The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-08
MODEST Mr.. BRYAN
ASKS HIS FOLLOWERS TO NAME NO
MORE CLUBS IN HIS
HONOR.
JACKSON DAY CELEBRATION
MADE THE OCCASION FOR A RE
VIEW OF THE LATE CAM
PAIGN.
PARTY LINES LAID DOWN. FOR 1000.
mo Compromise" Mr. Bryan's Motto
In Relation to Those Who Re-
fused to Accept Him.

| CHICAGO, Jan. TN the banquet
hall of the fremont house the silver
branch Of the Democracy held tonight
| its banquet in celebration of Jackson
Day" The banquet was under the au-
spices of the w. ]. Bryan league, and
was held one day in advance of Jackson
day proper, as the distinguished guest
of the league. William J. Bryan, could
not be present tomorrow night, he hav-
ing an engagement in Omaha. The
banquet hall was tastefully and law
| ishly decorated with cut flowers and
the national colors. and presented an
extremely handsome appearance when
at 10 o'clock the doors were opened to
the 800 followers of Mr.. Bryan. AS
| the members Of the league marched
into the hall every member bore upon
his left breast the badge of the league,
which was worn tonight for the first
time. 1t is of purple satin and hangs
suspended from a silver bar, upon
which is printed the name of the wear
er. Mr.. Bryan's picture is upon the
badge in the form of a medallion, set
in silver and the back ground of purple
is relieved by elaborate trimming Of
silver.
| Carter H Harrison, the first presi-
! dent Of the league, was at the head
of the table and acted as POSTMASTER,
Mr.. Bryan being seated Immediately at
| his right. 1t was fully midnight when
Mr.. Harrison raped for order, and in
a few pleasant we'll chosen words in
troduced Mr.. Bryan. The latter was
| greeted with great applause when he
rose to speak in response to the toast
| of ANDREW Jackson" and frequently
throughout his address he was COM
! PEELED to pause while his hearers took
! time to demonstrate their approval of
! his sentiments. Mr.. Bryan's address
was as follows:
In view of the fact that the club under
whose auspices meet had done me the
! honor to take my name, feel that 1t is only
| just to the club and to myself to repeat here
| what 1 have said elsewhere, namely, that my
| Judgment disapproVes of the of my name
in connection with Democratic or silver clubs.
My objection is a two-fold ore. In the first
place, l believe that cause Is so much greater
than any individual that 1t should not be
burdened by any mistakes which he may
make. While a man lives he is liable to
! err and his errors are apt to inJure any
| cause with which he is closely identified.
| During the campaign a cause must be identi-
| fed, for the time being, with candidates for
public Office but when the campaign is over
!
! resentative capacity, / believe it is wise to
disassociate him from the cause as far as
possible in order that public attention may be
centered upon principles and policies rather
| than upon men.
The other object is a personal one. I do
not want to stand for four years in the atti-
| tude Of a candidate for the presidency. l do
not want jealous friends to be continually
alarmed lest l should do something to alien
ate some of those who have given me their
confidence and support. In the past 1 have
spoken out upon public questions which in
| my judgment needed to be discussed, and 1
desire to occupy the same position in the
future. When the next campaign opens it
| will be time enough to select candidate, and
we then select a candidate suited to the
| then to be done. Fully apreciating the high
compliment paid me- and deeply grateful
| therefor, l still repeat my suggestion that my
name be no longer connected with the names
of clubs.
AS we are assembled upon this occasion to
do honor to the memory of Andrew Jackson,
may properly discuss the relations which
should exist between the Democrats who in
dorsed the Chicago platform and the So
! called Democrats who aided in the election
of a Republican president The Democrats
who controlled the Chicago convention earned
their right to the party organization and to
! the party name, by whatever rule their claims
may be measured. A democracy is a gov
ernment in which the people rule. In other
words, 1t is a government such as Lincoln
! described: "a government of the people, by
the people and for the people, And a Dem
ccrat in the broadest sense is one who be-
lieves in this form of government. When
say believes in this form Of government, I
mean actual, sincere heartfelt belief; not
formal and enforced submission to that form
of government. Measured by this definition,
those who supported the Chicago platform are
Democrats, because they assert the right OF
the people to govern themselves and the right
OF the american people to legslate for them
selves upon all questions, regardless of the
wishes of those who live in other lands.
In a technical sense Democracy is outlined
and defined by the Democratic party The
Democratic States in
national convention. assembled according to
custom, adopted a platform which received
the sanction Of nearly two-thirds, very
large proportion of the Democrats of the
nation. That convention had a right to
define Democracy in party sense and
we have right to declare that those who
indorsed that platform are Democrats, and
that those who refused to support the plat
form not Democrats. 1t is strange that
there should be any contest over this point
1t is strange that those who secured for
their candidate less than 1 per cent Of the
popular vote of sthe United States should in
s-st that they are entitled to be called the
real Democrats. and then urge their claim to
respectability in numbers on the ground that
the majority of them voted for the Repub-
lican candidates. If a minority has a right
to give party definition of Democracy, then
there may be as many definitions as there
are individuals. If those who bolted the
Chicago nominee have right to call them
selves better Democrats than those who sup.
ported such nominee, then the boiling Dem
ocrats who boted the boiling ticket and
voted for the Republican nominees have a
right to call themselves better Democrats than
the boilers who supported the boiling ticket
DEMOCRACY DEFINED.
. The right to the party organization belongs
to the marjority, and the right to the party
must also belong to the majority. There
should be no difficulty in understanding the
relations which should exist between the
Democrats who remained in the party and
those persons who went out Of the party. A
party is defined as an association of persons
who agree upon an important question or
| questions tn civ
their ideas. The money question became the
, paramount issue of the day; the Democrats in
convention took position upon the question
and made a gallant fight in defense of the
platform adopted. II the money question was
row considered settled, another issue could
be taken up and new alignment made But
the money question is not settled. The con-
test for the restoration Of the money of the
constitution will go on with renewed vigor
} The people who advocated free silver before
the election advocate 1t now.- The election
has decided the presidency for four years, and
it has determined the complexion Of congress
for two years, but it has not overthrown the
, convictions Of those who believed that the
| cold o~1 f.