The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-18
THE K ELM CLUB.


hccS Va hiChlI6 VII bryan DCuioSA dty tHlS
evening / wish to drop a few weighty words
by way of admonition and advice to the
hired hands and other members of this
club who work for wages. Some of you in
tend to vote for Bryan because he says he
Is the special friend of liberty, and you
imagine that if he should be elected the
small amount Of liberty you are now enjoy
Ing would be greatly enlarged and made in
finitely more secure than it would be IL Nc
Kinley should come out on top. as he is
very liable to do. There was a time when
such action on your part might have been
the sensible thing to do, but that was be-
fore your day and mine. Most pepole liv-
ing in the metropolitan centers of popula-
ton seem to think that they require more
liberty than you could use on the farm and
in the shop, and for that reason they are
constantly on the lookout FOR some party
that promises to favor them with extra al
iowance. These people will vote for Bryan
as a matter OF personal protection against
government by Injunction and the unwar-
ranted interference of the police when
great industrial questions are being settled
by the mob. They feel friendly towards
Aguinaldo because If he is to be restrained
OF his liberty to set up a monarchy and
plumber the Filipinos 1t would be a danger
Gus precedent for them. AS Democrats / do
not expect you TO act upon my advice, but
/ want you to know what l know about our
party and it's motives. You observe that I
did not say principles for since the Bry-
anistic departure from everything like
principle four years ago, l have had very
little use for that word. Liberty, my friends.
is a term the true meaning of which but
few people understand. As Americans we
are in the habit of Boosting of our liberties,
but you will be astonished when l get done
showing you what, a narrow, limited and
circumscribed a thing liberty really is,
after all. We call 1t something sacred, and
there is certainly nothing more sacred 10 a
hrrrno bafnU nfn rn14. III
flag than that which Is left of his civil, re-
ligious. political and personal liberty after
he has been properly restrained by whole
some and necessary laws and city ordi-
nances.
II invite your attention to a few speci-
mems of refined liberty which | nave pre-
pared for this occasion, and also your at
tention to a few things a man has the
power to do In the free exercise of his nat
ural liberty, if he is SO minded, but which
he would better leave undone, If liberty
would be more relished by him than a $40
fine and thirty days in Jail. Liberty does
not mean unlimited license to do what one
pleases. you will notice. as my Illustrations
proceed. / am always at liberty to walk
upon the public highways and up the alleys
when / am sober, but | have no right TO
walk on the private premises of Colonel
Snort without his consent, drunk or sober.
/ may go through my w house from cell
lar to garnet, but If 1 should go through
Colonel Carries house and get caught L
would in all probability get ten years. |
xiii dt iiDCity u u OtliOic III III OWL gar
den, but If L should climb over into Cap
tain Skidmonk's garden and go 10 filling
my basket with his c~ucumbers. without his
consent, L would be laying the foundation
for two lawsuits. one with him for tres
pass and one with the state for larceny.
On a street car no gentleman is at liberty
TO smoke a cob pipe on the front seats and
spit dog-leg tobacco juice on the floor, and
IL he hasn't got the fare he is not at liberty
TO ride at all. A man now and then loses
his liberty by simply working his lungs
IN tho nIIrar adUa of a nIf0fAH -
litical or other meeting. in attempt
ing TO exercise the right of free speech,
which is a right guaranteed by the Con-
stitution, but ii don't go when the court
pronounces ii an unlawful disturbance.
TIL question of liberty is very often a
question for the court, and no man in this
country can tell precisely how much liberty
he Is entitled to until he has made a
thorough and comprehensive examination
of the learned opinions and decisions OF
the officers of that branch of the govern
ment of the commonwealth in which he re-
sides in which judicial power Is vested by
the Constitution and the laws. 1t would
be impossible for me in a minute TO cata-
logue the inhibitions that modern society
has placed on liberty, and having given you
a few samples. / respectfully refer YOU
TO the criminal code for the rest. Before
you finally make up your minds to vote
for Bryan, IL would be well TO examine
the criminal statutes of the United States
and agree upon the sections you wish TO
have repealed or amended in the interest
OF liberty, and then memorabilia Mr.. Bryan
upon the subject, making your demand
clear and specific. This would be the or
derby way TO proceed, and he would nave
no excuse for refusing or neglecting TO
fulfill his promises to restore the liberties
which you and Aguinaldo claim 10 nave
lost under the present administration of
William Mckinley"
How is the Bryan campaign fund hold
ing out?" inquired Captain
The President-'I am informed that there
is plenty OF money in the treasury for
legitimate purposes only. We are sill
without hope of getting any help from the
trusts. because, as Mr.. Bryan has said
more than a hundred times. we do not
expect TO help the trusts 1t is under
stood that the trusts are laying for the
Democratic party when il comes into
power. as they did in 1892, and will not use
any of their funds on US now. Instead of
squandering their money I'm the campaign
Of 1892 to defeat free trade, they quietly
waited until the Wilson tariff bin came
I'D I'm a Democrats Congress two years
later and then by gentle persuasion got
what they wanted for less than half what
Il would have cost 10 get votes to defeat
Cleveland. Experience has taught the
trusts that IL is much cheaper 10 control
Democrats In Congress than II is 20 buy
them at the polls. Hence / have thought
that Mr.. Bryan's charge that the Republic
ans would have twenty-five million dollars.
contributed by the trusts, TO help them In
' the election Of Mckinley, was a STUPID