The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-14
WEBSTER ON BRYANIsM.

Last Saturday night the local Democracy
held mass-meeting to give expression 10
political sentiments which proved to be as
thoroughly un-American in tone and
character as could be expressed in Ian
guage. The warp and wool of the speeches
were composed of expressions like these
"Will you settle this matter by the ballot
or by the sword?' "When the physical
strength of the classes is brought against
the physical strength of the masses the
former will be crushed like eggshelIs."
"As in July, 1776 the American people
adopted document setting them free
from the Jokes and chains OF slavery that
they had borne hitherto, so in July of 1896
the American people had placed before
them new Declaration of Independence,
setting them free from yokes and chains
just as CALLING" "While the War of In
dependence brought upon our ancestors
their Saratoga, their Camden and the
pangs of starvation and of unshod bleed
ing feet, in the end it brought to them
their Yorktown. So it may be in this new
war"
No better reply 10 these and all such
revolutionary utterances could be found
than the following from speech of Daniel
Webster, delivered in January, 1884, at a
time when the money question was dis
torted and twisted by demagogues just as
it is to-day for personal political ad-
vantage. The great commoner said:
Mr.. President: On the great questions which
occupy US we all look for some decisive move
ment of public opinion. AS wish that move
ment TO be free, intelligent and unbiased, the
frf1a ovsif ,F ~ ...Tf
to prepare the country for another appeal,
which perceive is about to be made to popular
prejudiee-another attempt to obscure all dis
tinct views OF the popular good by loud cries
against false danger, and by exciting the
passions of one class against another. lam
not mistaken In the omen. l see the m agazine
whence the weapons of this warfare are to be
drawn. already hear the din of the ham
mering OF the arms preparatory to the combat.
There may be such arms, perhaps, as reason
able justice and honest patriotism cannot
resist Every effort OF resistance, il is possible
may be feeble and powerless; but / for one
shall make an effort to begin now, and TO be
carried on and continued with untiring zeal
till the end of the contest comes.
Sir, see in those vehicles which carry to the
people sentiments from high places, plain dec
larations that the present controversy is but a
strife between one part of community and
curity, the solid ground, never to be shaken.
on which recent measures rest that the Door
naturally hate the rich. I know that, under
the cover of the roofs OF the Capitol, within
the last twenty-four hours, among men sent
here to devise means for the public safety and
the public good, it has been Wanted forth. as
matter of boast and triumph, that one cause
existed powerful enough to support everything.
and that was the natural hatred of the poor to
the rich.
Sir, pronounce the author of such senti
ments to be guilty of attempting a detestable
fraud on the community; double fraud,
fraud which is to cheat men out of their prop
erty and the earnings of their labor, by first
cheating them out of their understanding.
1.-THE natural hatred of the poor to the richIp
Sir, II shall not be 10 the last moment OF my
existence-it shall be only when am drawn TO
the verge OF oblivion, when 1 shall cease TO
have respect or affection for anything on earth
that will believe the people of the United
States effeetually deluded, cajoled and driven
about in herds by such abominable frauds as
this II they shall sink to that point, if they
SO lar cease to be men, thinking men, intelli-
gent men, as to yield to such pretenses and
such clamor they will be slaves already, slaves
to their passions, slaves TO the fraud and
knavery OF pretended friends; they will de-
serve TO be blotted out of all the records of
freedom; they ought not to dishonor the cause