Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-07-12
.FuSI0AISIS OPEN THE
CAMPAIGN AT LINCOLN
Two Great Ratification Meetings at
the Home Of the Demo-
cratic Candidate.
SPEECHES BY BRYAN AND TowNE

Former Discusses imperialism Chief
ly---Towm Talks on All the Is.
sues, ButSay- Silver Is Sec
onIary This Year.
Lincoln, Neb., July 12.-The infor-
NAL opening of the democratic party
campaign took place in Lincoln yes
terday. In two ratification meetings.,
one i'll the afternoon, conducted by
the populists and silver republicans
of Nebraska, and one in the evening,
conducted by the democrats, w. j..
Bryan, Charles "A. Towne, General Jas.
B. Weaver and other leaders of the
party outlined the work of the cam
palgn in the interest of Bryan and
Stevenson. Probably 10000 people, u
good proportion from different points
i'll the State, listened to the speeches
and paid homage to the leaders of
the parties TO which they owed al
legiance. nearly 1000 packing the
auditorium i'm the afternoon, while 49,
$50 gathered on the capitol grounds.
Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. fTowne spoke at
both meetings, although it was not
their intention to deliver an address
at the evening meeting, and their
forccasting as they did the fusion of
the three parties on the democratic
national ticket were received with UNI
bounded enthusiasm. Mr.. Stevenson.
who is Mr.. Bryan's guest, was some.
what indisposed and did not appear at
the afternoon meeting. He was pres
.,f hn
and received an ovation. At the after
Congressman Shafortl of Colorado,
Cyclone Davis of Texas. former As
sistant Secretary of the Interior Web
ster Davis, Charles a. Towne and Cen
eral James B. Weaver.
Afternoon Mcelink.
Mr.. Bryan spoke last, and only in
-esponse to repeated calls. He was
wildly cheered as Chairman Edmiston
introduced him as "AIr. Bryan of
North America
II feel almost as if ought tosapolo-
gize for not being able to call myself
a former republican," said Mr.. Bryan,
amid laughter. Mr.. Bryan then paid
eloquent tribute to General Weaver,
Charles \. Townc and Webster Davis,
former republicans. saying that he
wondered how the republican who is
not tied to his party by office could re-
fuse to leave the party and cast his
lot With those who believe in the dec
laraticn of Independence here and in
South Africa also.
81 simply want to say now that the
campaign is begun so far as the
tickets and the platform are con-
cerned," Mr.. Bryan continued, "and
from now until election day it will be
the duty of every citizen to take these
issues before the country and weigh
them. 1t will be the duty of every
citizen to see where his duty lies.
There is privilege in being an Ameri-
FAN citizen, and there is n responsible
,ty commensurate with the privilege.
II we lived in land where Il king
thought for us, we would feel no re-
sponsibility for the action of that
king. But we live in a land where
the people determine the policy. We
live i'm land where the citizen inn
presses his own opinion upon the gov
eminent; where the policy of the
government may be determined by the
vote of one citizen.
''And / want to leave a thought with
those who are to vote this fall. L
want every citizen to so vote as he
would vote if he knew that his vote
would determine this next election.
Remember what it means. You vote
in Nebraska, and your vote may de-
termine the vote of this state on the
presidential ticket, and your state may
determine the result.
lss\Vb,,, ,,r,, no. ia .fba nn11s rome m her
YOU are an American citizen. Remem-
Der your vote may determine this ma
TONS position, and this nation will in
a large measure determine the public
opinion of the world on the doctrine
that governments come up from the
people. For one hundred and twenty
four years this nation has held before
the world the light if liberty. For
more than century it has been
an example to all the world. You tell
me that we>can now be Indifferent to
what is going on? You tell me that a
man who lifts his voice against the
doctrine of Imperialism is pleading
the cause of 7O,0OO,OO0 American citi-
zens-aye, he is championing the
rights Of the struggling masses of the
world, who look to America for eX-
ample. If every Filipino We're to die
the world would go on, but if this ma
ton, the greatest republic of the
worlds history, puts out its light; it
this republic turns back to the doc
trines which we lived a century and a
quarter ago, then to what nation of
the world can the people look for hope
and inspiration? So you ought to be
proud that you are an American citi-