The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-30
20 Startling and Advanced in
Its Views
That It is Suppressed and Not
Read.
HIS STRONG WORDS.
SsWhy Not Have Society Control
Property
He Says, "Instead of Having
Property Rule Society"

David OVermyer was invited to at
tend the banquet given VIM ]. Bryan
at Lincoln, Neb., by the travelling men,
He could not go but wrote a letter out
lining his views on the future OF the
Democracy. The letter was so start
ling that it was suppressed at Lincoln
and nothing was heard from it.
It was as follows:
Topeka, KAN Dec 26, 1896.
To the Travelling Mems Bryan club OF
Lincoln. Neb.
Your kind invitation to me to attend
a banquet at the Lincoln hotel on the
2Sth inst, in honor Of Hon William j.
Bryan has been received deeply re-
gret that a professional engagement
for that date which cannot be pOstpOn-
ed or avoided. will prevent my atten-
dance. I feel constrained, however, to
communicate to you a few thoughts,
suggested by the fact of a, banquet in
honor of Mr.. Bryan
Hugo has said that the English did
we'll to honor Welliu gtOn. but that in
paying their tribute to their hero, they
forgot themselves, and he adds; That
the one thing which stood out above
all others at Waterloo was the 'un-
fiinchlng course of the English nation
In hOnOring Mr.. Bryan, we honor not
only the most interesting and impress
sive personality today in American
public life; we honor not only him of
whom it has been truly said, that "he
is in intellect a giant, in endurance a
gladiator in courage a hero. and in de-
NOtiOn to the cause of the people, q
martyr We honor not only him whose
prodigious efforts for popular anchor
aticn arrested the attention of the civil
lized world but in honoring him we
celebrate also the great cause of hu-
manity for which his name now stands
Upon such occasions the mind turns
to the future What of the morrow?
| Where does duty lead 2Where shall the
line of battle be drawn What grounds
shall the field of the conflict cOver2
! Shall the hosts of humanity continue
divided into three separate armies or
/ be united in one? Shall those who
agree as to the nations Halady, Like
/ physicians of opposing schools, pre-
/ scribe separate and partially repug-
nant treatment2 Or shall all who re-
alze the fact that more than three
| fourths of the property Of this nation
/ is held by less than one hundred and
/ fifty thousand persons. While the peO-
4 pie own less than One-fOurth: and that
| this all absorbing stupendOus and ap-
| pallins fact now cOnfrOnts US; unite
4 under the flag, upon one platform. un-
! der one leader. and boldly prOclaiming
our purpose to check and for the future
prevent undue accommodations of wealth
! demand not only such legislation as
! will give to the American people an
/ equitable standard of value and q dol
/ lar not too dear to circulate and con
/ trolled by the people instead of the
/ banks; not only such legislation as Will
/ lift the remOrseless hand of tariff tax
alton from the shoulders of a people
now reeling and stage eing under public
/ Burdens and private debts: but such
/ legislation also, and by amendment of
the constitution, if necessary as will
! place taxes uDOn great incomes and
/ great estates, with increasing ratio
/ in the ascending scale.
Thus and thus only can accumula-
ti0ns be kept within safe limits And
1 why should not this great party of the
| people, this true, real, pure Jefferson
! ian Democracy. openly declare what all
| know to be true, viz That corpora
/ tiOnS as they exist with US, are an arti-
fetal and legalized device ;contrived for
/ the sole purpose Of erecting concentra-
ton Of commercial enterprises, and as
! such destructive of cOlnpetitiOn mimi
| cal to individual opportunity hostile to
/ individual Independence and a constant
menace to free institutions.
Why should we not declare for the ex-
/ tirpation OF this allen and sinister power?
rae4yr5e ne fTsnrl1isa1 - M io11e- e. sn1 81
! freely bestowed upon such unworthy. un-
I grateful and dangerous objects. and for
/ the future grant no franchises except af-
| public tribunal. and then only for rea-
sons. Of public policy and to objects Of
/ public control and public participation
Why not boldly and openly announce
/ the well settled and familiar legal doc
trine that railroads are public highways,
them the logical rule which obtains in all
| such cases. viz, That 50 long as they re-
ne DuLIie. Ivit6 such dearee Of coIfroi 1i
| in all other respects as the law making
/ power may deem expedient2
/ I'm fne why not have society control
property instead of having property rule
! society5 These great issues are upon us
/ we cannot escape them. The man who
| falters is lost The party that tempOrizes
| Will perish The conditions are present.
/ The hour has come The man is at hand.
| If your hOnored guest. William J. Bryan
/ VIII as boldly step to the front now az
! he did at Chicago. when his fervid elo-
/ quence swept the convention like a storm
! of fire. if he Will set the seal of his ap-
/ prOval upon these great and far reaching
| reforms now absolutely essential to the
! preservation of the nation life he can
/ weld together not only his late followers
| but millions more with them. in one solid
! indOmitable army which viii drive from
/ this land the last vestige of monopoly
| and plutocracy and restore to the people
the rights. privileges and opportunities
! which belong to freemen--
Yours very truly
DAVID ONERMXER.''