Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-12-27
BRy AN
Makes His First
Speech
SINCE ELECTION
At the Jefferson Banquet in
Lincoln
He TALKS OF HIS DEFEATS
But Doesn't Say He Won't be a Candidate
Again,
HE TALKS OF HIS DEFEATS
But Doesn't Say He Won't be a Candidate
Again,
By Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
Lincoln. Neb., Dec. 26.-The an
nual banquet of the Jeffersonian CluO
Of Lincoln tonight brought together
nearly 500 representative men of the
Democratic and Populist parties of Ne,
braska, together with number of
| leaders from other states.
The dinner gave Mr.. Bryan an op
portunity to make his first appearance
at a public gathering since the cleo
tion, and an enthusiastic greeting was
accorded him. Aside from the remarks
Of Bryan the event of the evening was
the s1eech of John w. Kern, the de-
feated Democratic candidate for Gov
| ernCr of Indiana, who aroused the ban
queters to a high pitch of enthusiasm
not only by his laudations of Bryan
but by his outspoken criticism of those
Democrats whom he accused of attrb-
uting to Bryan's defeat. His renunci
alton of those Democrats who offered
'gratuitious counsel to the Democ-
racy,' though he mentioned no names,
was accepted by the crowd as referring
TO former President Cleveland.
Mr.. Bryan, whose subject was
Principles Live" said in part: "At
This banquet, surrounded by my neigh
b,r, ,,,-l,o l,ava boar y,oIr friapdS for
ten years, | may be pardCnad for say
ing word of "a personal nature
Five times you have voted for me for
public office-twice for Congress, once
for the United States Senate and twice
for Pre=ident-and no candidate ever
received more loyal support than you
gave me. Whether l shall ever be a
candidate for Office again is question
which must be determined by events.
No one can speak with certainty of tn :
future, for ones destiny is not known
until life's work is completed. l shall
be content if my lot is to aid in the
triumph of principles, while others en-
joy the honor and bear the responsi
bility of office.
The holding of public position
should be an incident and not the ex-
treme goal for citizens. 1t should not
be 2n end. but the means for the ac-
complishment of a purpose
The Presidency seemed desirable
| because it would enable me to give ef-
| fective aid to certain reforms, which
believe to be necessary to the public
welfare, but defeat-even a second de-
feat-does not lessen my interest in
Jlhis reform, and time may prove that
my work is to advocate rather than to
execute The Commoner will give me
an opportunity to participate in public
| discussions, and | am sure an editorial
position will furnish as much intellec-
tual enjoyment as could be found in
the White House. and in addition
thereto give me more time for home
pleasures. The principles for which
we contended in the last campaign
still live. and we who believe in then
must continue to fight for them All
election does not change principles; il
only determines what principles shal
be, for the time being, applied.
Believers in tariff reform did MOI
abandon their faith when high tar
iff doctrine was endorsed at the polls
Neither did the Drotectionists wheT
their cause suffered loss. The advo
Gates of a gold standard continued tt
fight for moniometallism for 25 years
in spite of platform declarations of al
parties in favor of double standard
Shall we. who believe in bimetilism
lose courage because our opponents
profited by an increased volume o.
money, thus admitting the economy O
principles for which we have been con
tending? Defenders of trusts did no
lose heart when all parties denounced
combinations in restraint of trade
} shall we give up the fight because mo
nopoly has triumphed by stealth
Must we now advocate an imperia
policy because our opponents hav'
won victory by denying that they ar,
imperlalists? A colonial system in
wolves the surrender of our theory o
government, and the people will un
derstand this as soon as the system Il
! put into operation.