The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-11-21
Mr.. BRYAN SPEAKS.
Addresses Three Largely Attended
Meetings On the Financial
Question.

w
speeches in Lincoln this afternoon and
evening which had been previously
announced as the opening guns of the
political campaign of 1900 Mr.. Bryan
this afternoon talked to an audience at
the Funke Theater, composed of | $50
members of the Mary Bryan club
iladies). NJ. and Mrs. Bryan reached
the theater shortly before o clock in
the carriage of friend and were
escorted to the place of honor upon the
stage.
President Mrs. w. Nj. Morning of the
Mary Bryan club introduced the
defeated candidate. The pronunciation
of the ex candidate s name was the
signal for continued applause from a
forest of gloved hands. Mr.. Bryan
smilingly acknowledged the ovation and
when quiet was restored, said:
Mrs. Chairman and ladies': Allow
me to thank you in behalf of myself and
wife for the interest you have taken in
the recent campaign, and still further
for the kind reception rendered us upon
our return from the East.
Mr. Bryan then explained that the
audience was perforee limited to actual
members of the Mary Bryan club.
because of the seating capacity of the
house. He was personally glad to talk
to believers in the gold standard, and
had frequently had to disagree politically
with his oldest and best friends. He
believed now, as always, that every
man, woman and child has the inherent
right of free expression of political
belief, and he had no illwill to one
who differed with him.
We initiate what we admire, said the
speaker. / am glad to see the wives and
mothers at last deeply and fully
interested in the great political issues of
the day And if there is one motto [
should wish to impress upon their minds
and to have them carry away in their
hearts to their homes, that motto is
this: That government like ours,
deriving its powers through and by the
people, should be founded upon this
one principle. equal rights to all, and
special privileges to none. =
The common people-the masses
those who are sometimes slightingly
alluded to as the riff raft (laughter),
are the very people who fail to profit
by special legislation. We do not mean
to say that perfect equality can ever
exist among the people-for that, my
friends, depends largely upon character,
energy, frugality and those distinguish
ing traits in human beings which tend
by natural agencies TO raise one man
above the head of another. But what l
do mean is that the common people,
every man of them, shall enjoy the
same legal privileges as those of greater
financial power. That is why we enjoy
our form of government, because there
is justice to be had as between man and
man, when the right lawmakers are
elected to represent the interests of the
people. Now, in this last campaign |
advocated the restoration of bimetal-
lism. Doubtless | read more works
against free silver than any speaker who
opposed me on the stump. When |
see the great money classes combine
together to make money dearer. know
it is because they mean to profit by 1t
and not because they love the people,
and when find that these are the ones
who desire to continue the same system
under which we have fallen upon these
hard times, l want to do all in my
power to Illustrate their designs.
Even my enemies have not overdone
my physical endurance and | want to
continue my efforts for free coinage in
conjunction with those of the people,
the common people of this country. If
experience teaches us that our opponents
are right we shall be able to enjoy sue
cess in their victory and its fruits-but,
if on the contrary they fail and we are
left to prove them in the wrong, we
shall at least convince them that our
principle was the right one, and shall
ask them to join us honestly.
In conclusion, allow me to thank you
most heartily for the courtesy extended
TO my wife and myself. 1t will be for
ever one of the brightest moments of
our lives, and 1 would add that
earnestly hope that these ladies who are
interested in questions of government
and worked so faithfully throughout
this campaign will not now drop their
studies, but will continue to gain an
insight into practical politics which will
prove OF inestimable value in the train
ing of the coming generation of voters.
The closing sentences of Mr.. Bryan s
speech were well nigh inaudible, his
voice failing him utterly at times. In
this connection he said laughingly that
he was glad it had not given out during
the campaign.