The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-08-14
MR.. BRYAN'S SPEECH
He Defines at Length His Party's
Policy.
DEFENDS THE CHICAGO PLATFORM
And Replies to the Attacks Made Upen
1t-Money the Paramount Issue-No
Claim Made To Recon-
struct Society.

New York, Aug. 13.-The following
is the speech delivered by w. j. Bryan
ut Madison Square garden in response
to the address formally notifying him
OF his nomination by the Chicago
convention:
Mr.. Chairman, gentlemen of the COM
mittes and fellow citizens: 1 shall at
future day and in a formal letter,
accept the nomination which is now
rendered by the notification commit
tee, and l shall at that time touch
upon the issues presented by the plat
form. 1t is fitting, however, that at
this time, in the presence of those here
assembled, l speak at some length
in regard to the campaign upon which
we are now entering. We do not un-
derestimate the forces arrayed against
us, nor are we unmindful of the i'm
portance of the struggle in which we
are engaged, but, relying for saccess
upon the righteousness of our cause.
we shall defend with all possible vigor
the positions taken by our party We
are not surprised that some of our op-
ponents, in the absence of better argu-
ment, resort to abusive epithets, but
they may rest assured that no Ian
guage, however violent, no invectives.
however vehement, will lead us to de
part a single hairs breadth from the
course marked out by the national
convention 1t has been charged BY
men standing high in business and po-
litical circles that our platform is
menace to private security and public
safety; and it has been asserted that
those whom l have the honor, for the
time being, to represent, not only
mediate an attack upon the rights of
property, but are the foes both of So
cial order and national honor.
Not To Reconstruct Society.
Those who stand upon the Chicago
platform are prepared to make known
and to defended every motive which
influences them, every purpose which
animates them and every hope which
inspires them. They understand the
genius of our institutions, they are
staunch supporters of the form of
government under which we live, and
laid by the fathers Andrew jackson
has stated, with admirable clsarness
both the duty and the sphere of govern
ment He said: distinctions in
society will always exist under every
just government. Equality of talents
of education or of wealth cannot be
produced by human institutions. In
the full enjoyment of the gifts OF
Heaven and the fruits of superior in
dustry, economy and virtue, every mar
is equally entitled to protection bt
law We yield to none in our devotion
to the doctrine just enunicated. Our
campaign has not for its object tht
recon struction of society. We cannot
insure to the vicious the fruits of
virtuous life; we would not invade the
home of the provident in order to sup
ply the wants of the spend thrift; w
do not propose to transfer the reward.
of industry to the lap of Incidence
Property is and will remain the stimu
lus to endeavor and the compensation.
for toll. We believe, as asserted il
the Declaration of Independence, tha'
all men are created equal; but thai
does not mean that all men are or can
be equal in possessions, In ability or
in merity it simply means that all
shall stand equal before the law, and
that government official shall not in
making, constituting or enforcing the
law, discriminate between citizens.
assert that property rights, as well as
the rights of persons, are safe in the
hands of the common people.
Equal Rights for All.
We are not surprised to find arrayed
against us those who are the benefi-
ciaries of government favoritism-
they have read our platform. Nor are
we surprised to learn that we must Ill
this campaign face the hostility of
those who find pecuniary adv& ntage
in advocating the doctrine of non-in-
reference when great aggregations OF
wealth are trespassing upon the rights
of individuals. We welcome such OPP
position-it is the highest endorsement
which could be bestowed upon us. 1t
is not the wish of the general public
that trusts should spring into exist
ence and override the weaker members
of society. Those who stand upon the
Chicago platform believe that the gov
ernment should not only avoid wrong
doing. but that it should also prevent
wrongdoing; and they believe that the
law should be enforced alike against
all enemies of the public veal. They
do not excuse petit larceny, but they
declare that grand larceny is equally
a crime; they do not defend the occu-
patton of the highwayman who robs
the unsuspecting traveller, but they in
clude among the transgressors those
who, who through the more polite and
less hazardous means of legislation,
appropriate to their own use the pro-
ceeds of the toll of others. The COM
mandment 'sThou shalt not steal,
thundered from Sinai and reiterated
in the legislation of all nations, is no
respecter of persons. No government
ia worthy of the name which is not
able to protect from every arm uplift-
ed for his injury the humbiest citizen
who lives beneath the flag.
Inosms Tax Plank Dsfe'
The Chicego platform has
demned by some because 1t
from an opinion rendered 3,
preme court declaring the inco
law unconstitutional Our critics ssen