The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-12-30
Mr.. BRYAN.s LECTURE.
The Noted Nebraskan talks to Big Au-
dience at Atlanta.

The Noted Nebraskan Talks to a Big Au-
dience at Atlanta.
Atlanta, Ca, Dec. 24.-Hon. William
j. Bryan opened his lecture tour here
Wednesday night at the Grand opera
house before large audience. All day
long he held an almost continuous re-
ception. Gov. Atkinson took him to
the executive mansion in the morning
as his guest. At noon the Young Mems
Democratic league rendered him
luncheon, and at night the Fulton club
entertained him. Among the speakers
at the luncheon was eX-Secretary Hoke
Smith.
Mr.. Bryan was introduced to his au.
dience by Hal T. Lewis. the Georgian
who nominated him at Chicago. The
late nominees reception was enthusiast
tic, the audience cheering him loudly
and long. His subject was 1.-The An
cient Landmarks" The subject matter
was extremely conservative. The adj
questions. Mr.. Bryan left for Chicago
this morning, whence he will go to his
home in Lincoln. He has series of
lectures booked for Texas. A synopsis
of his lecture here follows:
Government, said he, is what the people
make it-good or bad, as they dictate.
They can remedy abuses. If they seriously
undertake to do so. Often they are indif-
ferent. 1t has been said that the man who
neglects to take part in controlling gov
eminent is worse than the men who gov
ern badly. Mr.. Bryan quoted literally
from Jefferson and Jackson He touched
on the leading issues of the recent cam
paign, but in a non-partisan way. The aim,
said he, of advocates of different money
systems is to secure that one which is best
for the greatest number of citizens Men
differ as to which system will accomplish
that. but all agree that the system which
will give a unit of value of the least pos
sible fluctuations is the best. In the end
the people Of this country, and eventually
the people of the world, will select that
system under which the unit of value IS
most stable. In reaching that decision
selfishness must be taken into account.
Selfishness is here to stay, but it is not
wholly disadvantageous,f for 1t is the mani
festation of the instinct of seIf-preserva-
ton.
Government should not only avoid
abuses, but should protect the weaker
against the stronger. A government SUBJ
stitutes law for force. and right for might.
Governments must restrain. Jefferson said
that one of the most important duties of
government was to restrain one set of citi-
Zens from injuring the other. Trusts were
denounced as means of dong an injury
to ones fellow citizens. Mr.. Bryan re-
marked that he did not think any party
openly defended trusts. They were per-
mitted to exist because the people are in
different. They could be abolished by
legislation or by public opinion News
papers form public opinion, but they
are not expected to do it ALL Every
individual citizen should exercise his in
f1uence; take position and let it be known
Public opinion is SO potent that it can
crush out any abuse, even trusts, or the
use of money in politics. The use of
money by political parties is the most per-
nicious influence in politics. And the
party is young indeed which does not use
money to advance it's ends. But it should
be remembered that if the use of money
is permitted, the citizens will themselves be
plundered to recoup the expenditures. I'm
just taxation was treated at some length
The speaker declared unjust taxation to be
larceny. 1t is taking money from one
mans pocket and putting it into the pocket
of another man. The chief cause of dis
content in this country is favoritism ir
one form or another under the government.
This favoritism may be manifested by un-
just taxation in different forms.
Mr. Bryan found good results in the re-
cent campaign. 1t set the people to think
ing, a habit which they will keep up. JEFF
ferson said that public officials who are
not watched are wolves Mr.. Bryan thinks
that hereafter public officials will be more
closely watched. Good government con-
sists in jealousy and not confidence. Over
confidence encourages abuse of confidence.
In concluding, the lecturer remarked Sig
nificantly that the Latin poets said we
plant trees, the fruit of which we do not ex-
tn nj loy mo ho To-
ton now for those who come after US. A
part of the foundation work was gotten
under way in the recent campaign. The
superstructure will be built later.