Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-06

there pressed around the rear platform
OF the candidates car to shake hands
with him. The local militia company,
wearing uniforms and bearing arms was
drawn up on the station platform.
brownsville came next, and the crowd
there was large and full of enthusiasm
A tremendous crowd was at Humboldt.
1t numbered 5000 or 1000 and was packed
deeply around a stand that had been
erected near the railroad tracks, A path
way that had been kept for the candi-
date from the train to the stand was
lined with young girls wearing Bryan
and Sewall caps, blue blouses and white
skirts, who waved flags and shouted a
shrill welcome.
There was wild cheering when Mr. Bry-
an appeared on the speakers stand. A.
Pierce, democratic candidate for con-
gress, introduced Mr.. Bryan, who spoke
as follows:
Speech at Humboldt
"Fellow Citizens: 1 was not expecting
to find so large proportion of the voters
OF this country assembled here when our
train pulled in. This is one OF the largest
crowds that 1 have found at so small a
town. l am very much gratified to find
the interest which is everywhere mani
fest in this cause. 1t is an evidence that
the people are investigating and well
may they investigate. cannot but be-
Eeve that when the people understand
what has been going on under our pres
tHt llldiicidl pOlcy lndI IHey Will arise IN
almost unanimous protest against it. We
have been maintaining a gold standard,
and In order to maintain that they have
issued 1852 100000 in bonds in the last
three years to buy gold and maintain the
policy and the end is not yet. For the
present our financiers are furnishing gold,
and why? Because they do not want an
other bond issue before the election. That
is the only reason. And yet they are fur
nishing that gold i'm such way that un-
Il H..
the day after election and draw every
dollar and force another issue of bonds.
(Applause)
"Under our present policy the bonded
debt of this country does not depend upon
the will of the people 1t is not determin-
ed by what they think is best, or by what
they are willing to pay interest on, but is
determined by those financiers who, un-
der the policy of the treasury depart
ment, are able to draw out gold and force
an issue of bonds, and then draw out the
gold to buy the bonds with, and demand
another issue of bonds without limit-no
end to 1t at all-because, my friends
when they issued the first $5000OOO0 of
bonds they drew out $4,000, 900 of the gold
to- buy the bonds with, and when they is
sued the second $50, 900, 900 they drew out
larger proportion than they had the
first time. Then they got what was call
ed the Rothschild contract, which, in my
Judgment, was one of the most Infamous
ernment with private citizens. That con-
tract, my friends, was bad-not merely
because 1t compelled the people to pay
large amount of interest which was un-
necessary, not merely because bonds
which ought to have been worth 119 at
the time were sold at 1O4A. The contract
was bad for these reasons, / say, but
worse for another reason. That contract
was worse because it stipulated that a
few financiers should take care of the
fTln @ INV af 5hn fn1 CtaA
for what had been done for them.
Instead of having the secretary of the
treasury summoned before a few mag
mates of Wall street and told what he
must do, I believe the time has come
when We, as the people, should summon
those financiers before him and tell him
what they must do. Great applause)
81 believe that the people of this coun-
try, acting through government which
respects their will and protects their
rights, are strong enough to carry on this
government. not only without the aid of
syndicates but in spite of anything that
syndicates can do to prevent it. Great
cheering).
"The Chicago platform does not pro-
pose to inJure anybody. 1t simply pro-
poses to prevent people from injuring
their fellow men. We find growing up
over the country more trusts and COM
binations of wealth, and these are COM
bining together, and are able to drive out
D.
ing destroyed competition. they are able
to prey upon society and get back from
helpless consumers more than thew have
lost by competition. / understand that
you have had some experience In this
state. What was it that you had a trust
in here? Cotton bagging? My friends.
what can be done in one thing can be
done in all things. II that trust is left
unrestricted 1t is one of the things that
we rejoice at in this contest that we do
not have the support of any trusts or
combina tons or syndicates of this coun-
try" (Cheers)
Three thousand demonstrative people
were at Milan, and they too heard little
speech.
Mckenzie had even a larger crowd.
from which Mr. Bryan spoke to them as
follows.
At Mackenzie,
Ladies and Gentlemen: 1t gives me a
great deal of pleasure to become ac-
quainted with so many of the American
people. The only trouble I find is that
instead of showing any coldness, they are
apt to overcome me with demonstrations
and MANIFESTATIONS of affection. l wish
had time to present to you the issues of
this campaign as I look 4 them, and yet
1t would be a waste of time down here.
I find that in Tennessee 1t is like giving
medicine to those who are already we'll
l can better save my strength and en-
ploy my time in talking to people in 9TH
err parts of the country than in talking to
you, my friends.
"The platform upon which stand pre-
sents democracy as l understand it, | be-
lieve that every letter, every syllable and
every plank in that platform is democrat
ic in its broadcast sense. (Cheers) AS I