The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-08

and deserves much higher consideration"
Mr.. Bryan followed with quotation from
solomon and continued:
Solomon favored neither poverty nor riches.
he regarded that condition best which is not
at either extreme, but lies between the ex-
tremes. Neither great riches nor AFFECT pow
erty furnish US the soil il which grows the best
cVln5atlon. Those who are pressed by pow
erty lose the ambition, the inspira tion, the
Iolty purpose that are necessary TO lead one on
10 the greatest achievements, and those who
possess too great wealth lose the necessity Tor
iaoor-that labor which is absolutely essential
10 the development OF that which is best in
human nature
solomon was right therefore when he
praised this intermediate condition, Tor the
great middle classes are the bulwark OF society,
ana from the middle classes have come almost
al Sao the good that has come TO bless the human
race. Let me call your attention TO the fact
mat Wnen the meek and lowiy Nazarene came
among men and preached peace on earth ana
toooWllI toward men he was not welcomed by
those who are described as people who devour
WIDOWS houses and under pretenses made
Iong prayers; but when he gave that great
COZ commandment. Glove thy neighbor as thy
sell, who listened to him? The Scripture tells
US II was the common people who listened to
ms commandments and VINO welcomed him.
~ IS the greatest compliment ever paid to the
Master. The Scriptures say the common people
heard him gladly-and the common people are
ene only people who have ever heard gladly
any man who preached humanity and equal
rights. prolonged cheers.
DON'T mean to say that there are no exeep-
tlons TO the general rule. There have always
Deen found among the richer classes those
VINO are hiled with the spirit OF philanthropy.
mere have always Deen found among them
tnose no were willing to spend their lives in
!he uplifting OF their fellows, but am speak
ing OF the rule that reforms do not come which
are not supported by those who consider them
serves lifted above the common people. Nor
GO mean that you have never found among the
common people those who would betray their
fellows. You have found everywhere in every
stage of society the character OF Judas. Yet
stlll IN spite of this the common people have
been the great and telling force that has lifted
civilization 10 a higher ground. There are
three forms OF Government best known among
men. There is the monarchy, where the king
rules by right divine; there is the aristocracy,
where few control, and there is the democ-
raey which means the rule OF the people them
selves.
why is it that the strength of democracy
don't use the term in a party sense, but in the
broader sense-why is il that the strength of
democracy has always been found among the
common people? 1t is simple enough. If
man has high position or great wealth he may
De aole to stand and keep on the good side OF
the king; if ne has great influence he may be
one of the ruling classes in the aristocracy.
But you are not willing to leave any form of
government TO your children except q de-
mocracy in which each citizen is protected in
the enjoyment OF life and the pursuits of hap
plness. The great common people believe in
democratic form OF government because 1t is
only in the democratic form of government
mat they are able to protect their rights and
can defend mans interest. Let me dwell for
a moment upon the object OF government in
this land.
Our Government derives its powers from the
consent of the governed. What kind of gov
eminent Will the people consent to? Only
That kind OF government that protects all and
which knows no favoriusm-a government in
which every citizen stands on the plane with
out regard to position in society and without
regard to wealth [Cheers.l A government
which knows equal rights TO all and confers
SDeGlAl nrlVIlpunG # a i1h q
government that appeals to the affections of
the common people.
There are two things to be considered in
government. The first is that in the enact
ment OF legislation you should be careful to
give no advantage to one pers on over another
person II that advantage can be prevented. 1t
is the duty OF the Government to protect all if
possible, without injustice to any one. Again,
government must restrain men from injuring
one another; that is one of the lmpor tant
duties or goYernment-to prevent men from
lnJuring one another-and the government
that fails to restrain the strongest from injur-
ing the weakest is government which fails to
do its whole duty.
I was passing through Iowa some months
ago and l got an idea from some hogs.
lLaughterl An idea is the most important
thing that person can get into his head and
we gather ideas from every source. Riding
along in the cars l noticed number of hogs
roofing in field and tearing up the ground
The first thought that came to me was that
they were destroying a good deal of property,
and that carried me back to the time when /
lived on the farm and l remembered that we
had rings in the noses of our hogs And why 2,
Not to keep the hogs from getting fat for we
were more interested in their getting latter
than they were. [Laughterl The sooner
they got lat the sooner we killed them and the
longer they were in getting fat the longer they
lived. But why were rings put in the noses of
these hogs? So that while they were getting
fat they would not destroy more property than
they were worth. And when thought of that
this thought came TO me-that one of the
duties of the Government one of the important
duties OF the Government, is to put rings in
the noses OF hogs. Now, my friends. don't
consider this reflection on your neighbor.
1t is possible under our form of government
to have justice and to govern as the people
deserve. Ours is the best form OF government,
but II is possible for the people to make it SO,
built on the best intelligence the highest
virtue and patriotism of all the people. But
let me warn you against confusing govern
ment with the abuses of government. Andrew
Jackson said that there were no necessary evils
in government; that evils existed only in its
abuses. he was right, my friends. lCheers i
There are no necessary evils in government
and no man who understands the advantages
Of government will raise his voice against it.
1t is the abuses of government OF which we have
a right to complain. There are those who
would denounce one critic seeing such abuses
and call him disturber. disturber is one
who breeds discomfort. / want TO say to you
that discomfort lies at the foundation of all
progress. so long as you are satisfied you
never go forward, it is only when you are dis
satisfied with your conditions that you try 10
improve them.
There is this difference between our form of
Government and the monarchical form. If
you are disconnected under monarchy you
can petition for relief, but your petition may
be disregarded. Discomfort under a monarch
may end in despair or it may end in revolu-
ton. Discomfort under our form of govern
ment ends in reformation through the peace
full means of the ballot.
am not going to violate the proprieties of
this occasion by entering into the discussion
OF partisan questions; but desire to call your
attention to certain broad questions which
cannot be confined by party lines The ballot
is the means by which the people of this
country must right every wrong. And If the
people have not the independence, If they
have not the intelligence to right their wrongs
at the ballot-box they have not the courage to
secure their rights in any other way. [Cheers.1
But, my friends, conditions arose in this
country which made 1t impossible for the peo-
pie to use the ballot which they had. Through
certain things so strong, SO powerful, men
were afraid TO exercise freely and upon their
own conscience the political rights given them
underour institutions. What did they do?
honor the laboring man of this country and
organized labor standing at the head of the
laboring man because they secured for the
people OF this country an Australian ballot.
[Great applause and cries of you're all right,
Willie."1 That ballot did not come down to
YOU from abOvp TINT hallot ia a rasillt 0f ynur