The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-07-16
THE GREAT SPEECH
THAT NOMINATED THE MAKER
FOR THE PRESIDENCY;
And If He Makes One or Two More
Like It He Will Surely be the
President of the United states
Mkt March.

especial. )-Wneu Jilo SUI ioaO 'OiN'''S
ex- congressman Bryan was net consid
cred to be q figure in the race for the
nomination, but before 1t rose aeain, the
friends Of other candidates were Obliged
to force an adjournment in order to save
a stampede to the young orator OF tht
West. His speech was a most remark
able one. Here is verbatim report of
portion of 1t:
"Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen oi
the Convention: | would be presump'
tuous, indeed, to present mytelf against
the distinguished gentleman to whom
YOU have listened If this were but meas
uring Of ability, but this is not contest
among persons. The humblest citizen in
all the land, when clad in the arnior OF a
righteous cause, Is stronger than all the
whole hosts of error that they can bring
I come to speak to you in defense OF a
cause as holy as the cause Of liberty, the
cause Of humanity. cloud applause)
when this debate Is concluded, a
motion Will De Hnduc w roy NPS' 49,
table the resolution offered in commenda'
tion of the administration and also the
resolution in condemnation Of the admin
istration. shall object to bringing this
question down to level of persons. The
individual is but an atom; he is born, he
acts, he dies; but principles are eternal
and this has been contest of principle.
Never before In the history Of this coun-
try has there been witnessed such con-
test as that through which we have
passed. Never before in the history of
American politics has great issue been
fought out, as this issue has been, by the
voters themselves
"On the 4th Of March, 1895, few
Democrats, most Of them members OF
congress, issued an address to the Demo-
Gratis of the nation asserting that the
money question was the paramount Issue
of the hour; asserting also the right of a
majority of the party to control the posi-
tion Of the party on this paramount issue (;
concluding with the request that all be-
levers in free coinage Of silver In the
Democratic party should organize and
take charge Of and control the policy 9f
the Democratic party. Three months
later, at Memphis, an organization was
perfected and the silver Democrats went
forth openly and courageously proclaim
ing their views and declaring that If suc-
cessful, they would crystalline in plat
form the declaration which they had
~1nade. And then began the conflict with
a zeal approaching the zeal which in
spired the crusaders who followed Peter,
the Hermit. Our silver Democrats went
forth from victory unto victory until they
are assem- bled now, not to discuss, but to
enter up the Judgment rendered by the
plain people of this country. (Applause)
"In this contest brother has been ar
rayed against brother and father against
son. The warmest ties of love and ac-
quaintance and association have been dis
regarded Old leaders have been cast
aside wnen they refused to give express
sion to the sentiments of those whom
they would lead, and new leaders have
sprung up to give direction to this cause
of truth. (Cheers,)
"Thus has the conte st been waged, and
we have assembled here under as binding
and solemn instructions as were ever
fastened upon the representatives of the
people. We do not come as individuals
Why, as individuals, we might have been
glad to compliment the gentleman from
New York (Senator HID, but we know
that the people for whom we speak would
never be willing to put him in position
where he could thwart the will of the
Democratic party
81 say it was not question of persons;
but was question of principle and it
is not with gladness, my friends, that we
find ourselves brought into conflict with
those who are now arrayed on the other
side. The gentleman who just preceded
me Governor RusselD spoke of the old
state of Massachusetts, Let me assure
him that not one person in all this con-
vention entertains the least hostility to
the state of Massachusetts,. But we stand
here for people who are the equals before
the law of the citizens of the state of Mas
sachusetts. When you como before us
and tell us that we shall disturb your
business interests, we reply that you have
disturbed our business interests by your
course. Great applause and cheering.)
"We say to you that you have made too
limited in its application the definition
of business man The man who is en-
ployed for wages is as much business
man as his employer, (Cheering) The
attorney in a country town is as much a
business man as the corporation counsel
in great city. The merchant at the
crossroads store is as much a business
man as the merchant of New York, The
farmer, who goes forth in the morning
and tolls all day, begins in the spring
and tolls all summer, who by the applioa-
tion OF this brain and muscle TO the
natural resources Of this country creates
wealth, is as much business man as the
man who goes upon the board of trade
and bets upon the price Of grain"
The sentiments of the speaker were
oheered again and the galleries seemed to
be a mass Of white handkerchiefs waving.
Tie cheers were renewed again and again
and it was some minutes before Mr..
Bryan could be heard. He proceeded as
follows