The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-04-22

had their hands in the pockets of thei
nsighbors.
Tumultuous applause greeted his rel
erences to the drafting of the soldier an
the unwilingness to tax the rich.
He said in part:
Mr.. Chairman, Democrats, Ladie
aad Gentlemen--I esteem it grea
privilege to be permitted to attend thi
evening probably the largest banque
ever given in the United States. Gin
terruption OF cheers for Bryan.)
appreciate the kindness which ha
ksen manifested by your action and b.
Tire words OF those who have preceded
rae. I shall carry back to my western
hsme new courage from your meeting
and shall be glad to tell the people il
stiaer states that in New York there b.
these who are true to the principles o
Democracy as written in Democracy
latest creed. (Cries OF "Bravo!")
The object Of this banquet was to
give Chicago platform Democrats a
chance to celebrate the birthday O.
Thomas Jefferson. There was ban
euet given in honor of Thomas Jeffer-
SCI two nights ago, and the discussion
OF the price per plate obscured to some
extent the difference between that ban
4uet and this. A Democrat has a RICH,
70 pay whatever he pleases for din
ner-if he has the money.
The character OF political banquet
is determined not by the cost, but by the
sentiments which are woven into the
post-prandial oratory. We have not one
word OF hostility to utter toward those
Democrats who left the Democratic
party in 1896. Far be it from us to
criticise any man whose judgment or
conscience leads him out of the Demo-
cratic party.
When the Republicans met at St.
Louis some Republicans left the Re-
publican party rather than adapt them
selves to the platform written out at
ST. Louis. They organized distinct
party, and they took name sufficiently
different from the Republican name so
that no one would mistake the one for
the other. They made bold and earn
est fight, and the Republicans who left
the party in 1896 have neither gone
back nor, standing outside, have they
attempted to write the platform OF the
party which they left.
There were Democrats who left us in
1896. They organized distinct party !;
they nominated ticket and perfected
their national organization. But instead
of calling themselves gold Democrats,
so that they could not be mistaken for
the regular Democrats, they called
themselves national Democrats, although
they did not expect to carry precinct
in the United States.
A party is an association OF people for
the purpose OF giving force and effect
to political opinions held in common
They talked to us about harmony. The
only kind OF harmony that is possible is
harmony between those who think and
act together to give force to their COM
mon opinions. There can be no har-
meny between those whose opinions
are as antagonistic as the opinions set
forth in the Chicago platform and the
indianapolis platform.
All that we ask is that those who
come into the Democratic party shall
be part OF the Democratic party We
simply insist that man cannot be a
political bigamist. He cannot be we'd
ded to the name OF our party and to the
principles of some other party. We
simply ask that he shall get formal
divorce-either from our name or from
their principles.
The Democratic party has platform.
1t does not dismay those who stand up
on it to hear it denounced this year by
those who denounced it two years ago.
We got accustomed to it in 1896; and
it is not strange now, but it would be
surprising thing, indeed, to hear that
party denounced by those who left it
two years ago. But this we do not
hear. The Democratic platform is sat-
isfactory to those who supported it in
1896
That platform was written by the rep
resentatves OF the Democratic party in
the most Democratic convention that
has been held in a century. 1t is a
compliment to receive presidential
nomination from any national conven-
ton, but l am proud that my nomina-
ton came from a convention, not of
bosses, but OF Democratic citizens.
loud applause) 1t has vindicated
that platform, and every plank of it is
stronger today than it was when the
platform was written.
Those who believe that we should in
vite into the Democratic party all those
who cannot share in the purposes and
the aspirations OF that party-I cannot
speak for others, I speak for myself
are wrong, and say that would not
abstract from it a single plank to get
back every man who left it. Nor do
I believe that we could draw people
10 us by cowardice. The day for am
biguity has passed.
That platform means something, and