The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-02-22
MIR. BRYAN'S SPEECH.

MIR. BRYAN's SPEECH.
The Democrats had a grand powwow
in Minneapolis the other night, and Mr..
Bryan made speech. We are surprised
to see no reference in the proceedings to
S. M. Owen, J. M. Bowler, or any other
of the distinguished Fusion-Populists.
In Mr. Bryan's remarks, he said:
1t does me good to meet with you on
this occasion. l was glad when 1 was in
vted to go to St. Paul and was glad when
they so arranged it that l could accept and
l was glad when a day intervening between
the engagement there and one at Madison
enabled me to come here. If you feel
strengthened by such an occasion as this, I
want to tell you that l feel strengthened
too. And In this great contest for human
rights in this great struggle for the princi-
pies that we have learned to love, we need
TO meet together and strengthen each other.
When [ was here a year ago l told you
was glad that the Democratic party had
taken the position it had upon the great
questions before the people. My friends,
every day is proving that we acted wisely.
There were timd ones among us who said
that they were afraid that we had driven
away some Democrats by being radical
But my friends, count the Democrats of
Minnesota. the leading Democrats Of Min
neSota, who were driven away by the Chi
cago platform, write down their Names and
1 challenge you to find among those names
of recreant Democrats a single Democrat
who was as good a Democrat, measured by
broad definition of Democracy, as is John
Lind, Silver Republican. We did lose
some Democrats, but, my friends, if every
Democratic leader in Minnesota who left
us in 1896 was willing to come back on con-
dltion that we would give up Lind and
Iowne, 1 would tell them to stay out for
ever and not come back. CHEERS and ap-
plauSe)
What's in a name? The poet tells us that
the rose by any other name would smell
as sweet; and Democracy is as dear to me
when preached by a Popul:st or a Silver
republican as 1t is when it comes from one
ordained and Amounted in the Democratic
faith. (Applause) And in an hour of trial
when We need men, in an hour of battle
when we need recruits, we do not look to
see upon their banners the names describ-
ing the number of the regiment or the name
of the state from which they come. We SIM
ply look to see if the flag is red, white and
blue; that means we are all fighting for the
same cause and in the same direction CAP
plause.)
This is certainly a remarkable utter
ance for the gentleman who, in 1896, de-
clined the nomination of the PEOPLES
party for president because they pre-
sumed to nominate Hon. Thomas. E..
Watson for vice-president, and refused
to place New England railroad presi-
dent in that position.
If Mr.. Bryan had made speeches in
that campaign anything like the above
he would have been elected president.
But instead of doing so he went around
the country with Democratic muzzle
on his mouth, and he avoided all refer
ence to the despised Populists, as if they
had the smallpox and the cholera.
What is the meaning of this remarkable
changer
Mr. Bryan is very shrewd politician.
The recent elections have satisfied him
that it is impossible for the Democratic
party to win without the aid of the
Peoples party, and he is beginning to
"plait the hair Of the latter a year in
advance; he pats them on the back and
tells them they are good fellows, and
that they smell as sweet under the name
OF Populists as they would under the
name of Democrats He has even a good
word for the Silver Republicans, not
Withstanding the fact that the sole organ
OF his party in this state said the other
day: 'Tell with the Silver Republi-
cans" Mr.. Bryan is adopting Richie
leau's motto: where the lions skin
falls short, exc it out with the fox's."
Mr.. Bryan's denunciation of the Gold
Democrats is another significant fact.
1t shows that his observations of the
country (and he has been all over it,
satisfies him that the Gold Democrats of
the East cannot be coaxed back to their
allegiance, and he goes for them with
a club and throws himself into the arms
of the Populists.
All this ought to satisfy the Peoples
party men that if they stand firm and
hold together they are masters of the
situation. They have been exploited for
their votes and kicked and insu,ted for
their reward
But, thank the Lord, they can't do it
again. "The miller cannot grind with
the water that has passed" I'D.