Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-15
Bryan Discussing esthe Issues Of the
Political Campaign.
ADDRESSES CENR9 "a MASS MEETING
Eastern DEMOCRATS Have Not Set
tied on Their Course.
MORE BoLTERs ANNOUNCED

and the former addressed O mass meeting
in the city park He said:
"I trust that the issues involved in this
campaign will be clearly understood and
carefully studied. Parties are not made to
be worshiped. They are merely the instru-
ments by which we serve our country. 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
the parties are efficient instruments In the
hands of the people for accomplishing good.
All those who are called upon 10 vote have
a right to consider the platform utterances
or policies advocated by the various parties,
as well as the character Of the candidates
who are nominated.
In this campaign believe that there will
be less of personalities and more of prin-
ciples than in any campaign which we have
known In recent years. The people are
thinking about the great public questions
You must not expect that any platform will
contain all you desire. No thinking persons
find in any platform an expression Of every
thing in which they believe. Nor must you
expect that any platform will be free from
some objections. We select our party. we
select our platform. not In the hope Of some
thing that is absolutely in accord with our
opinion, but which gives the fullest express
sion of all Of our hopes and aspirations and
we take that platform and Join thar party
which, for the time being, promises TO give
US the best of legislation on the most i'm
portant questions.
Money Que stiOn the Greatest Issue.
And in this campaign IT Is conceded on
all sides that the greatest and most import
ant issue Is the money question 1t mat
tiers not whether you believe in the restora-
ton 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 that Is done, other things
can be considered. On the money question
the two great parties have taken positions
directly opposite to each other. Four years
ago the positions taken by the republican
and democratic parties on the money ores
ton We're Identical. The republican party
said that the American people from tradi.
ton and interest, are In favor of bimetal-
lism and the democratic party said, We
hold to the use of gold and silver as the
standard money of the country. and to the
coinage of both gold and silver without dis
elimination against either metal
Thus you see that both parties declared
In favor of gold and silver as the money
OF the country. Four years have passed
since those platforms were written, and
those four years have been years Of mo-
mcntous events. and, as this campaign ap-
proaches the two great parties line them
selves up on this great question. The re-
publican party, at st. Louis. declared that
the gold standard should be maintained I'M
til 1t could be changed by International
agreement. Note the language. That plat
form does net 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 1t something better as soon
as 1t can be done, This better substitute
could not be received until the world should
help. Iong and continued applause.)
The democratich party met at Chicago
and adopted a platform which Is In direct
opposition to the platform adopted at st.
Louis. The'S LOFTS platform declared that
the gold standard should be maintained
until 1t could be changed by international
agreement; until something else could be
done. The democratic party declared itself
ard. CApplause.C
platform did not promise you any COM
plete monetary system. The democratic
party outlined what 1t desired to have
done. 1t declared in favor Of the imme-
date restoration Of the free and unlimited
coinage Of both gold and silver at the pres
ent legal ratio of Is to l (applause). with
out waiting for the aid or consent Of any
other nation. (Applause) We also declared
that the silver dollar should be legal ten
der for all debts. public and private. and
that such legislation should be enacted as
Is necessary to prevent for the future the
characterization of any kind Of legal tender
money. More than that, the platform de-
clared that the government should ex :-cise
the right to redeem Its coined obligations
In either gold or silver.
The Issue Sharply Drawn.
'The issue Is drawn. and we have our
choice in this campaign between an Amer
lean financial system for the American peo-
pie and an English financial system to be
forced upon U.s. (Applause) Those who
believe In running this government on the
the republican party. applause and laugh
teri II l mistake not, the patriotism OF
the people. whose patriotism has never
been appealed to in vain. there can be but
result (Applause.) If they ask US. What
about other QuestionsT we tell them that
SO long as the right Of self-governmcnt Is
in danger there Is no other question. ZAP
plause) Why discuss things II we be not
powerful enough to act when we have the
power? I've not the time nor the DISPOSE
ton to talk to you at this time. but 1 want
to impress upon your minds two things I
to be asked over and over again in this
campaign. each time with increased en-
phasis. and the two questions are these:
II the gold standard Is good thing.
why ought we to try to get rid Of 1t? And
If it is bad thing. why should we keep 1t
until some other nation helps US to get rid
of tt? (Applause.)
:. Il thank you. friends and fellow citizens,
for the interest which you have manifested
and for the compliment which you have
paid us by your assemblage here today. 1
can but beg of you that you should do your
duty as citizens. We who stand upon the
to you as suppliants begging for your votes.
These votes are your own. You are free
men, and nc man should stand in The at
tttude of petitioning for free man to do
anything but what Is according to his con-
science, but we come before you, standing
upon platform and pledsing its enforce
ment II elected, ana We beg you to study
the questions. all the questions presented
by the issues involved, and then let your
ballots register free mans will. 1 thank
There was tremendous applause when
MI Bryan ceased speaking. Even those
VINO mad come to hear Mr.. Mason Joined in
the demonstrat tom of apparent approval.
The visitors were then escorted to a car
riage and amid the peals Of bands driven
t TO the railway station, where they took the
Extensive preparatidhs have been made
Tor the demonstration at Salem today Mr.,
Bryan and his family ;fwere photographed
at mis- birthplace In. Salem yesterday.
California Binietailists for Bryan.
At meeting Monday night of the Cali
fornia delegates to the national convention
OF the Bimetallic Union to meet at st. Louis
July 22. they declared. for Bryan and Sew
all. the nominees OF the democratic national
convention. Thirty-eight out Of the forty
nve delegates to which California is en-
Titled were present, and the resolution was
carried without dissenting vote. Chair
man Baker Of the state silver organization
states that the forty-five votes of California
Will De cast INIT for BRYAN in tho