The advocate., 1897-09-15
BRYAN AT BURLINGAME.
Old Men Climb Trees to See and Hear the
Great Orator,

The following report Of Mr.. Bryans
reception and speech at Burlingame,
Kas., September Sth inst, is taken from
the Kansas City Times:
The greatest crowd Burlingame ever
saw assembled here to-day to listen to
the man Of all men the people Of Kansas
would rather listen tO--Wllliam ]. Bryan
of Nebraska. That one man, and he a
private citizen, could create the enthusi-
asm that was manifest here to-day is
something that is more than passing re-
markable. With no campaign excite
ment to arouse the people, and nothing
to furnish enthusiasm except the fact Of
his presence, the free silver leader was
given a reception that could not have
been more hearty had he been elected
instead of defeated last fall, and was
now the President Of the United States.
On the speakers stand were Governor
Leedy, Ed Little, State Auditor Morris,
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Stryker, David Overmyer, and other
well-knOwn politicians,
So great was the rush of people to get
a look at their leader that it was almost
impossible for him to get chance to
speak The crowd Overran the speakers g
platform, which threatened to break.
Bryan saw the danger and asked that
the platform be cleared His record is
that of a. platform breaker, and he re-
marked: 81 have been on six platforms
that have fallen, and these people are
getting themselves in danger here. The
platform must be cleared"
This was hard thing to do, however.
AS soon as the crowd was forced back it
pressed forward again. Old men climbed
up into the trees as nimbly as boys. FL
nally the crowd seated itself and Mr..
Bryan began to speak. He was con-
stantly interrupted with applause, and
many times was forced to pause until
the crowd had cheered itself tired A
large portion Of Mr.. Bryan's speech was
devoted to the silver question, and this
part Of the speech was largely the same
as he has delivered at many other places
during the last few months.
He prefaced his remarks upon the sill
yer question, however, with an arraign-
ment of the millionaire tax-dOdgers.
E1G pOLuU6u UuL III SJIOuB WOIub IAlhJ
there were conditions existing which al
lowed the corporations and the wealthy
to escape their fair share of taxation and
throw all the burden upon the indus
triOus poor.
IF the laws are so framed that one
man pays more taxes than he ought to
and another pays less, then the one is
stealing from the other" said he. "The
present way of collecting the Federal
revenue fund is unjust. The income tax
will help equalize the burden"
When he took up the currency ques-
tion, a great cheer greeted his first refer
ence to free silver 1t was evident that
999 out Of every 1000 people in the great
crowd believed In the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver at a ratio of 16 TO /.
Continuing, Mr.. Bryan said:
Our opponents assume that the rise
in wheat has brought such prosperity
that 1t has killed off interest in free sill
YER. Let me give YOU few statistics"
He took from pocket two newspa-
pers, one Of Deco ber S, 1894, and one Of
yesterday. He compared the market re-
ports in each. e
They tell us wheat has gone up and
try to turn that to the advantage Of the
Republican administration" he said.