Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-02-21
RECEIVED. AS A CoNaUERING HERO
AT JEFFERSON CITY.
TALKED TO TWO LARGE CROWDS
INSTRUCTED THE LEGISLATURE
HOW TO DO BUSINESS.
Covered Much the Same Ground That
He Did at Topeka-Preached Free
Silver to the General Pub
lic-ReceptiOn FOllOw-
ed Speeches.

Jefferson City, Mo-, Feb. 20.-(SpeciaL)
| William Jennings Bryan arrived in this
| city at 2:5O o'clock this afternoon from
| Kansas City. He was accompanied by Mrs.
| Bryan and their young daughter. Mr.. Bryan
| spoke in the chamber of the house, begin
| ming at $3.50 o'clock, and from the balcony
| of the Madison house between and
| o'clock. After the last speech, a reception
was held in honor of Mr.. and Mrs. Bryan
at the executive mansion where hundreds
of people went to shake the defeated chief
tain's hand and condole with him over the
irretrievable downfall of Popocracy at the
last election.
Although defeated candidate, industri-
ously endeayoring to fan the flame of his
waning popularity, there was an attempt
made by the members of both houses OF the
legislature who are still worshiping at the
fragments of the shattered shrine erected
out OF 5O-cent dollars to treat Mr.. Bryan
as a hero returning from glorious conquest.
He was met at the train by a band and a
mounted escort behind which were the
members of the reception committee and
Governor Stephens in carriages. The old
nine-pounder on the capitol grounds was
loaded and fired three times as the process
sion moved through the streets to the ex-
ecutive mansion, where Mr.. and Mrs. Bryan
and their daughter alighted and entered
and partook of a luncheon. More shots
We're fired as Mr.. Bryan was escorted to
the capitol
The house chamber was packed, more
than two-thirds of the auditors being la
dies in their Sunday gowns. Mr. Bryan
mounted the speakers desk with Governor
Stephens, Speaker Farris and the MEM
-bers of the Senate and house committees
of reception. Just in front of him was a
large funnel connected with a phonograph,
into which he poured his sophistry for two
hours, and behind him were a number of
pictures of himself, left over from the late
disastrous campaign. His entrance was
the signal for loud and enthusiastic ap-
niause: The men gave the rebel yell and
the @ ladies' lies waved their handkerchiefs.
iaiiy from the talk made by him to the
Kansas legislature. 1t was very dogmatic
fhroughout. he seeming to regard the
garten class in the science of government,
He scarcely referred to the silver aues-
tion, his speech being almost entirely de-
in his utterances. He surprised MANY of
the long-whiskered statesmen from the
Demo-Pop stronghoids in the back counties
by frankly declaring that he was not an
enemy OF corporations. He said corpora
tions were entitled to the same rights and
privileges as individuals, and that he was
not one of those who wanted to wage a
war OF determination upon corporate bod
les. While upon this branch of his sub
ject, he said that he believed individuals
should be permitted by law to spend money
to promulgate their political ideas, but
that corporations should not have that
privilege. He quoted the old truism that
corporations have no souls, and said that
money spent by them during campaigns
was spent for the purpose of corrupting
legislation.
= Mr.. Bryan had something to say about
trusts, but he did not come up to the eX-
nectatlons OF the members of the Farmers
Club. He asserted that trusts were or
ganized for the purpose of obtaining ad-
VaEtages that individuals could not obtain,
ana hence Were not public benefactors He
lndulged In the usual talk about Iegisla-
tton enacted for the benefit of the rich and
strong and designed to make the poor
poorer and the weak weaker. This class
of lawmaking he termed legislative lar
ceny.
He dwelt for some time upon the subject
kinds of these people. One kind advo-
Gated or opposed legislative measures
openly and in a manly manner. and the
others did their work in secret. He warned
the members of the legislature to beware
of men who pulled them into rooms and
Railways and out of the way places and
asked them to pass certain bills as a fay-
nto them. No bill should be passed as
a favor to an individual. If it did not
have the merit of being a public measure
1t ought not to become law
Mr.. Bryan's night speech was upon the
silver question. He spoke to several hum
dred people who assembled in the street
in front of the hotel.