Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-01-21

Die were OAt IN OECC-tAEs
Bryan's Address.
BALTIMORE, Nd, January 20.-The
Hon. VIM j. Bryan delivered an adj
dress here tonight upon the political
questions of the day to ar audience
which filed the Music Hall, the biggest
auditorium in the city, to it's fullest
capacity and which greeted him and his
remarks with the greatest enthusiasm
The meeting was held under the aus
pices of the Maryland Democratic AS
ISOLATION, one Of the free silver wings
of the Democratic party of the State,
and was not encouraged in any a
ner by the regular Democratic organ
i~zations. In fact, the latter held strictly
aloof from any participation in the af-
fair. They made no effort to discour-
age it in any manner, but non of the
Democratic leaders appeared upon the
platform, and an offer of stage tickets
was politely declined by the principal
members of the Democratic State Gen.
trail Committee. Mr.. Bryan came over
from Washington in a special car at
tached to the Pennsylvania railroad
train which left Washington at 5 p. m,
accompanied by a committee under the
leadership of S. s. Field, chairman of
the committee of arrangements. Upon
reaching this city about 6:15 p M, the
party drove to the Ertaw House for
supper, after which they went to Music
Hall. At the conclusion of Mr.. Bryan's
address he was the guest at a banquet
given in his honor by his admirers in
this city and vicinity.
Senator Tillman, OF South Carolina,
Congressman Sulzer, of New York,
Richardson, of Tennessee, Jones, Of
Virginia, and DeArmond, of Missouri,
were with the party who came over
from Washington. 1t was nearly eight
o'clock when the party reached the
Music Hall, when the crowd
Greeted Mr.. Bryan UproariousIy.
Mr.. Bryan said in part:
Il want to assure you in the begin
ming that my happiness does not de-
pend upon any honor which the people
Of this nation can confer, neither do I
believe that this nations happiness or
welfare depends upon any one person.
AS in politics as in army, the generals
get the glory and the privates do the
work. And therefore I feel that 1 owe
it to those who for nearly four years
have been bearing the burden In the
heat of the day; / owe it to them TO
say that what I have done is but an
atom compared with what they have
done.
In 1896 the voters proved that they
could control the policy OF the party,
and during the last three years they
have proven that they could hold what
they gained in 1896 in spite Of news
papers, in spite Of railroads, in spite Of
banks, and in spite of every Influence
supposed to obtain, the plain people of
the Democratic party have stood, and
now stand for the Chicago platform, in
all that it says. I want to begin with
an accepted proposition, that PROPOSE
ton that l consider most fundamental
in government.
I find it in the declaration of indie
pendence-if you will pardon me for
quoting anything from that old and
outworn document as our Republican
friends seem to think it is. The declar-
alton OF independence was once a high
ly respected document; it is under a
cloud just now, but / have confidence
that in a few months the clouds will
be rolled by and that that old document
will shine with all its former bright
ness. That fundamental principle is
that all men are created equal.
l don't mean to say that all men are
created equal in physical strength; I
don't mean to say that all men are
created equal in mental ability; or in
moral worth, or that under any just
form of government a man will be
equal in capacity for enjoyment. or in
the enjoyment that we have. What /
mean TO say is this: That Whenever
government comes into contact with
citizens; whenever the citizen touches
the government, then all must
stand Equal Before the Law,
and there must be no high. no low, no
rich, no poor. That government must
be administered according to the max
i'm of Jefferson: Equal rights to all
and special privileges TO none"
l am going to ask the Republicans
| here to think for a little while when
they go home of the income tax and
20 see il it is not in line with that
doctrine of equal rights to all and
special privileges to zone. How do
We collect our federal taxes to-day?
Well, before the Spanish war broke out
we collected almost the entire tax
from two sources, from internal reve-
nue. dues on liquor and tobacco and
import duties upon what we eat and
wear and use. In what proportion do
the people pay these taxes? In pro-
portion to the benefits received from
government? Not at all. In what
proportion to property? Not at all.
In proportion to income? Not at all.
In what proportion do people pay in
| ternal revenue taxes? Why. largely
in proportion to the liquor and tobac-
co they use. They do not use those
things in proportion to their income,
| and so far you collect taxes from
liquor and tobacco. you make the poor
men pay on an average a larger per-
centage OF his income 70 support the
government, and the rich man a small
er percentage on his income
When the Spanish war broke out
we had to hare more taxes and the
Republican party. looked around Tor