Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-03-17
ATWOOD ON BRYAN.
An Eloquent Tribute. by the Very Pink OF
Kansas Orators, To Our PARTY Leader. 9

Responding to the toast, "Bryan."
John Atwood OF Leaven worth, among
other things. said:
1.-THE history of the Democratic
p arty is not unlike the history of the
worlds enlightenment. AS the worlds
early civilization blossomed into the
81 ory that was Greece and the grand
uer that was Rome so in the halcyon
days of our party's youth its fruits were
Jeff erson and Jackson. Then came
the peroid of decadence, degeneration
succeeded decay, until we lapsed into
the utter darkness of political barbar-
ism-the years that we may well style
the dark age of Democracy, the age of
velandism; then did superstition and
mental darkness in matters.political OBJ.
tain among the people.
They bowed themselves before the
fat Pharisee, as bowed the recreant
child rem of Israel before the golden
calf; kneeling to an image whose feet
were not only clay, but which was in
its entirety of the earth, earthly. They
deserted the temple of their liberties
and made obeisance before the shrine
of mamon, shrine that was gaudy
with gold. but gold was stained by the
tears of women and corroded by the
curses of men,. And at this altar clad
in the livery of the monied Leviathans,
wearing the broad brass collar of Nor.
gan and Rothchild. presided the high
priest of this Cathedral of Chicane, the
fat fowl that roosts at Buzzard's Bay.
"But the renaissance has come; the
voice of the reawakened conscience of
AMERICAS Democracy has spoken at
Chicago in 1896, and never in the history
of the worl Id has there been more
perfect fitting of.the man to the occasion.
O, that every man in the land could
have seen that sight. when twice ten
thousand men centered their gaze upon
that incompatible champion of the
people. You should have heard that
babel of voices hushed into silence, and
seen those tossing arms sink into re-
pose at his uplifted hand. The silence
of expectancy was greeted by the words,
Il would be presumptuous, indeed to
present myself against the distinguished
gentlemen to whom you have listened
if this were but the measuring of ability;
but this is not a contest among persons.
The humblest citizen in all the land,
when clad ID armor of sighteous cause
is stronger than all the hosts of error
"When these words pealed across
that vast audience, like clarion's
notes adown the ranks of war, the
people knew that their prophet had
come, aud when they heard him declare
'We have petitioned but our petitions
have been scorned We have en-
treated and our entreaties have been
disregarded. We have begged, and
| they have Knocked when our calamities
came, and now we defy them!' the
people ku6W tudt tQGII nero, CQSlr CQ1Gf
and their captain had come, and then
did the voices of the free Democracy of
America proclaim him their leader.
Sand his chieftainship shall yet be
vindicated. Though the first battle
has been lost. the cause is not lost, and
never can be so long as our leader lives.
We remember that success always
follows failure when truth is at stake.
Our great cause shall be exalted in the
exaltation of our great captain-aye.
captain of the hosts IS he. and tribune
of the people; as able as Hamilton. as
pure as Lincoln, the rising sun of the
new century will shine upon the stan.
dard of the silver star floating in tri.
umph from the walls of the capitol,
and shall see him enthroned on the i'm
perial throne of this imperial Republic,
throne buttressed by the loyal hearts
of his loving countrymen.
|
| When some of you people who SO
severely criticise the DEMOCRAT for
ifc y,ocitfon ha rrabihikix,p r,,ac,