Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1896-12-03
BRYAN'S EL.O NCE.
CHICAGO WORKINGMEN HEAR THE
DISTINGUISHED NEBRASKAN.

CHICAGO WVkklNUMEN HEAk he
DISTINGUISHED NEBRASKAN.
w j. Bryan the Presidential Can
didate, Delivers Rousing
speech to Workingmen mt the
Labor Picnic MT Chicago-auots
Lincoln ON the Labor Problem
says He Relieves strongly In the
Docterin OF Arbitration.
Chicago. Sent, 1.-THE .abor organizations
~ chicago celebrated Labor day with a
narade in which probably 10000 men par
''e .rbe chief attraction Of the day was the
.ocech Of William ]. Bryan at Sharpshoot-
ers' Park this afternoon
Mr.. BRYAN began speaking at 2:25 p m.
cioos..rh e Dignity of Labor
Labor day has become fixed thing
among our Institutions. and 1t Is well that
If has, because on this day all over this
nnton those who are engaged In the pro-
duction of wealth meet In order that they
nav commune with each other, discuss
those questions In which they are especially
interested and emphasize before the world
that there Is nothing dishonorable In the
fact That one eHEuS Ills UIclu III luS SWCdI
Of his face. I am glad to stand on this
hay in the presence of those to whom this
nation is so largely Indebted for all that
II has had, for all that 1t has now, and for
all that it can hope to have, am not In
dulging in idle fattery when say to you
are SO important to the welfare Of man
kind as those whose labor and brain con.
vert natural resources into material wealth.
| might quote to you what Mr.. Carlyle
said Of these people In 1878. He described
them as the struggling masses who pro-
country. He did not praise them too high
w. The struggling masses not only pro-
duce 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 protection in time of
peril Let me quote you what another
American has said. In speaking Of labor
and capital, Abraham Lincoln. In mes
sage 10 congress, used these words:
Monarchy itself is sometimes limited at
as a possible refuge from the power of
the people. In my present position l could
be scarcely justified were 1 to omit to
raise 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 public institu-
tons; but there is one point with its con-
nection not so hackneyed as most others
effort to place capital on an equal footing
with, If not above, labor, In the structure
of government. 1t Is assumed that labor
is available only In connection with capital;
that nobody labors unless somebody else
commanding capital somehow by the use
to and independent of capital. Capital Is
only the fruit of labor and could never
have existed If labor had not first existed
Labor is the superior of capital and de-
serves much higher consideration. No men
living are more worthy to be trusted than
those who toll up from poverty; none less
inclined to take or touch aught which they
have not earnestly earned. Let them be-
ware of surrendering 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"
These are the words of Abraham Lincoln.
They are not intended % arouse animosity
against capital, but they state a great
truth that is always to be remembered,
that capital is but the fruit of labor, and
you cannot destroy labor without the pos
sbility of destroying capital. l have
quoted from two American authorities.
want In an ascending scale to reach higher
authority still. Let me qnote to you what
that man whose words have entitled him
to be called the wisest of men, Solomon,
said on this subject:
"Give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with food convenient for me, lest
be evil and deny thee and say who is
the Lord; or lest be poor and steal and
take the name of my God in vain"
l want you to remember that Solomon
regards not the extreme-but, was about
to say, the golden meant will say the
golden and silver mean, rather He regards
that condition best which Is not at either
extreme, but lies in between the extremes.
Nnff 1nn uH<,IH1 hi 1t ufvy
furnish the soil in which grows the best
civilization. Those who are oppressed by
poverty lose the ambition, the aspiration,
the lofty purpose that is necessary to lead
one on to the greatest achievements; and
those who possess too great wealth lose
the necessity for labor, that labor which
is absolutely essential to the development
of that which is best in human nature.
Solomon was right, therefore, when he
prayed for this intermediate condition. The
great middle classes are the bulwark of
society, and from the middle classes has
come almost all of good that has come to
bless the human race.
Let me recall another compliment paid
to the common people. You know when
we use that term there are some who say
that we are appealing to the passions Of
the masses; there are some who apply the
name demagogue to anybody who speaks
of the common people. My friends, let me
call your attention to the fact that when
the meek and lowly Nazarene came among
men, preaching peace on earth good will
towards men. he was not welcomed by
those who were described as people who de-
voured widows houses and for a pretense
made long prayers. But when he gave
that great commandment that thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself, who listened to
him? The Scriptures tell us, and IN so doing
pays the highest compliment ever paid to
the Masses The Scriptures tell us that
the common people heard him gladly. And
the common people are the only people who
have ever heard gladly any person who
preached humanity and equal rights. do
not mean to say that there are no excep-
lions to the general rule. There have al
ways been found among the richer classes
those who were filled with the spirit OF
philanthropy; there have always been found
among them those who were willing to
spend their lives an the uplifting Of their
fellows. But am speaking Of the rule
that reforms do not come lrom and are
not supported by those who consider them
selves lifted above the common people. Nor
do mean that you have never found among
the common people those who would be-
tray their fellows. You have found every
where-it Is one of the unfortunate things
that stand out upon every page OF history
that the character of Judas Is not confined