Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-02-02
BRYAN In WASHINGTON And
BALTIMORE.

Hon. w. J. Bryan upon his visit
to Washington conferred with the
Democratic leaders in Congress about
the Democratic National Convection
He says he has no choice for the
Vice-Presidential nomination aud
only wants to see the Chicago plat
form reaffirmed with the addition OF
declarations against trusts and "im.
perialism," but not against "propel
expansion" He expressed no choice
concerning the city in which the
nomination shall be made, but leans
towards the West.
HIS SPEECH IN BALTIMORE.
Hon. w. j. Bryan delivered an adj,
dress in Baltimore Friday night
January Goth, upon the political
questions of the day to an audienc,
which filled the Music Hall, the
biggest auditorium in the city, aud
which greeted him and his remarks
with the greatest enthusiasm.
The meeting was held under the
auspices of the Maryland Democratic
Association, one of the Free Silver
wings of the Democratic party of the
state, and was not encouraged in any
manner by the regular Democratic
organization. In fact the latter held
strictly aloof from any participation
in the affair. Not one of the Demo
cratic leaders appeared on the plat
form, and an offer of stage tickets was
politely declined by the principal
members of the Democratic State
Central Committee.
With the party who came from
Washington with Mr.. Bryan were
Senator Tillman, Of South Carolina;
Congressman Sulzer, of New York;
Richardson, of Tennessee; Jones, OF
Virgipia;and DeArmond, of Missouri
Mr.. Bryan SAID in part:
"The Declaration of Independence
was once a highly respected docu,
ment; it is under cloud just now
but | have confidence that in few
months the clouds will be rolled by
and that old document will shine
with all its former brightness. Thai
fundamental principle is that al
men are created equal.
''I do not mean to say that all mer
are created equal in physical strength
do not mean to say that all men art
created equal in mental ability, or il
moral worth, or that under any JUS
form of government man will bt
equal in capacity for enjoyment, or il
the enjoyment that we have. Wha
| mean to say is this:
"That whenever government come,
into contact with the citizen, when
ever the citizen touches the govern
inert, then all must stand eoua
before the law, and there must b.
no high, no low, no rich, no poor
that government must be administer
ed according to the maxim of Jeffer
son: Equal rights to all and specia
privileges to none.
81 am going to ask the Republi
cans here to think for little Will
when they go home of the income ta
and see if it is not in lire with tha
doctrine of equal rights to all an,
special privileges to none.
"When the Spanish war broke ou
we had to have more taxes, and til
Republican party looked around fo
any old thing to put stamp ON, an
you run across the stamp taxes al
the time. Every time / send a tele
gram | have to pay the regular rat
and in addition thereto one cent
added for the beneficial assimilatio
of the Filipino.
"Why is it that the man who send
the telegram has to pay the tax
Because the telegraph company say
so, and why was the law SO made ths
the telegraph company could shit
the burden on to the man who send
the kilograms? Because the tel,
graph companies have more influenc
with the Republican party than a
the poor Republicans who use tn
wires.
ain an hour of peril this Govern
ment can take the son from h
mother, the husband from his wifi
the father from his child and stan
them up in front of an enemy's gun
but in an hour of danger this Go
ernment cannot lay its hands upO
accumulated wealth and make th'