The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-01-14
HE IS DETERMINED THAT NO
GOLD STANDARD MAN SHALL
BE LABELED DEMOCRAT"
REFERENCE 70 RECENT FIGURES
ard-Silver Men Urged to Support
Silver Newspapers-Altgeld and
Others Also Spoke.

of democracy tonight held its banque
in celebrating Jackson day. The ban
quct was under the auspices of the W
J. Bryan League and was held one day
the distinguished guest Of the league
William j. Bryan, could not be present
tomorrow, having an engagement in
Omaha. The banquet hall was tasteful
ly and lavishly decorated with ever.
greens, cut flowers and the national col
ors, and presented an extremely hand
some 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 mem
Der bore on his left breast the badge of
the league, which was worn for the first
time tonight. 1t is of white satin and
hangs suspended from Il silver bar on
which is printed the name of the wearer
Mr.. Bryans picture is upon the badge
in the form of a medallion set in silver
and the background of purple is relieved
| by elaborate trimmings of silver. Car
ter III. Harrison, the first president of
| the league was at the head of the table
and acted as toast master, Mr.. Bryan
| being seated Immediately at his right.
1t was fully midnight when Mr.. Har-
rison raped for order and in few
pleasant, wcll-choscn words, introduced
Mr. Bryan. The latter was greeted with
h.
response to the toast of ANDREW Jack |
son." and frequently throughout his adj |
dress was compelled to pause while his |
hearers took occasion to demonstrate
their approval of his sentiment.
Mr.. Bryan's address was as follows:
I'm view of the fact that the club I'M
der whose auspices we meet had done
me the honor to take my name, | feel
that it is only just to the cub and to
myself to repeat here what | have said
elsewhere namely, that my judgment
iisapproves of the use of my name in '
with democratic or silver
,lubs. My objection is a two-fold one.
n the. first place, | believe that cause I
$ so much greater than any individual =
hat it should not be burdened by any y
mistakes which he may make, While a a
nan lives he is liable TO err. and his n
rrors are apt to injure any cause with I
which he Is closely identified. During i.
ampaign cause must be identified, for a
he time being, with candidates for pub il
ic office, but when the campaign is over n
nd the candidate no longer stands i'll a II
capacity, | believe it is Il
wise to dsassociate him from the cause +
in Z.
attention may be centered upon princi a
lies and policies rather than upon men. a
"'rhe other object is n personal one. r
do not want to stand for four years /
n the attitude of a candidate for the +
presidency. | do not want Jealous friends !
% be continually alarmed lest | should !
10 something TO ALLEVIATE some of those !
who have given me their confidence and
support. I
an tile past | have spoken out upon J
public questions which, in my Judgment, {
needed TO be discussed, and ! desire to
occupy the same position i'll the future. ,
When the next campaign opens it will
be time enough to select a candidate, and
we can then select candidate suited
to the conditions then existing and fit for
the work then to be done. Fully appre-
ciating the high compliment paid me and
|
suggestion that my name be no longer
connected with the names of clubs.
las we are assembled upon this occa-
sion to do honor to the memory of An
drew Jackson, we may properly discuss
the relations which should exist between
the democrats who endorsed the Chicago
platform and the so-called democrats
who aided in the election Of a republi
can president,
THE democrats who controlled the
Chicago convention earned their right |
to the party organization and to the par
ty name by whatever rule their claims |
may be measured. A democracy is a |
government in which the people rule. |
ms Lincoln described: a government |
of the people by the people, and for the
people And democrat in the broadest |
sense is one who believes in this form |
of government When | say believes in
this form of government. | mean ac-
tual, sincere, heartfelt belief, not a for
NAL and enforced submission TO that form
of government. Measured by this def
milton. those who supported the Chicago
platform are democrats because they as
Sert the right of the people to govern
themselves and the right of the American
people to legislate for themselves upon
tli iu'o'iNh'' " Shl'S'S' VI wv NlSh'S
of those who live in other lands. In
technical sense democracy is outlined and
defined by the democratic party. The
democratic party of the United States in
national convention, assembled accord
ing TO custom, adopted a platform which
received the sanction of nearly two-thirds
of very large proportion of the demo-
Gratis of the nation. That convention had
right to define democracy in n party
sense and we have a right to declare that
those who endorsed thar platform are
democrats and that those who refused
to support the platform are not demo-
Gratis 1t is strange that there should be
any contest over this point. 1t is strange
that those who secured for the candidate
less than | per cent of the popular vote
of the United States should insist that
they are entitled TO be called the real
democrats and then urge their claim to
responsibility in numbers on the ground
that the majority of them voted for the
republican candidates. II a minority has
a right TO give a party definition of de-
mocracy, then there may be as many
definitions as there are individuals. II
those who bolted the Chicago nominees
have a right to call themselves better
democrats than those who supported such
nominees, then the boiling democrats
who bolted the boiling ticket and voted
for the republican nominees have right
to call themselves better democrats than