The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-04-08
BRYAN GREAT
DETROIT SPEECH.
TELLING AND CONVINCING
ADDRESS.
A Ringing Exposition of the Differences
Between the Democratic and Republic
can Partics--Dcmocracy Against rlu-
tocracy--Iis Idea OF Democracy.

Hon. VIM. J. Bryan spoke at the
troit, Mich. on April $. His speech
was one of the best of all his numerous
addresses. We publish it in full
Mr.. Bryan said
''This is democratic banquet. !
do not mean it in PARTISAN sense,
but in "a broader sensc---a democratic
banquet where the rich and poor meet
together and recognize that they are
the equals of each other; u democratic
banquet where we come, no matter
whether we call ourselves democrats.
or populists, or silver republicans; u
banquet that is democratic because we
here renew our allegiance to the doc
trine of Thomas Jefferson. that all
men are created equal and stand equal
before the law, and renew our alleRi-
ancc to the doctrine Of Abraham Lin
coin, that it must remain government
of the people, by the people, and for
the people. (Applause.)
IL have enjoyed listening to the
speeches that have been made. The
only thing that has taken from my
enjoyment l., the fact that you will not
let me be ii private citizen as ! desire
to be OH such an occasion. | do not
come to speak with authority. am
candidate of no party. l am an Amer
lean citizen in II land where to be a
citizen is greater than to be king
(App]ause.) And, as u citizen, a private
citizen, to whom his country owes
nothing, | come to speak upon a demo
cracy that is glowing the hearts Of the
American people.
81 come to encourage you with the
assertion that democracy has never
been defeated in the United States.
That in every contest between demo-
cracy and aristocracy democracy has
always been victorious, and always
will be victorious. More than that, let
me renew your courage by telling you
that no party ever achieved greatness
in this nation that did not take demo-
cracy rs it's foundation.
"We had upon the program tonight
that pioneer, Albert Williams. and !
join in the prayer for his long life and
health that he may see again this
country restored to it's old foundations.
He entered the republican party when
the republican party in it's first nation
al platform appealed to all the people
who wanted to carry the government
back to the principles Of Washington
and Jefferson. That is what the plat
form says. | myself was surprised
when, upon re-reading that platform
of '56, found that instead of appeal
ing to those who loved the principles
of Alexander Hamilton, it appealed to
those who loved the principles of
Thomas jefferson; and l was surprised
again to find that there is living rec
ord OF letter written by Abraham
Lincoln in 1859 to some republicans
in the city of Boston who were cele-
brating the birthday of Thomas Jeffer-
son, and in that letter he went on to
praise the author of the Declaration of
Americon Independence. and the first
republican platform upon which a
republican candidate was elected, en-
bodied part of the declaration writ
ter by Thomas jefferson. (Applause.
Ny friends, when the republican
party sprang into existence, it appealed
to the democratic sentiment of the
United States, and it will go out of
existence because to-day it appeals to
the plutocratic sentiment of the United
States. applause and cheers) Demo-
cTaey is not new. Democracy is as old
as the contest between mammon and
man; and in that same letter to which
l have referred. written by Abraham
Lincoln. he said that the Republican
party believed in both the dollar and
the man. but in case Of conflict. the
man before the dollar.
charge the Republican party to-
day with believing in the dollar be-
lore the man, and becauae the Re-
publican party has to-day placed the
dollar in the position of supreme inn
portancc and placed the man as a
thing lower than dollar, L have
absolute faith in the overthrow of the
republican party. They put the dol
lar first. Let them rely on the dollars
to save them. We put mankind first.
and appeal to the hearts of mankind.
Applause and cheers.)
there be those who think they
San rescue the republican party from
its service of the dollar, let them con-
tinue that little longer! but. nv
friends, they are fighting an unequal
battle. The die was cast in 1896.
The republican party had its chance.
democratic president had BETRAYED
his countrymen, had betrayed his
party The repu blican party had its
opportunity. lthac the inspiration of
an attack upon the enemy to aid it
when the advocates of free silver went
into the republican convention and
tried to rescue it; utinstead of attack
ing tho administration that had been
controlled by the influences Of Wall
street; the republican party endorsed
IN substance the very policy that the
people had cond in Grover Cleye-
land; and when the democratic party
met, l thank God it had the courage to
choose between its president and the
people whom he had betrayed, and to
throw him overheard and T am glad
that when Jonah ,yentoverboard, there