The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-09-24
AT NIT. VERNON, ILL.

Bryan Never Declared that He Was
| Not Democrat - IL was Cam
paign Lie.
Between 5000 and 1000 people
packed themselves into the court
house square at Mt. Vernon, H., where
he denied the allegation that be ever
said he was not Democrat.
Mr.. Bryan was introduced by Judge
Semplc, Of tho appellate court, who
announced that he had always been a
Kepublican himself until this year.
Mr.. Bryan said:
[ appreciate the fact that this meet
ing is presided over by one who until
this campaign has been " Republican.
| also appreciate the fact that while
my opponents may say Of me that | am
young and lacking in public experience,
they cannot bring that charge against
member Of the appellate court, whose
Judgment and heart have led him to
espouse the cause Of the people.
am glad that from day to day we
are finding recruits to our cause from
| those whose positions IN public life
raises them above the slandcr Of those
who Apply the name Of anarchists or
disturber Of the public peace to those
who raise their hands against the en-
croachments Of syndicates and corpo-
rations. tApplause)
| "a lew months ago | was in your
midst, then as q private citizen, simply
representing cause which was near
10 my heart, and whom | told you hero
that the brand of my Democracy was
different from the brand which was be
ing presented by the administration,
your city was advertised by those who
tried to make it appear that denied
that | was a Democrat. (Applause.
My friends, those Of you who we're here
know that [ not only did not declare
myself not a Democrat, but that | have
always declared myself better Demo
crat than any man who sought to undo
what Jefferson and Jackson did for tho
American people. Great applause.
Since we met here last March. the Re
publican party met in national conven
tion AT ST. Louis, and did what no party
in this nation ever did before-solemn
ly declared that the financial policy OF
this country should depend not upor
what the American people wanted, bu,
compassion would allow the American
people to have. (Applausc.) The Re-
publican platform does not say that the
gold standard is good thing. 1t in
substance declares that a double stan.
dard Is better than the single gold
standard, because that platform pledges
the Republican party to get rid of the
gold standard and substitute the bi.
metallic principal. When? Not when
our people need it; not when our
people desire it; but as soon as the
leading commercial nations of the
world will join with us in doing it.
(Applause.) l ask you, my friends, to
study that platform we'll, because we
may fairly assume that q man elected
upon a platform will carry out that
platform. When does the Republican
platform say We shall have bimetal-
lism? 1t does not state that time. How
long does it say that we must maintain
the gold standard For one year :?
1t does not limit it to a year or four
years. Now, my friends, SO far as that
platform goes, it declares that whether
the American people like the gold
standard or not, whether they suffer
from it or not, they must maintain it
forever il foreign nations insist upon
our keeping it. Great applausc.)
am willing to submit the question to
the American people. Applause and
cries Of "Thats rightly