Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-10-01
1r. Bryan AZ Brooklyn, N. Y.

"Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men: / esteem it a great privilege to
be permitted to defend the cause
which has been espoused in this cam
paign; and I am glad to be permitted
to present the cause TO the people of
Brooklyn. I only wish that distin-
guished divine whose name has add
ed even to the fame. Of your great
city, Henry Ward Beecher, were with
us today, that he might again champ
ion the cause Of the people of this
great fight. Any man would whose
sympathles were on the side OF hui
mainly, my friends. We have COM
menced a warfare against the gold
standard, which will not cease until
victory is won.
Before addressing myself to the
money question I desire to say some-
thing in regard to these planks Of our
platform which have been assailed by
the enemy. I only speak of them be-
cause persons, high in the republican
party, have called attention to them
and Sought to twist them into mean
ings not intended to be given them
and an Interpretation which they will
not bear. Let me read to you the
plank of the Chicago platform against
which 80 much abuse has been level
ed. We denounce arbitrary interior
ence by federal authoities IN local af-
fairs as violation Of the constitution
Of the United States, as crime
against free institutions That is the
part! which they say is bad. When
did that become badY
ABRAHAM LINooLN's PLARFoRM.
s "Let me read a plank Of another
platform and see how this plank
which I am about to read compared
with the one which l have read;
That the maintenance inviolate Of
the rights Of the state, and especially
the right Of each state to order and
control its own domestic institutions
according to It's own judgment, exclu-
sively, is essential to that balance Of
power upon which The operation and
endurance OF our political fabric de-
ponds, and we denounce the lawless
invasion by armed force Of the soil Of
any state or territory, no matter under
whatpretext, as among the greatest
Of crlmes, Do you know from what
platform that plank is taken? "a
voice: "From Abraham Lincoln's.")
Yes, from Abraham Lincoln's. That
is a plank in the platform Of the re-
publican party of 1860, and when you
compare our plank with that you will
find ours is mild IN language COM
pared to this one. Abraham Lincoln
ran for president on that platform.
He was elected on that platform, and
in his inaugural address he quoted
that plank in full and reiterated it
with his approval. Now, my friends,
If our platform is wrong, / want these
republicans to repudiate Abraham
Lincoln, because, If you take Abra-
ham Lincoln from the republican
party you have taken from 1t its most
sacred memory, my friends. Now,
let me call your attention to another
thing which they complain of. They
say we criticise the supreme court
Let me read you what we say on that
subject"
THE SUPREME COURT MATTER,
Mr.. Bryan then read the plank on
the Chicago platform IN regard to the
income tax decision and went on: II
call attention to the fact that the
court.overruled the decisions of 100
years. It is a fact. Have we not the
right to mention o fact? We declare
congress ought to use all constitution
al powers which remain. Will they
insist that, having taken part, we dare
not use what they left? We demand
that congress shall use such powers
as may come from the reversal by the
court as il may hereafter be constltut-
ed. Has no court hereafter a right
to reverse the decision Of this court?
If not, then what right had this court
to reverse the courts Of 100 years be-
fore III This court changes from
time to time; judges die or resign, and
new judges take their places. Is it
not possible, my friends, that future
judges may adhere TO the presidents
of'10O years instead Of sdhering to
decision rendered by a majority Of
one, and that one changed his mind9