The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-16

eminent and we have the most perfect
form of government because it is Il gov
| eminent which can be just as good as
people desire it to be. No government
can be better than the people desire. If
our government is good; if our laws are
just, it is because we make them our
selves. | have confidence in the in
telligence of the great common people of
this great country. (Applause). The
only trouble we have is that the people
are so often Indifferent to their duties as
| citizens. Some have an idea that pa triOt-
ism can only be manifested in time of
| war | was too young to show my pa
triotism in time of war. but | glory that
this land every year gives Il patriot an
opportunity to show his love for country
and there is no year better than this.
(Applause).
"You have the right to act upon every
question which arises and when you find
a person that says the people are incom-
petent to settle the most important ques-
ton that concerns our nation you find
a man who does not understand the con-
dition of our institutions. Great ques-
tons are simple questions. Every po-
litical question is an economic question
and every great economic question is at
a
you determine which is right and which
is wrong, when you come to the settle
ment Of Il question where justice is in
VOWED it can be settled only by the great
common people of this nation. Great
applause and cries of that's right"
No question can ever be settled until
the people sit in judgment on it. The
politicians have tried to settle the money
question. The fnancers have tried to
| bn inf
be settled until the great producing mass
es of this country express their opinion,
and from that opinion there is no appeal.
| (Applause.) You have the right not
only to hold an election, but to express
your opinion on the money question and
you have the same right by your ballot
to protect your own interests and watch
over the welfare of your family as that
of any other person in this broad land,
and more than that, each man must look
after his own rights and protect his own
interests. There is no class of persons
in this country into whose hands you
can trust the government. believing that
they look out for everybody else. There
| is 200 much sefishness in lis all and
while we must each look out for our
selves we must keep our eyes open that
others do not take care of themselves
and ourselves too. We have suffered
| more Ill tIlS country lroln ine peOple
! who have tried to care for every inter-
est except their own and in the end they
have taken care of their interest only
| from another cause.
"The money question is not a compli-
Gated question and it is presented in this
campaign in the simplest form it has
ever taken before the people. When
this campaign is on, before the election
arrives, there will be just one great
question in this country and that is, is
the nation great enough to attend to its
own business? (Applause.) Is this ma
ton great enough to legislate for its peo-
pie? If so, then the people will demand
a financial policy based upon the Amer
lean interest for the caring of American
rights. regardless of any other nation
on earth. (Applause.) If this nation is
not great enough to attend to its own
business. then to what nation can we
90 with the expectation of aid? Do you
know of any nation that is standing
ready to help us? Is there any nation
that can not take care of it's own people?
| Is it necessary for the United States to
humbly bow before the foreign nations
and beg them to do that for which their
nation was instituted-to take care of
the people of the United States? Gap
plause.)
But l did not want to make speech.
| simply wanted to thank you and come
out here and express my gratitude and
to those like you who have conferred
upon me this distinguished honor. l
appreciate the honor and appreciate the
responsibility which that honor imposes.
| Whether l shall be elected or not, de-
ponds not upon me, but upon the people,"
But here the time was up for the train
to leave and Mr.. Bryan was hustled off
| tlrpnpD u-hi lnth 70
| give way to him. Hundreds of people
| shook him by the hand as he came
| through the assemblage and promised
him their support.
| short stop was made at Toona, where
| half the town was, without an eXcep
ton. bent upon seeing Mr.. Bryan. The
people were gratitied and though the stop
was only momentary everybody had
chance to see him. Then came Arcola,
the county seat of Douglass county,
where at least 1000 people stood on the
platform and around the depot.
Col. William Bnton, United States
marshal for the southern district of
| Illinois. introduced Mr.. Bryan and his
wife to the crowd AS the people ceased
to cheer. Mrs. Bryan. who carried
large bouquet of sweet peas. began to
scatter them over the heads of the
| throng. There vas great scramble
for them. At this place Mrs. Bryan re-
ceived the bulk of attention. AS soon as
they had been introduced Mr. Bryan
said:
whenever l come to Arcola travel
on my wife's reputation. because she
attended school with the daughter of
your distinguished citizen. Maiden
Jones'"
At Mattoon the crowd was almost as
large MS that which assembled at
Champaign. The streets We're blockaded
with vehicles and men and women. and
all the houses in the vicinity were deco
rated with flags in honor of Mr.. Bryan.
He was introduced to the crowd from the
rear platform of the train by Frank
Splitter as the next president of the
United States. In addressing the
crowd Mr.. Bryan said:
we hardly have time, fellow citizens,
to discuss the questions which are the
issues III this campaign. | have been
taught that a great public servant was
''but hired man chosen for certain