The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-08

of the City-Hs Mastery Speech.
Chicago, Sept. Long before $3.50 p.
m, the hour set for the arrival of Will
liam j. Bryan, Sharpshooters Park was
filled with laboring men. Outside a
crowd of unnumbered thousands had
gathered, waiting impatiently to see the
apostle of free silver. Every tree within
hearing of the speakers stand was filled
with those seeking an unobstructed view.
Mr.. Bryan left the Auditorium annex
shortly before 2 o'clock. ACCOMMODATING
him in his carriage were Edward Carroll,
president OF the Building Trades Council
j. Ryan, chairman of the committee on
speakers, and j. ID. Mckinley, chairman
of the Carpenters District Council. Be
hind them came several carriages contain
ing prominent leaderes of organized labor.
Mr.. Bryan was cheered continuously as
he drove rapidly through the streets AS
his carriage nearcd the park, the densely
packed crowds gathered there set up II
roar that lasted for fully ten minutes.
Then with n rush the gates were broken
down. The police weIe utterly powerless
to control the crowd, and in Il short time
the park was one dense mass of crushed
but still cheering humanity. No one was
seriously injured in the jam, though one
or two women were in II fainting condi-
ton. On the stand with Mr.. Bryan were
Judge William Prentiss, Judge McCon-
nell and the labor leaders Mr.. Bryan
began speaking ut 2:55 p. N. choosing for
his subject the DIGNITY of Labor
He began by eXtoling the value of Or
ganized labor, and showed how great had
been its benefits to toilers. His discourse
soon took on political aspect.
with Solomon, "sad Mr.. Bryan, 81
want neither riches nor poverty and with
Carlyle want the rulers to win q new
wisdom in the conduct of affairs"
AS he urged the benefits to be derived
from the free coinage of silver, especially
to laboring men, he was continuously in
terrupted by applause.
Continuing Mr.. Bryan said in part:
II am glad to stand on this day in the
presence of those to whom this nation is
SO largely indebted for all that it has had,
for all that it has now and for all that 1t
can hope to have. 7 am not indulging in
idle fiattry when 1 say to you that no
part of the people of the world are sd i'm
portant to the welfare of mankind as
those whose labor and brain concert nat
ural resources into material wealth. (Ap-
plause) might quote to you what Mr..
Carlisle said of those people in 1878. He
described them rs the struggling masses
of the country. He does not praise them
too highly. The struggling masses not
only produce the wealth and pay the taxes
OF the country in time of peace, but the
struggling masses have ever been and
must ever be the nations surest protec-
tion in time of peril. applause and a
voice: Good boy, Willie. " Let me quote
you what another American said, speak
ing of capital and labor. Abraham Lin
coin in message to Congress used these
words: Monarchy itself is sometimes
limited at as possible refuge from the
power of the people. In my present posi-
ton l could scarcely be justified were 1 to
omit to raise n warning voice against this
approach of returning despotism. 1t is
not needed nor fitting here that a general
argument should be made in favor Of pub
lie institutions; but there is one point
with it's connection not so hackneyed as
most others, to which ask brief atten-
ton. 1t is the effort to place capital on
an equal footing with, if not above, Ia
Dor, in the structure of government. 1t
is assumed that labor is available only in
connection with capital, sc that nobody
labors unless somebody else commanding
capital somehow, by the use of it, induces
him to labor And then he adds: Labor
is prior to and independent of capital
OttplIttl IL OHiy oiio iIuiG vi lttDOr uIlu COulu
never have existed if labor had not first
existed. (Applause.) Labor is the supe-
rior of capital and deserves much higher
''Then he adds: NO men living are
more worthy to be. trusted than those who
toll up from poverty, none less inclined
to take or to touch aught which they
have not honestly earned. Let them be-
ware of surrendering a political power
which they already possess and which, if
surrendered, will surely be used to close
the door of advancement against such as
they, and to fix new tasks and burdens
upon them, till all of liberty shall be
lost (Applause.) These are tile words
of Abraham Lincoln. They are not in
tended to arouse luminosity against cap
ital, but they state great truth that is
always to be remembered that capital is
but the fruit of labor and you cannot de-
stroy labor without destroying the posi-
bility of future capital. (Applause.)
~ have quoted from two American au-
thorities. want in an ascending scale
to reach higher authority still. Let me
q uote to you what that man whose words
have entitled him to be Gale | the wisest
of men, Solomon, said on this subject:
Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed
me with food convenient for me; OF lest l
be poor and steal, and take the name of
my God in vain.'
81 want you to remember that Solomon
regards not the extreme, butt was
about to say the golden meant will say
the golden and silver mean rather Oaneh.
ter and applause) He regards that con
iii tinp hpct which lie ~ or OF