up along the curbs of the streets, while the sidewalks were crowded with excursionists. The presence in town of William J. Bryan and his wife was the magnet that attracted so many visitors, all of whom had come to hear the can didate deliver a. speech on the public square.
 Horsemen attired In red, white and blue sashes and decorations of silver foil galloped about the shaded thor oughfares from an early hour, and the occasional arrival of brass bands and free silver clubs added to the excite ment and interest. Surrounded by stu dents of his alma mater, Mir. Bryan made an address in the chapel of the Illinois State college in the forenoon, in which he denied instructions that he was not actuated by earnest belief In advocating the free coinage of silver, and maintained that he was anxious to do the greatest good to the greatest number of people in the United States
 The little chapel was crowded. No display was attempted, the regular re- ligious exercises that were practiced in MT. Bryan's time and are still main tained being carried out in all their simplicity MI. and Mrs. Bryan joined the students in singing America" and in the responses to the twenty-fifth psalm, which preceded the introduction of the candidate by Dr. J. E. Bradley, the president of the college The boys cheered with will as MT. Bryan arose. MT. Bryan said:
 ''I always go with pleasure before col lege students because while man i'll public life must expect to have his mo- tives misconstrued, yet I know some thing about how young men feel, and believe young men will believe me when I tell them that my study of economic questions has been with one single pur- pose, and that has been to find what solution of public questions was best for the maj ajority. Now, we have differ ences of opinion and 1t is proper there should be charity shown to one another because you know none of us is infalli- ble-we are all apt to make mistakes; but I believe that those who desire most to ascertain the truth, and who labor hardest to find out what Is best, will come the nearest to arriving at a just conclusion, and that no one who de-, sires to know the truth, who desires to do the best that can be done, ever ob- jects to hearing one who may differ from him.
 You know truth does not exist in seclusion, but comes from the clash of ideas, from the comparison of views. Error Is the only thing that fears pub lie discussion. Truth has a power with in itself, and after all, there is nothing omnipotent but truth. And now, while we differ here as young men, upon various questions, which arise, I know that you will agree with me when I say that in the long run that policy which proves to be best is going to be adopted, and that those who attach themselves to a righteous cause are sure to triumph at last I never get among young men without feeling I ought to impress upon them a lesson which was impressed upon me, and that is, that when man believes he is right he can afford to stand alone; he can afford to be called anything be- cause 1t Is not what people call you that determines character. It it what you are yourself.
 "In order" as he said, "that they might apply these things to the study of this question:" MT. Bryan quoted from Dr. Sturtevant's book entitled Economies, or the Science of Wealth." and said: Now, say the doctor rec ognized that when a man made a con- tract he ought to be paid in the same way with the same value that it had and he goes on to argue that if you at- tempt to make contracts in any kind of commodity those fluctuations in value would make the contract negotiable" After again quoting MT, Sturtevant, MT Bryan said:
 q was glad, when I began to study the money question, to find that Dr. Sturtevant recognized that the thing deserable In & dollar was stability, and I can find no better illustration than the one I have read you, where he speaks of its being negotiable to com pei a man to deliver one hundred bush- els of wheat when wheat has doubled in value Now, you know the whole bone of contention in this contest which we are engaged in is as to which kind of standard gives you the best dollar. There are some people who talk about honest dollars without defining what they mean by that
 "We believe that gold and silver used together, give a more stable dollar, a more equitable currency, more just standard than could be obtained from the use of one with the other eliminat- ed from use, and the very argument pr Sturtevant makes that a short crop of wheat will make rises in value ap- plies to money, because if there is a short crop of money, money rises in value. Now, the crops are determined usually by the weather and by various things which man may not control but the volume of money is determined by law, which man does control. And so, If you by law make your crop of money short you raise the value of the dollar 1yot1 iGe tha ValIIa of the 5nl-