People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-07-23
WILLIAM ]. BRYiN'S GREAT SPEECH
He Poured Hot Shots Into the Gold Camp With
Rapid Fire-EleCtrifies His Audience.
EVERY SENTENCE SHALLOW
For the Rights of Masses Against the UsurpatiOns
of Classes-He Declares That Mankind Shall
Not Be CruCified OH Cross of Gold.

"Mr CHAIRMAN, and Gentlemen OF the Con-
ventOn:
Il would be preSumptu9us indeed,
to present myself against the dis
tinguiShed gentleman to whom you
have listened, if this were a meaSur-
ing OF ability, but this is not a con-
test Of persons. The humbleSt citi-
zen in all the land, when clad in the
armOr OF righteous causes, is stronger
than al the hosts of error that they
can bring. come to speak to YOU in
defense OF cause as holy as tie Cause
OF liberty, the cause of humanity.
Loud applauSe)
when this debate is concluded, a
motion will be made to lay upon the
table a resolution offered in cODmen-
datiOn Of the administration, and also
a resolution in condemnation of the
administration. | shall object to
bringing this question down to a
level Of persons. The individual is
but an atom: he is born. he acts. he
dies, but the principles a-e eternal
aud this has been a contrs. OF princi-
pie. Never before in The history of
this country has there been witness
ed such a contest as t.at through
which we have passed. Never before
in the history Of American politics
has great issue been fought out as
has this issue, by the voters them.
selves.
FREE SILVER HISTORY.
ION the 4th of March, 1895, a few
Democrats, most of them members of
congress, issued an address to the
Democrats Of the nation. asserting
that the money question was ,nL para
mount issue Of the hour; asserting
also the right of majority of the
Democratic party to control the party
on the paramount issue. concluding
with the request that all believers in
the free coinage of silver in the Dem.
ocratic party should organize and
take charge of and control the policy
OF the Democratic party. Three
months later, at Memphis, an organi-
cation was perfected, aud silver Dem
ocrats boldly and courageOusly pro-
claimed their belief, declaring that if
successful, they would crystalize in a
platform the declaration which they
had made. Then began the conflict
with a zeal approaching the zeal
which inspired the crusaders who fol-
lowed Peter the Hermit.
EiAbNO AlNu i.
"Our silver Democrats went forth
from victory unto victory until they
are assuming, not to discuss, not to
debate, but to enter upon Judgment
rendered by the plain people of this
country. Applause
In this contest, brother has been
arrayed against brother, and father
against son. The warmeSt ties of
love andacquaintanee aud association
have been disregarded. Old leaders
have been cast aside when they re-
fused to give expression to the senti.
mentS Of those whom they lead, and
new leaders have sprung up to give
direction to this cause Of truth
(Cheers,l
THUS has the contest been waged,
and we have assembled here under as
binding and solemn instructions as
were ever fastened upon representa-
tives of the people. We do not come
as individuals. Why, as individuals.
We might have been glad to compli-
ment the gentleman from New York
Senator Hill but we know that the
people for whom we speak would never
be willing to put him in position
where he could thwart the will of the
Democratic party. (Cheers.)
Il say it is not question of person:
1t isa question ofprinciple, and is not
With gAdness, my friends, that we
and ourselves brought into conflict
with those who are arrayed on the
other side. The gentleman who has
just preceded HE Governor RusselD
spoke Of the old state of Massachu-
sets. Let me assure him that not one
person in all this convention enter
tains the least hostility to The state Of
Massachusetts. (Applause.l
THE BUSINESS MAN.
when you come before US and tell
us We will disturb your business inter.
ests. we reply that you have disturb
ed our business interests by your
course. Great applause and cheer
ing.) We say to you that you have
made too limited in its application
the definition of business man. The
man who is employed for wages is as