The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-08-13
BRYANS ACCEPTANCE
The Candidates Speech at Aadi-
son Square Garden.

Mr. Chairman, gentlemen Of the COM
mittoe and fellow citizens: shall, at
future day and in a formal letter, accept
the nomination which Ia now rendered by
the notification committee, and l shall at
that time touch upon the issues presented
by the platform. 1t is fitting, however,
that at this time, In the presence of those
here assembled, speak at some length in
regard to the campaign upon which we
are now entering. We do not under
estimate the forces arrayed against us,
nor are we unmindful Of the Importance
of the struggle in which we are engaged,
but relying for righteousness Of our cause
we shall defend with all possible vigor the
positions taken by our party. Weare not
surprised that some Of our opponents, in
the absence Of better argument, resort to
abusive epithets, but they may rest assured
that no language, however violent, no
invectives, however vehement, will lead
us to depart a single hairs breadth from
the course marked out by the national
convention. The citizen, either public or
private; who assails the character and
questions the patriotism of the delegates
assembled in the Chicago convention,
assails the character and questions the
| patriotism of the millions who have ar
rayed themselves under the banner there
| raised
1t has been charged by men sta nding
high in these political circles that our
| platform is menace to private security
and public safety, and 1t has been asserted
that those whom have the honor, for the
time being, to represent, not only med
itate an attack upon the rights of prop
erty, but are the foes of social order and
national honor.
Those who stand upon the Chicago plat
form are prepared to make known and to
defend every motion which influences
Them every purpose which animates them,
and every hope which inspires them. They
understand the genius of our institutions,
they are staunch supporters of the form Of
government under which we live and they
build their faith upon foundations laid by
others. Andrew jackson has stated with
admirable clearness and with an emphasis
which cannot be surpassed both the duty
and sphere of government. He said "Dis-
tinctions in society will always exist I'M
der every government. Equality of tai
ents, Of education or Of wealth cannot be
produced by human institutions. In the
full enjoyment of the gifts of Heaven and
the fruits Of superior industry, economy
and virtue every man is equally entitled
to protection by law"
We Yield to None.
We yield to none in our devotion to the
doctrine just enunciated. Our campaign
has not for its object the reconstruction
of society We cannot insure to the
vicious the fruits of a vrtuous life; we
would not invade the home of the provi-
dent in order to supply the wants of the
spendthrft; we do not propose to trans
fer the rewards Of industry to the lap of
Incidence. Property is and will remain
the stimulus to endeavor and the compen-
sation for toll We believe, rs asserted in
the Declaration of Independence, that all
men are created equal; but that does not
mean that all men are or can be equal in
possessions, in ability or in merit; it sim
ply means that all shall stand equal be-
fore the law, and that government officials
shall not, in making, constituting or EN-
forcing the law, discriminate between cit
liens.
assert that property rights, as well as
the rights of persons, are safe in the hands
Of the common people. Abraham Lin
coin, in his message to congress in Deem
Der, 1861, said mo men living are more |
worthy to be trusted than those who toll |
up from poverty; none less inclined to |
take or touch which they have not hon
estly earned" repeat hislanguage with |
unqualified approval, and join with him |
in the warning which he added, namely: |
LET them beware of surrendering q no. |
litical power which they already possess,
and which power, if surrendered, will |
surely be used to close the doors of adj |
vancement against such as they and to fix
new disabilities and burdens upon them,
till al OF the liberty snail De lost
we are not surprised to lind arrayed
against us those who are the bcneticiaries
OF government Notwithstanding have read
our PLATFORM Nor are we surprised to
learn that we must IN TINS campai gn face
the hostility OF those who hnd pecuniary
advantageln advocating the doctrine of
non-lnterference when great aggregations
OF wealth are trespasslng upon the rights !
OF lnulVluuals. we welcome such oppo-
sition-lt lsthe hlghestlndorsementw which
couia DC bestowed upon us. We arc con-
tent to have the cooperation of those who
desire to have the government admins
tered without tcar or FAVOR. 1t is not the
wish OF the general public that trusts
should spring into existence and override
the weaker members OF society; it Is not
the wish OF the general public that these
trusts should destroy competition and
then collect such tax as they will from
those who are at their mercy, nor is it the
fault of the general public that the in
strumcntalities of government have been
SO often prostituted to purposes of private
gain,
Government Should Avoid Wrong Doing.
Those who stand upon the Chicago plat
form believe that the government should
not only avoid wrong doing, but that It
should prevent wrong doing, and they be-
licve that the law should be enforced alike
against all enemies of the public veal
They do not excuse petit larceny but thew
declare that grand larceny is equally a
crime: they do not defend the occupation
pecting traveller, but they include among
the transgressors those who, through the
more polite and less hazardous means of
legislation, appropriate to their own use