The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-17
Speech at AsheviIIe.

| Speech at AsheviIIe.
| Mr. Bryan given welcome mere 1t
was the first time since 1874 that presi-
| Dental nominee had visited this section of
| the country, and the farmers for miles
| around gathered here to-day to pay hon.
| age and cheer the candidate Mr. Bryan
| was driven to the Battery Park Hotel,
| where he and members of the Democratic
| organizations here were given elabor>
| ate dinner by E. P. McKissick, the man
| ager of the famous resort The party was
| then driven to platform in q valley be-
| tween the great hills which have helped to
| make Asheville beautiful. There Mr..
| Bryan addressed a very large crowd. Mr..
| Bryan introduced to the audience by
Hon. Locke Craig in a few appropriate re-
| marks. Mr.. Bryan said:
Il have a reason for coming to North
! Carolina which is personal, aside from my
! interest in the electoral vote of this State.
| 1t the State of North Carolina which
| at Chicago, before I became a candidate,
| before my own State had taken any for
NAL part in presenting my name-it was the
| State of North Carolina which, by resolu-
ton, decided to give the unanimous
vote of it's delegation in that national con-
vention. (Applause.) 1 appreciate the
honor which they were willing to do me,
|
| come among these people whom they rep
| resented and give what assistance 1 can, if
| any assistance be needed to secure the
| electoral vote of this State for the free
| coinage of silver at l6 to l. (ApplauSe.)
| 4 am glad the canvass of this State
opens in this county, which was the home
this Nation, not alone by North Carolina,
| but the entire country-Senator Vance.
| lighted to honor. and 1 am glad l stand
| among his neighbors and friends advocat-
| ing the same cause he so solemnly advo-
| Gated, and l ca mot more than impress
spoken. Among his last public speeches
read you "a few words from it: The great
| fight is on The power of money and its
| allies throughout the world have entered
| greatest crime of this or any other age, to
overthrow one-half of the worlds money
| HANGING the value of the other half which
is in their hands. The money changers are
your tents, oh, Israel" (Applause.)
He foresaw the struggle t. in -, which we
tude when many others did not. Those
words came from him as words OF COM
mand: To your tents Oh Israeli And the
command was needed by the Democratic
| party, and they engaged first in war
| fare with the party to rescue that party
and the party name from the hands of
those who We're using it to advance the
| interests not of Democracy, but of plu-
tocracy (Applause.) 1t was a great con-
| test venture the assertion that
! before in the history of this country did
any party have such contest within its
| ranks as that which ended al Chicago. l
| venture the assertion that never before in
| the history of this country have the voters
vention as did the voters of the Demo
| cratic party with the convention at Chi
| cago This question was submitted to the
voters. The Democratic idea has been that
| the party is but the instrument of those
who compose it, and derives its powers
| from the will of the voters who number
| themselves members of that party. Yet
! it is often the case that the party ma
| chnery or bosses have more to do with
| shaping the policy and making the nomina-
| ton than the voters themselves L am
proud to be the nominee of a convention
| which represented no machine or DO -ses,
| but the unpurchased suffrage of the voters
| of this country. Great applause)
THINKS HE HAS A CHANCE.
"A few months ago the most sanguine
Democrat did not believe that success this
fall was more than possible. The most
sanguine Democrats felt that four years
of god-standard administration had de-
stroyed almost the possibility of success.
But the voters of the Democratic party
determined to make one final fight and de-
| termined that if die the party must 1T
should at least maintain the honor of those
| who believe in the right of the people to
govern themselves (Applause) The re-
suit is just what it always is, if people lay
aside expedency and seek to do their duty
and accept consequences. In trying to do
| right the Democratic party won POSSIBLE
ity of success which 1t never could have
hoped for If it had consulted exped1ency.
(Applause)
harmony of the party. Every time we made
speeches in favor of the free coinage of
silver we were told that we were disturb
ing the harmony of the party. And if we
spoke emphatically they tried to read us
out of the party. They called US every
| to abide the decision at Chicago before we
could go INTO the convention | for one
pledge that the gold-standard Democrats
would take IT would be time enough to ask
free-silver Democrats to make pledges.
(Applause) L stated in answer to in
quiry that l would not support for Presi-
dent a man who would, in the presidential
chair. continue the present financial policy
and mortgage the United States to Eng
lish bondholders. (Applause) l may be
wrong in my Judgment because none of
are infallible. but my Judgment is the
only Judgment that controls my conduct
Now when the Secretary of the Treas
ury denounced me as a Populst and said
/ had said | would not support the nominee
/ replied that | did not expect him to sup
port the nominee if he We're a free-silverite.
The time came when he was put to the
test and the only difference between him
and me was that | was candid enough to
tell the people l would follow my con-
science. and he tried to control a conven-
ton and then bolt when he failed to do it,
Great applause.) l have sent him letter
begging his support. Great laughter) The
highest compliment he can pay me is to OPP
pose me. because then the world will know
point, if | am elected, will be different
from him | can find. Great applause.)
Il do not dispute the right of any Demo-
crat to vote against the Chicago ticket If
he thinks it's success will imperil the coun-
try, but what ask is that these men who
have been pretending to be Democrats shall
now, when the Democratic party has been
rescued from the peoples despoiers, leave
the name and not attempt to take that
name with them into disgrace. (Cries of
'Right!) They call themselves true Dem
ocrats. No true Democrat ever nominated
one ticket for the purpose of voting for
another. Great applause.) We have this
contest to meet and we are prepared to
meet ii. We have cause that appeals to
the intellect of those who think and to
the hearts of those who feel and we are
willing 30 place that cause in opposition to
the cause which merely appeals to the
pocketbook. applause and cries of That's
hot stuff. old boyi)
''One gentleman suggested not long ago
that sentiment was on the side of free
silver and said number of poems had
been written on our side. and pointed to
the fact they do not write poems in favor
of the gold standard. | would like to see
poem written in defense of a government
of syndicates by syndi ties and for syndi-
~xt ha hirh