The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-04-18
The Jefferson Banquet of the Chicago Plat
form Democrats in New York
A TRULY DEMOCRATIC AFFAIR
People all Coors
Tbousan peope Simplicity
to Decorations Bill of Fare..An Formally Waived
Mr. Bryan Chief Speaker enthusiastically
4 Received..He Two Demo-
cratic Platforms

privilege to be permitted to attend this,
probably the largest banquet ever
given in the United States. 1 appreciate
the kindness which has been mani
tested by your action and by the words
of those who have preceded me. shall
carry back to my western home new
courage from your meeting, and shall
be glad to tell to the people in other
states that in New York there be
those who are true to the principles
of democracy as written in democracy's
latest creed.
"The object of this banquet was to
give Chicago platform democrats a
chance to celebrate the birthday of
Thomas Jefferson. There was a ban
quet given in honor of Thomas Jeffer-
son two nights ago, and the discus
sion of the price obscured to some ex-
tent the difference between that ban
Quet and this A democrat has a right
to pay whatever he pleases for a din
ner if he has the money. The charac-
ter of a political banquet is determined
not by the cost of it, but by the sem
timents which are woven into the post
prandial oratory
I'VE have not one word of hostility
to utter toward those democrats who
+, left the democratic party in 1896. Far
be it from us to criticize any man
whose judgment or conscience leads
him out Of the democratic party. When
| the republicans met at ST. Louis some
| of the republicans left the republican
! party rather than adapt themselves to
! the platform written out at st. Louis.
, They organized a 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 a bold and earnest
fight and the republicans who left the
Nayfxy iyn
p! nor, standing outside, have they at
tempted to write the platform of the
: party which they left. There were
! democrats who left us in 1896. They
organized a distinct party; they nomi-
mated ticket and perfected their ma
tional organization. But instead Of call
| ing themselves gold democrats, so that
they could not be mistaken for the reg
ular democrats, they CALLED themselves
national democrats, although they did
| not expect to carry & precinct in the
! United States. A party is an associa-
! ton of the 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 to-
gether, to give force to their common
| opinions.
| There can be no harmony between
| those whose opinions are as antago-
nistic as the opinions set forth in the
Chicago platform and in the Indianapo-
| lis platform. All that we ask is that
those who come into the democratic
party shall be a part of the demo-
| cratic party. We simply insist that a
! man cannot be political bigamist. He
| cannot be welded to the name of our
party and to the principles of some
| other party. We simply ask that he
shall get a formal divorce, either from
our name or from their principles.
''The democratic party has a plat
form. It does not dismay those who
stand upon it to hear it denounced this
| year by those who denounced it two
years ago. We got accustomed to it in
1896 The democratic platform is salts
factory to those who supported it in
1896 The platform was written by the
| representatives of the democratic par
ty in the most democratic convention
that has been held in a quarter Of a
| century.
cit is compliment to receive a pres
idential nomination from any national
convention, but I am proud that my
nomination came from con-
vention, not Of bosses, but of demo-
| cratic citizens. It 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
invite 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 I
would not abstract from it a: single
plank to get back every man who left
1t. Nor do I believe that we could draw
people to us by cOwardice. The day for
ambiguity has passed. That platform
means something and if you ask why it
was in the campaign Of 1896, the hearts
of the people were stirred as they have
not been lately stirred, 1 will tell you
that it was because the struggling
masses found in that platform an in
spiration and aggregated wealth found
in 1t a menace to every man who robs
his neighbor for his own benefit. 1t was
those who have entrenched themselves
behind abuses of government who OBJ
jected to that platform and we'll they
might object, because that platform
was aimed at every abuse OF govern
ment, and I was glad that I was sup
ported by those who could have only
asked me for just laws. am glad that
the $500, 900 who voted for me simply
wanted me to get other peoples hands
out of their pockets (applause) and not
to get their hands into other peoples
pockets"