The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-08-19

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terrupted by cheers of approval. His
reference to the income tax was loudly
cheered, as was also his reference to
the sale of bonds. The audience also
manifested approval at various stages
of his free silver argument. When
some of the more telling points in this
| discussion were reached the audience
yelled with all its might.
In the main, however, his speech
was dry and uninteresting discourse,
composed largely of mere assertion and
dogmatism. He failed to sustain the
reputation for oratory his speech in the
Chicago convention had created, and
his discussions of national affairs served
only to convince thinking people who
heard, or who read his speech in the
newspapers that the candidate was far
below the stature of statesmen. Only
in his peroration was seen anything
that has given him oratorical fame, and
the effect of this passage of his speech
was dulled by the strain and impair
ment much speaking had put upon his
vocal organs. Mr.. Bryan closed as fol-
lows:
"Oitizens of New York:-I have trav-
eled from the center of the continent
TO the seaboard that l might, in the
very beginning of the campaign, bring
you greeting from the people of the
West and South, and assure you that
their desire is not to destroy, but to
build up. They invite you to accept
the principles of living faith rather
than listen to those who preach the
gospel of despair, and advise endur-
ance of the ills you have. The advo-
Gates of free coinage believe that in
striving to secure the immediate res
toration of bimetalllism they are labor
ing in your behalf, as we'll as in their
own behalf. A few of your people
may prosper under present conditions,
but the permanent welfare of New
York rests upon the producers of
wealth. This great city is built upon
the commerce of the nation, and must
suffer if that commerce is impaired.
You cannot sell unless the people have
money with which to buy, and they
cannot obtain the money with which to
buy unless they are able to sell their
products at remunerative prices. Pro-
duction of wealth goes before the ex-
change of wealth; those who create must
secure a profit before they have any
thing to share with others. You can
not afford to join the money changers
in supporting financial policy which,
by destroying the purchasing power of
the products of toll, must in the end dis
courage the creation of wealth.
81 ask, / expect your cooperation. 1t
is true that few of your fnanciers
would fashion a new figure II fig
ure representing Columbia, her hands
bound fast with letters of gold and her
face turned toward the east, appealing
for assistance to those who live beyond
the sea-but this figure can never eX-
press your idea of this nation. You
will rather turn for inspiration to the
heroic statue which guards the entrance
to your city-a statue as patriotic in
conception as it is colossal in proper
tons; it was the gracious gift of
sister republic and stands upon a
pedestal which was built by the Ameri-
can people. That fgure-liberty ell
tightening the woild-is emblematic of
the mission of our nation among the
nations of the earth. With a govern
ment which derives its powers from the
consent of the governed, secures to all
the people freedom of conscience, free
dom Of thought and freedom OF speech,
guarantees equal rights to all and prom
ises special privileges to none, the
United States should be an example in
all that is good, and the leading spirit
in every movement which has for its OBJ
ject the uplifting of the human race"
"Not a success" is the popular
verdict upon the speech that the orator
had prepared with so great care and
had travelled so far to deliver. Crowds
departed before the speech was ended.
Mr.. Bryan is evidently more at home
in the rough and tumble, the cut and
thrust, of western political campaign
ing, than in the sober and arduous work
of earnest, rational, statesmanlike po-
litical discussion. His speech in New
York will offer endless opportunity for
effective attack-and these opportuni-
ties will be improved.
Mr.. Sewall's speech of acceptance
was very brief. He said that the Chi
cago convention was the greatest and
most earnest convention in the history
of the party. 1t was closer and more
in touch with the people. The dele
egates were there to voice the senti-
ments of their constituents, the people
of the party, for the people of the
party controlled and conducted that
convention. Mr.. Sewal declared that
unequivocally and through sincere con-
graduation he endorsed the platform
on which he had been nominated. 81
believe we are right the people are
with us, and what the people declare
in is always right and must prevail. l
accept the nomination, and with the
peoples confirmation every effort of
which God shall render me capable will
be exerted in support of the principles
involved"
After the notification meeting, Mr..
Bryan was driven to the Hotel Bar
tholdi, facing Madison Square, where he
spoke again, standing on a balcony with
Mr.. Sewall and Mrs. Bryan, who shared
with her husband all the honors and
attention of the day. This second au-
dience, standing in the streets. seemed
to be composed mostly of workingmen,
and Mr.. Bryan exhorted them to sup
port the cause of free silver, with one
of the most effective open-air speeches
which he has made in the campaign.