Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-07-16
ELOQUENT WORDS.
Speech Of Hon. w. j. Bryan to the
Democratic Convention.
The Evils of the Gold Standard Wildly Por-
trayed-The Supreme Courts Income
Tax Decision Assailed-East
and West Contrasted.

NQlCdGO Dy encouragement w
j. Bryan, of Nebraska, in his advocacy
of the adoption of the majority report of
the committee on resolutions. He said:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of This Con-
vention: 1 would be presumptuous. indeed. to
present myself against the distinguished gen.
tlemen to whom you have listened If this were
but measuring of ability, but this is not a
contest among persons. The humblest citizen
in all the land when clad in the armor of a
righteous cause is stronger than all the hosts
of error that they can bring. 1 come to speak
to you in defense Of cause as holy as the
cause of liberty, the cause of humanity
When this debate is concluded mo-
ton will be made to lay upon the table the res
olution offered in commentator of the admin
istration and also the resolution in condemna-
ton OF the administration. 1 shall object to
bringing this question down TO level of
persons. The individual is but an
atomic is born, he acts, he dies
but principles are eternal, and this has
become contest of principle. Never before
in the history of this country has there been
Witnessed such contest as that through which
we have passed. Never before in the history
of American politics has a great issue been
themselves.
On the 4th Of March. 1885, few democrats.
most of them members of congress. issued an
address to the democrats OF the nation, assert
ing the money question was the paramount is
sue of the hour; asserting also the right of
majority of the democratic party to control the
position or the party on THIS paramount issue
concluding with request that all believers in
free coinage of silver in the democratic party
should organize. take charge OF and control
the policy of the democratic party. Three
months later, at Memphis, an organization was
perfected. and the democrats went forth openly
and boldly, and courag eouSly prOcla1mlng their
belief and declaring that if successful they
would crystalline in a platform the declaration
which they had made, and then began the con-
dict with the zeal approaching the zeal which
inspired the crusaders who followed Peter
the Hermit.
Our silver democrats went forth from victory
unto victory, until they are assembled now. not
to discuss, not to debate, but to enter up the
judgment rendered by the plain people of this
country In this contest brother has been ar
rayed against brother, and father against son.
The warmeSt ties of love and acquaintance and
association have been diSregarded Old lead
erS have been cast aside when they refused to
give expression to the sentiment of those
whom they would lead. and new leaders have
sprung up to give direction to this cause under
binding and solemn instructions as were
ever fastened upon the representatives OF the
people.
Mr. Carlisle said in 1878 that this was
struggle between the idle holders Of
idle capital and the struggling masses who
produce the wealth and pay the taxes of the
country, and, my friends. 1t is simply ques-
ton that we shall decide upon which side shall
the democratic party fight? Upon the side of
the idle holders of idle capital or upon the side
of the struggling masses? That is the QueS-
it must be answered by each individual here
after
The gentleman who just preceded me, Gov.
Russell, spoke of the old state of MaSSachu-
setts. Let assure him that not one person
in all this section entertains the least hostility
to the people of the state of Massachusetts,. but
we stand here representing people VINO the
equals before the law of the largest citizens in
the state of Massachusetts. When you come
before US and tell we shall disturb your
business interests, reply that you have dis
turbed our business interests by your course
We say to you that you have made
too limited in it's application the
definition of business The man
who is employed for wages is much a
business his employer. The attorney
in a country town is much a business man
as the corporation counsel in great metropo-
lis. The merchant at the cross roads store is
as much business man as the merchant of
New York. The farmer who goes forth in the
morning and tolls all day, begins in the spring
and tolls all summer and by the application of
brain and muscle to the natural resources of
this country, creates wealth, is much a
business man as the man who goes upon the
board OF trade and bets upon the price OF grain.
The miners who go d thousand feet into the
earth climb 1000 feet upon the cliffs and
bring forth from their hiding place the precious
metals to be poured in the channels of trade.
are much business men as the few financial
magnateS who, in back room. corner the
money of the world
We come to speak of this broader class of
business men. All, my friends, say not
word against those who live upon the Atlantic
coast but those hardy pioneers who braved all
the dangers of the wilderness. who have made
the desert to blossom as the roSe--thoSe pio-
neerS away out there, rearing their children
near to natures heart, where they can mingle
their voices with the voices of the birds: out
there they have erected SchoolhOuseS for the
education of their young. and churches where
they praise their Creator, and cemeteries
where sleep the ashes of their dead-are de-
serving of the consideration of this party as
any people in this country 1t is for these that
weSpeak. We do not aggreSSorS.
Our war is not war of conquest We are
fighting in the defense of our homes, our fami-
lies and posterity.
We have petitioned and our entreaties have
been disregarded. We have begged, and they
have Knocked, and our calamity came. We beg
no longer entreat no more: we petition no
more: we defy them. The gentleman from
Wisconsin has said that he fears a Robespierre.
My friend. in this land Of the free, you need
fear no tyrant who will spring up from among
the people. What we need is an Andrew Jack
son. to stand as Andrew Jackson stood. against
the entertainments OF aggrandized wealth.
They tell this pla torn was made to catch
votes. We reply to them that changing con-
ditionS make new issues: that the principles
upon which rest democracy are as everlasting
as the hills but that they must be applied 20
new conditions they arise Conditions have
arisen and we attempting to meet those
conditions They tell that the income tax
ought not to be brought in here: that it is q
new idea They criticise us for our criticisms
of the supreme court of the United States My