The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-15
ISSUES DRAWN.
Bryan Speaks to a Crowd at
Centralia, Ill.
Says Issue Is Money and Lines
Are Distinct.
AMERICAN VS.. ALIEN.
Question Is Can We Run Our
Own Affairs.
Crowds Which Gathered for a
Republican Meeting Cheer.

Centralta, Ill, july 15.-t'Or some rea-
son the ovation that was to have been
given Mr.. Bryan here last night was
almost a failure. Scarcely 300 people
all told were at the station when the
train bearing Mr.. Bryan and his wife
pulled in but later the crowd increased
to over a thousand. A club of Demo-
cratic voters arrived from Nashville
with a band about 7:30, and few
minutes later one came in from Fair
field, but they added scarcely 200 peo-
pie to the crowd.
To make matters worse, the place Sc
lected for Mr. Bryan to meet the crowd
was at the city park, which had already
been engaged by VIM E Mason, a Re
publican candidate for the United
States senate from this state. On this
account Mr.. Bryan and his friends had
to Vacate before o'clock. The big
majority of the crowd that came to the
park appeared to be Republicans who
had expected to listen to Mr.. Mason
talk.
There were frequent cheers for Nc
Kinley and then the friends of DemOc-
racy would shout for Bryan, Altgeld
and free silver. It was originally in
tended by Mr. Bryan and his wife to
quietly visit this place, where Mr..
Bryan has many relatives. There was
to have been sort of reunion OF the
Bryan family of Marion county. 1t
was, however, decided by Mr.. Bryan
to give the visit and reunion up.
The train which brought Mr.. Bryan
p -
Bryan We're hurried through the crowd
to a carriage. At the home of Cap
tain Dwight, whose wife is a cousin of
Mr.. Bryan. there was an Informal re-
ception by the ladies of Centralia. who
We're presented to the nominee and his
wife. There were several hundred
women there and the affair was decid-
eddy pleasant.
The visiting party was then taken to
the city park. Preceding the carriage
in which Mr.. and Mrs. Bryan rode was
ell
eral hundreds of citizens on foot. The
procession increased in size as it neared
the park and upon the arrival of the
carriage at the pavilion in the center
there were nearly a thousand people
there. The stand had been draped with
flags and bunting for the Mason meet
ing.
When the Bryan clubs from Nashville
and Fairfield had arrived Mr.. Bryan
addressed the crowd briefly. After re
ferring pleasantly to his friends and
relatives in the town, Mr.. Bryan said
In part:
I'VE are entering upon a memorable
campaign and the issues are being
drawn for the contest I trust that
che issues involved in this campaign
viii be clearly understood and carefully
studied. Parties are not made to be
worshipped. They are merely the in
strumentS by which we serve our cOup-
try. The people are made, not for
parties, but parties are made for the
people, and parties can only claim the
support Of the people when their parties
are efficient instruments IN the hands OF
the people for accomplishing good
I'm this campaign 1 believe there viii
be less of personalities and more of
principles than in any campaign which
we have known recently. The people
are thinking about the great questions
You must not expect that any platform
will contain all you desire. No think
ing person finds in any platform an e71-
preston of everything in which he be
lieves. Nor must you expect any plat
form viii be free from some objections
We select our party, we select our plat
FORM not in the hope of something
that is absolutely in accord with our
opinion, but which gives the fullest ex-
preston of all our hopes and aspira-
TONS and we take that platform and
iOin that party which for the time be-
ing promises to give us the best OF leg
islatiOn on the most important Ques-
tons
And in this campaign it is conceded
on all sides that the greatest and most
important issue is the money question
1t matters not whether you beneVe IN
the restoration of silver or in a gold
standard You must admit that the
settlement of the money question is of
the first and greatest Importance.
When this is done, other things can be
considered. On the money question
the two great parties have taken po-
sftiOns directly opposite each other.
-Four wears ago the positions taken by
the Republican and Democratic par
ties on the money question were iden-
fIC9l.
American people from tradition and
interest are in favor of bimetallism and
the Democratic party said we mold TO
the use of both gold and silver as the
standard money of the country and the
coinage of both gold and silver without
discrimination against either metal
Thus you see, that both parties de-
clared in favor of gold and silver as the
money of the country. Four years have
passed since these platforms were
written, and these four years have
been years of momentOus events and
as this campaign approaches, the two
great parties line themselves up on
this great question The Republican
party at st. Louis declared the gold
standard should be maintained until it
could be changed by international
agreement. Note the language That
platform does not say that the gold
standard is a good thing, because that
platform pledges the party to get rid
of the gold standard and substitute for
it something better as soon as it can be
done, this better substitute could not
be received until the world should help
(LOng and continued applause.)
1.-THE Democratic party met in Chi
cagO and adopted a platform which is
in direct opposition to the platform
adopted at St Louis. The St. Louis
platform declared that the gold stand |
ard should be maintained until it could /
be changed by International agreement |
until something else could be done
The Democratic party declared itself /
llnalterab1y opposed to a single gold |
standard. (Applause.) And further than |
that. the Republican platform did not /
promise you any complete monetary
system. The Democratic party out
lined what it desired to have done. 1t |
declared in favor of the immediate re-
storation of the free and unlimited
coinage of silver both gold and silver
at the present legal ratio of 16 to /
without waiting for the aid or consent |
Of any other nation. (Applause.)
I'VE also declared that the silver |
"a for all