The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-23
KENT At GARFIELD
NebraSka'S State Labor Com
missioner Spoke Last Night
AUDIENCE NOT LARGE
Bryan FIambeau Club Gives
an Exhibition.


turned out to hear what the Nebraska
orator might have TO say. Previous t
the meeting some sixty members of the
Bryan Flambeau club gave an exhibition
on the streets. People had expected
more Of a demonstration. and those who
had come down town for the purpose OF
witnessing it were disappointed One OF
the things which attracted attention
were the helmets worn by some Of the
BRYAN club, which had on them the
words Bryan and Sewall." They had
evidently been used four years ago and
we're brought out again in the interests
of the cause
After the marching Of the hambeau
club they went to the hall Mr.. Kent
had commenced his speech, but in they
went, interrupting it for several min
utes.
Many Of the audience seemed to be
present out Of curiosity and paid no spe-
ciaI attention to what the speaker was
saying It was not a representative audi
ence and not what was supposed would
be present TO hear the Nebraska man.
Before the meeting closed many Of the
audience left the hall. but for all Of that
the speech was considered interesting
from several standpoints.
Along in the fore part OF the speech
somebody asked a question about South
Africa. It was evidently some Pop try
ing to help the speaker out. Mr.. Kent
did not choose to answer for a moment
so the disturber got anxious about 1t
and tried to stop the speech. The audi
ence came to Mr.. Kent's rescue and yell
ed with one voice, Put him out!' It
looked as If things were going to get
exciting, but the disturber hushed and
the speaker proceeded.
A few moments later an old, whitehall
ed gentleman walked up in front Of Mr..
Kent and began TO gesture and humble
something indistinguishable. The old
man was hardly accountable for what he
did, but he tried to manifest his friend
illness 10 the speaker. He did it by walk
ing up to the platform and making Mr..
Kent shake hands with him.
Mr.. Kent said. in part: 1T affords me
pleasure TO address this Kansas audience
tonight, especially from the fact that
previous to my thirteen years residence
IN Nebraska I lived in Kansas. 1t was
here that 7 cast my first vote and I cast
It then with the Republican party. No
matter what party we belong to, that
party is but a means to an end. We
should only ally ourselves to the party
whose principles are nearest our ideas as
to how things ought TO be.
To-day the Democratic party stands for
the same things that the Republican
party did forty years ago. At that time
the Republican party placed the man
above the dollar, but today that party
exalts the dollar above the man. The
Democratic party stands for men and
their rights
who would have thought that in this
day it would be necessary to appeal to
the American people to stand by the
Declaration Of Independence made in
1776? Who would have thought that it
would so soon be necessary to plead with
the American people TO support the basic
principles Of this government"
The speaker then produced 4 long arti-
Gle taken from some paper called the
Investigator" From this he tried to
show that the American people are for
getting principles Of freedom and are
taking up with imperialism. Continu-
ing, Mr.. Kent said:
THE Declaration Of Independence was
the result Of centuries OF Christian
thought. 1t was the first declaration
that men own themselves, that they
stand free and equal. It was upon these
principles that our government was es-
tablished. But now to think that we
have arrived at the time when there are
men IN this country who believe in gov
eminent by force,
This sentiment in favor OF govern
ment without the consent OF the govern
ed has not been a sudden thing. 1t has
been gradual and it is growing There
have been republics before ours and
env of them have died because the
people lacked in vigilance on behalf Of
liberty When once the principles OF the
Declaration Of Independence are lost
sight Of and cold-blooded commercialism
takes hold upon this land. the days of
the republic are numbered.
They say We need a standing army
have Just returned from Europe and
knowing what l do of conditions there, I
want to say I don't want to live in
country where there is a large standing
army. There in England. France. Russia
you find large standing armies. They are
made up of the pick Of the nation And
what about those left behind? Why. it
Is theirs 10 work and support the army.
Then in whose interest is the army or
gained? Is it the working class? Are
The lahoring classes benefited? Not ct
all. It is capitalists that are to be bene-
fitted and not the poor man.
4 am an Englishman. was born in
England ana I'm not ashamed Of il. but
when I came TO America, threw off al
legiance 10 Great Britain. I came here
because believed In American instltu-
tons and American freedom. We do not
need q standing army. In times Of
emergency with a little nucleus we could
assemble the grandest army in the world
Mr.. Kent then went on and made a
comparison between America and Eng
land with reference 10 the condition of
the labOring classes lie en6eovored 10
show that great poverty and crime in
England was accountable from the fact
that England had become a world power.
Again he said:
I'VE are told that trade follows the
flag: that we must acquire more territory
and become a world power. What are
the countries with which we DO most o.
our trading? Go to England. There you
find American locomotives. Everywhere
youu see the American sewing machines.
You'n find that American products OF