The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1896-07-14
ELOQUENT, BRYAN.
The Boy Orator of the Platte Arugs
for Free Silver

SeHlleIHen TO Wn0m you nave listened II
this were but measuring Of ability, but
TINS is not contest among persons. The
humbest citizen in all the land, when clad
IN the armor of a rigL teous cause, is
stronger than all the whole hosts eff error
that they can bring. / come to speak to
you in defense of cause as holy as the
cause of libefty-tlle cause of humanity
When this debate is concluded a motion
will be made to lay upon the table the
resolutions offered III commentator of the
administration and also the resolution in
condemnation of the administration.
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 a contest of principle. Never before
in the history of this country has there
been witnessed such contest as that
through which we have passed. Never
before in the history of American politics
has a great issue been fought out as this
issue has-by the voters themselves On
the 4th of March, 1895, few Demo-
Gratis, most of them members of congress,
issued an address to the Democrats of the
nation asserting that the money question
was the paramount issue of the hour, as
Sorting also the right of a majority
CT the Democratic party to control the posi-
ton Of the party OH this paramount issue;
concluding with the request that all beliey-
ing in the free coinage of silver should
policy of the Democratic party. Three
months later at Memphis an organization
was perfected, and the silver Democrats
went forth openly and boldly and courage
ously proclaiming their belief and declaring
that If successful they would crystalline in
platform the declaration which they had
made And then began a conflict with
zeal approaching the zeal which inspired
the crusaders who followed Peter the Her.
nit. Our silver Democrats went forth
from victory unto victory, until they are
assembled now, not to discuss, not to
debate, but to enter up the Judgment rem
dered by the plain people of the country
In this contest brother has been arrayed
against brother; and father against son.
The warmest ties of love and acquaintance
and associations have been dsregarded.
Old leaders have been cast aside when they
refused to give expression to the sentiments
of those whom they would lead and new
leaders have sprung UP to give direction to
this cause of truth. Thus has the contest
been waged and we have assembled here
Under as binding and solemn instructions
as were ever fastened upon the representa-
tive of 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 ba willing
to put him In a position where he could
thWart the will of the Democratic party.
/ say 1t was not a question Of persons, it
was question Of principle, and it is not
with gladness, my friends, that we find our
selves brought into conflict with those who
are
Now Arrayed on the other Side.
The gentleman who just preceded me
(Gov. RusselD, spoke Of the old state of
Massachusetts Let me assure him that
not one person in all this convention enter
tains the least hostility to the people OF
ffd Tljjf ctaY
here representing people who are the equals
before the law of the largest citizens III tile
State OF Massachusetts. When you come
before us and tell us that we shall disturb
your business interests we reply that you
have disturbed our business interests by
your course. We say to you that you nave
made too limited application the det1ni-
ton of business man. The man who IS
employed for wages is as much business
man as his employer. The attorney In a
country town is as much business man
as the corporation counsel in great
metropolis The merchant at the cross
roads store is as much 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, and by the application of brain
and muscle to the natural resources of this
country, creates wealth, is as much busl-
ness man as the man who goes Upon the
board of trade and bets upon the price or
gr in.
The miners who GO a thousand feet into
the earth or climb 1900 feet upon the cnHs
and bring forth from their hiding place the
precious metals to be poured III the chan-
neIs of trade are as good business men as
the few financial magnates who, in a back
room. corner The money of the world.
we come to speak of the claims of this
broader class of business men. All, my
friends, we say not one woro against those
who live upon the Atlantic coasts; but
those hardy pioneers, who braved all the
dangers of the wilderness; who have made
the desert to blossom as the rose-tnose
pioneers away out there, rearing their chill
dren near to Natures heart, where they
can mingle their voices with the voices OF
the birds; out there where they have erect
ed school houses for the education of their
young and churches where they praise their
creator, and cemeteries where sleep the
ashes of their dead-are as deserving of the
consideration Of this party as any people In
this country.
1T is for these that we speak. We do net
come as aggressors Our war Is rot war
Of conquest. We are fighting in the de-
Tense of our homes, our families, and pos
terity
We have petitioned and our petitions have
been scorned We have entreated and our
eEtreaties have been disregarded. We have
begged and they have Knocked and our
calamity came. We beg ne longer; we en-
treat nc more; we petition no more; we
defy them.
The gentleman from Wisconsin has said
that he feared a Robespierre. My friend,
in this land OF the free you aeed fear no
tyrant who will spring up from among the
people. What we need is an Andrew jack
son. to stand as jackson stood, against the
entertainments of agrandi7 ement of wealth.
UphOIds the Income Tax
fa11 hot In v-Ja 4foc,
to catch votes. We reply to them that
CHANGING conditions make new issues: that