The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-10-13


A convention OF the National Associ
alton of Democratic Clubs was held Ii
st. Louis last week, and Mr.. BryaI
was invited to attend. He reached
there on Saturday afternoon, and II
the evening he was greeted by an au
d1ence OF 17,C00 enthusiastic admirer
at the Auditorium, where he spoke q:
follows:
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
ment: For just little while | ash
your affection. don't require "a grea'
deal Of time to say all that have tc
say to you tonight. The club can be
OF more service now that it was in pre-
vious campaigns because this cam
paign Is being run by the people them
selves. The club have adopted 9
button which bears the likeness OF
Thomas Jefferson. (Applause.) II
you had searched through all history
you could not have found q man more
worthy of being taken as your ideal
statesman.
a Voice" Except Bryan"
Mr.. Bryan-Because, in all the his.
tory Of the human race, there has never
been but one Thomas Jefferson,
a Voice" You're another"
M. rBryan-Of all the constructive
statesmen of whom the world has ever
seen, Thomas jefferson stands first.
A Voice" And Bryan next"
Mr.. Bryan-At time when this
Government was an experiment, he
wrote that immortal document which
declared that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed with inalien-
able rights, that governments are III
stituted to preserve these rights, and
that governments derive their lust
powers from the consent of the govern
ed. In stating these four propositions
he stated the Alpha and Omega of
Democracy. (Applause)
Men may write books and men may
fill libraries with volumes, but they
can never improve upon that state
ment, recorded in few sentences and
yet comprehensive, that this is gov.
ernment of the people, for the people,
and by the people. In my Judgment,
no statesman ever lived who so fully
understood human nature as jefferson
did. No one more fully understood
the capacity Of the people for self
government no one moro fully un-
derstood the dangers to be guarded
against. s.
He stated the principles which
underlte Democracy and then applied
those principles to every question that
arose during his time.
l. ho = tShIcSO uhuR OF WHICH u govern
ment has to fear, when trusted in hu-
man hands is favoritism. Favorltism
Is the curse of all governments,
(applause); at least among govern
ments like ours, and yet favoritism is
the dangerous strength, even in our
government, because our government
Is administered through human beings
and human beings are human. NV
friends, if you would have govern
ment to fill the ideal of perfect gov
ernment, you must have u government
that is no respector of persons, gov
ernment which deals with eq aal hands,
a government which gives to none,
which takes from none, and govern
ment which in the administration of
law and justice, treats all alike and
Furnishes the great william as it does
the petty scOundrel.
If You ask me what is my highest
ambition, will say that above all Of
fees that human hands can give,
above all honors which confidence and
esteem can bestow, If [ could choose
the name by which L should be known,
l would have it this, that 1 have done
NY BEST to make the Government what
Thomas Jefferson desired it should be-
Great applause.) My friends, govern
ment has drifted away from the old
]
In times OF passion, in times of selfish
ness, the instrumentalites of govern
mont have been turned to private gain
and government instead of dealing out
equal and exact justice, has been u re-
fuge Of those who, having obtained
positions, have used it to enrich them
selves out of the toll and sweat of their
fcilOwmen.
Behind the bulwarks erected by our
opponents, have been gathered every
public enemy who preys upon the peo-
pie, and they can call to their aid but
a small portion of the unjust gains
that they have wrung from the public
through vicious legislation, but small
portion OF those gains will be cor
ruption fund, the like of which has never
been known before in any government
on the face Of the earth. (Applause
and cheers.)
A Voice-'If Mark Hanna,could only
hear that"
Mr.. Bryan-Against this enemy sup
piled with all the material that is sup
posed to be valuable in such conflict,
against this enemy, confident, arro-
CANT and insolent, we have nothing
to oppose except the consciences in
seventy millions of people. (Applause.) J
My friends, those who live fifty years
from now, reading the pages of hss-
tory, will envy those who lived in tAis
day of such wonderful opportunities.
AS the Presidential nominee of the
Peoples Alliance, | want to say to you
that do not desire the involuntary
support Of any citizen of this nation.
We appeal to the will, we submit our
cause to the judgment, and II | am
elected, | want to feel that behind me
l have majority of these people, and
then, so help me God, will carry out
the platform to the letter. Great ap-
plause and cheers.)
Be not discouraged by abuse, abuse
has always been the lost of those who
fought against intrenched privileges.
If you become annoyed, turn back to
the pages OF history and for every
name that is applied to you, you will find
one equally severe applied to Jefferson.
Ah, my friends, may come nearer than
that. That great spirit yonder point
ing to portrait OF Lincoln) was as
malignantly attacked by the aristo-
cracy OF wealth and would be as un-
popular to-day In New York or Boston,
among our fnanciers as jackson was
or Jefferson was in his day.
There is nothing, my friends, which
so inspires as truth, and those who
fight with the consciousness that they
are right, fight on with perfect conf
dence, and II they die, they die in the
faith expressed by the poet, as he
wrote of those who fell upon the battle-
field:
Yea, though thou fall upon the dust
When they who help thee turn In