Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-06-17
BRYAN's GREAT SPEECH.

a Vast Audience of Augusta and Able
marie People Hear Hin-Enthusiastic
Reception-Personal Notes, Comments.
etc., etc., etc.
CHARLOTTESVILLE. June 10.
1.-The passing of Bryan is the hypocratical
lay on the lips of the goldits and the republi-
cans, but when he passes the nation lifts its
hat and every voice proclaims him the great
est American statesman of his age. No one
can follow him for day without aeknowl-
edging this self evident fact. Charlottesville
has meyer seen such crowd as has thronged
her streets and public places today. Presi-
dents of the United States have been here on
several great OCCASIONS, with Senators and
Cabinet dignitaries, but unless all history is
at fault, no such assembling of the masses
has ever been witnessed in Albemarle coun-
ty. Every conceivable vehicle has been put
to use in bringing here the vast crowd. Both
the Southern and the C. & o. roads taxed
their capacity from all points, and there were
large excursion trains from north, south, east
and west, pulling into the union depot all the
forenoon crowded to the platforms. Our
special train from Staunton brought over
1900 in II coaches, and after passing Basic
ton platforms as we dashed past at full speed.
These were taken up by the following train
and arrived in time. Since Cleveland's first
Inauguration have never seen such train
loads of humanity, and never such enthusi-
asm Albemarle and Charlottesville were out
en- masse, from the 4-horse farm wagon to
the scrubby little OK cart with its family of
and to have good time. Lunch counters and
stalls for eatables were everywhere, and the
ever present pink lemonade abounded. So
that those who brought lunch for fear of un-
dergoing fast, found their precautions in
vain. The crowd was better fed and watered
than 1 have ever noted before on similar oc-
casions.
The crowd about the stand and grounds
was variously estimated at from 10000 to
Is, 900, who listened to Webber's famous band
from Washington while they waited for Mr..
Bryan.
Many decorations in bunting were seen and
the stand itself was gay in colors. Mr. Bryan
arrived early in the day on the Lynchburg
excursion and was driven to DR.. Barringer's
residence. who guest he was till noon. When
he appeared on the lawn at IL O. clock making
his way to the speakers stand, a mighty
shout went up from the great crowd, and
bowling to right and left he looked every inch
president-elect on his way to the Inaugural
ton. Accompanying him was DR.. Barringer
chairman of the faculty, DR.. J. VIM. JONES'
DIR. ]. Duncan McKim, Hon. Hoge Tyler,
Hon. Marshall Mccormick and others. After
an opening prayer by DR.. Jones, Mr.. Camp
bell, medal orator of the Washington Literary
Society, introduced MIR. Bryan, who, coming
forward amid deafening shouts, began his
address, subject-"J Jefferson Still Lives" A
synopsis of his speech is as follows
Ladies and Gentlemen.-Ies esteem it a great
honor to take part in the exercises of such
an institution and it is enhanced because it
comes under the auspices of the two socie-
ties. / will address myself to the students.
In high and broad sense we are all students
and should endeavor to increase our means
Of usefulness. am not 6 iven time to think
of nice way of saying mic g things.
To some extent we are not able to marx
ort cur destiny. We are born without our
'volition. We do not choose our heritage.
The language which we use is not of our
own choosing. The time and the age are
something of which we have no control.
Within certain limits we carve out our own
destiny; in certain limits we do achieve and
such achievement is duty. Within this
limit it is our duty to strive. Because when
you once give man an implement to ad-
vance the right you also give him an instru-
ment with which he can accomplish the
most wrong. -a=
1t is true that they shoot highest who aim
at the stars. The author of the saying did
meaning is that the higher the aim the bet
ter the results of the life which is influenced
and formed by it.
Nothing is more important than that aims
and high ideals should be set before the
young men of this country.
There are great questions and themes
which appeal to us all alike. There are
Holy Writ furnishes one great question. eff
a man die shall he live again?' Religion
touches US all. Whether we think that death
is the door through which we enter into a
larger sphere, interests us all-social ques-
lions appeal to all. There is one great end
to which all must look-that is to the great
level of humanity.
Vbo,o n no ofl,or Cr,acf;opc vul,;oh hind nc
neutrality-suspicious. of government we meet
at every hand. The question is whether the
government shall be good or bad. Our sys-
tenn permits our government to be as good
a government as all that people will make
it.
Sometimes graduating class will have
composite photograph combining the fea-
lures of all the class, and so government is
composite of all those why live under it. II
the government is bad it becomes the citi-
zen to look upon his own features to see if
the fault is with him.
want to call you attention to the funda-
mental principles which underly our gov
eminent. We are here in sight of the Sec
ond Sinai. Jefferson it was who compre-
hended more clearly than any Of his associ-
ates the capacity of the people for self-gov
eminent and at the same time knew their
own weakness.
Mr.. Bryan then pictured Mr.. Jefferson
looking back over his life Of great achieve
ments in forgetfulnesS of them and seeing
what he regarded as the three greatest
achievement of his life. These were the
Declaration of American Independence and
the University of Virginia, the cap-stone of
the system devised by Jefferson and in s'my
judgment the best that was ever devised by
any man. This system enables the son of
the carpenter to take the honors, if he can,
from the son who is born to an aristocratic
Inheritance"
The more you study government, the more
easily do you understand that government is
simple honesty. II you will analyze legis-