The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-11

youth Bryan must have had skilIful
teacher in elocution and must have been
docile pupil. He adorns his speeches with
illustrations from the classics or from the
common occurrences of everyday life with
equal felicity and facility. Some passages
from his orations are gems and are being
used as declarations by boys at school
the ultimate tribute to American elo-
quence.
But his browning gift as an orator is
his evident sincerity. He is candof incar-
nate, and thoroughly believing what be
says himself it is no marvel that he makes
others believe
"Bryan's first speech in the House-the
one on the tariff in 1S92-hxed his status
as one of the great orators of this genera
ton. 1t astonIshed old stagers, electrified
the country and stimulated the ambition
OF every young man in the land Enyious
carpers lugubriouslys predicted that he
could never duplicate that far-resounding
performance; that ne would be like a
wasp, biggest when first Matched, and that
his Congressional song would be pitched
in diminuendo instead of crescendo. But
he utterly confounded these jealous Cas-
sandras by delivering q speech on silver
which must forever remain as classic in
Congressional literature.
'If it did not increase his fame as much
as did his initial effort. it was for the all
sufficient reason that there was not so
much room for him to grow in. If Daniel
Webster himself could have come back TO
life he could not by twenty years of cease
less endeavor increase his fame as an ora
tor; for while here before he butted his
lofty head against the stars. But Bryan
went on to the end, making speeches
stronger and ever stronger, manifesting
new powers every time he arose. Perhaps
his later addresses lacked something in
effevescence, brilliancy and piquancy,
but they grew constantly more logical il
less rhetorical.
The following extracts from some of Mr..
Bryan's speeches in Congress have been
much quoted by Democratic campaign
orators, and did much 10 establish his
fame as one of the leading opponents of
the income tax and free silver theory:
"They call that man statesman whose
ear IS turned 10 catch the slightest pulsa-
tons of pocket-book, and denounce as a
demagogue any one who dares to listen to
the heartbeat of humanity"
'The poor man who takes property by
force is called thief, hut the creditor who
can by legislation make a debtor pay a
dollar twice as large as he borrowed is
Landed as the friend of sound currency.
The man who wants the people to destroy
man who wants the Government to de-
stroy the people is a patriot"
"Some, who are ready to use the power
of the Government to limit the supply of
money, in order to prevent injustice to
the creditor. are slow TO admit the right
of the Government to increase the cur
rency when necessary to prevent injustice
to the de btor. j denounce that cruel in
depreciation of governmental power which
would grant the authority TO starve, but
would withhold the authority to feed our
people-which would permit a contraction
OF our currency, even to the destruction of
all prosperity, but would prohibit the ex
pansion OF our currency to keep pace with
the growing needs OF growing NationP'
1.-THE gentlemen who are so fearful of
socialism when the poor are exempted
from an income tax view with indifference
those methods of taxation which give the
rich a substantial exemption. They weep
more because SIS, 600, 900 is to be collected
from the incomes OF the rich than they do
at the collection of $500, 100000 upon the
goods which the poor CONSUME. And
when an attempt is made to equalize these
burdens. not fully, but partially only, the
people of the South and West are called
anarchists.
81 deny the accusation, sirs. 1t is
among the people of the South and West
on the prairies and in the mountains, that
eminent and the best friends of law and
order.
"You may not find among these people
the great fortunes which are cumulated
in cities, nor Will you find the dark shad-
ows which these fortunes throw over the
community, but you will find those will
ing to protect the rights of property even
while they demand that property shall
bear its share OF taxation. You may not
find among them as much of wealth, but
you will find men who are not only willing
to pay their taxes to support the Govern
ment but are willing whenever necessary
to offer up their lives in its defense.
These people. sir, whom you call an
archists because they ask that the burdens
of government shall be equally borne,
these people have ever borne the cross on
Calvary and saved their country with their
blood"
81 may be in error, but in my humble
Judgment he who would rob man of his
necessary food or poliute the springs at
which he quenches his thirst, or steal
away from him his accustomed rest, or
condemn his mind to the gloomy night of
Ignorance, is no more an enemy of his
race than the man who, deaf to the en-
treaties of the poor and blind to the suf-
fering he would cause, seeks to destroy
one of the money metals given by the
w supply VIC HCC1o VI WIN
merce.
1.-THE line of battle is laid down. The
Presidents letter TO EGovernor Northen
expresses his opposition to the free and
unlimited coinage of silver by this country
alone. Upon that issue the next Congress
sional contest will be fought. Are we de-
pendent or independent as a Nation ?
Shall we legislate for ourselves or shall we
beg some foreign nation to help US pro-
vide for the financial wants Of our own
people7"
"You may think that you have buried
the cause of bimetallism; you may con-
graduate yourselves that you have laid
the free coinage of silver away in sepul-
cher, newly made since the election, and
before the door rolled the veto stone But,
sirs, if our cause is just, as believe it is,
your labor has been in vain; no tomb was
ever made so strong that it could i'm prison
righteous cause. Silver will yet lay aside
its grave clothes and its shroud. 1t will
vet rise, and in its rising and its reign will
bless mankind"
Alexander 'wept for other worlds to
conquer after he had carried his victori-
GUS banner throughout the then known
world. Napoleon 're arranged he map of
Europe with his sword amid the lam enta-