The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-27
GREETED MOST WARMLY
John. w. Kerns Arouses Enthusiasm
by Lauding Mr. Bryan.
Will HE EVER AGAIN BE A CANDIDATE F?
Bryan Says He viii be Content if He Can But
Aid in the Triumph of Principles While
Others Enjoy the Honors
of Office,
(By the Associated Press:)

(By the Associated Press.)
Lincoln, Neb.. Dec. 26.-The annual
banquet of the Jeffersonian Club of Lin.
coin tonight at the Lincoln Hotel brough:
together nearly three hundred represcn-
tative men of the Democratic and Populist
parties of Nebraska, together with a
number Of leaders from other States.
William j. Bryan made his first appear
ance at a public gathering since the
election. and the greeting accorded him
was never more hearty and spontaneous
in his home city The speech of John
W. Kern, defeated Democratic candidate
for Governor of Indiana, aroused the
banqueters to a high pitch of enthusiasm
by laudation of Mr.. Bryan and outspolen
criticism of those Democrats whom he
accused of contributing to his (Bryan'sl
defeat. His denunciation of Democrats
who offered "gratuftous counsel to De-
mocracy' though he mentioned no names
was accepted by the crowd as reference
to former President Cleveland.
MR.. BRYAN'S SPEECH.
Mr.. Bryan whose subject was "Prin-
ciples Live said in part
cat this banquet, surrounded by neigh
bors who have been my friends for ten
years, l may be pardoned for saying a
word of personal nature. Five times
you have voted for me for public office
twice for Congress, once for the United
States Senate and twice for the Presi-
dency-and no candidate ever received
more loyal support than you have given.
Whether / shall ever be a candidate
for office again is a question which must
be determined by events. No one can
speak with certainty of the future, for
ones destiny is not known until his life's
work is complete shall be content if it
| is my lot to aid in the triumph of the
principles while others enjoy the honors
and bear the responsibility of office.
The holding of public office should be
an incident and not the extreme aim of
the citizen. 1t should not be an end,
but the means for the accomplishment
of purpose
THE Presidency seemed desirable be-
cause it would have enabled me to give
effective aid to reforms which l believe
necessary to the public welfare, but de-
| feat-even a second defeat-does not
lessen my interest in this reform and
time may prove that my work is to adj
vocate rather than to execute.
THE Commoner will give me an oppor-
tunity to participate in public discussions
| and l am sure that an editorial pursuit
| will furnish as much intellectual en-
! ioyment as l could have found in the
| White House, and in addition thereto will
give me more time for home pleasures.
! The principles for which we contended
in the last campaign still live and we
who believe in them must continue to
| fight for them. An election does not
change principles; it only determines
| what principles shall be for the time
being applied.
| "The believers in tariff reform did not
! abandon their faith when the high tariff
doctrine was endorsed at the polls, neither
| did protectionists when their cause suf-
| fered loss. The advocates of the gold
| standard continued the fight for mono
| metallism for twenty-five years in spite
| of the platform declarations of all parties
| in favor of a double standard. Shall we
who believe in bimetallism lose courage
| because our opponents have profited by an
! increased volume Of money thus admit
! ting the economic principles for which
we have been contending.
Defenders of trusts did not lose heart
! when all parties denounced combinations
| in restraint of trade. Shall we give up
! the fight because monopoly has triumphed
! by stealth? Must we now advocate an
imperial policy because our opponents
have won a victory by denying that they
are imperialists? colonial system in
wolves a surrender of our theory of gov
ernment, and the people will understand
this as soon as the system is put into
! operation. If We were to consult our inn
mediate convenience and comfort we
would never oppose wrong of any kind,
for all warfare involves a temporary sac
rifce. but this is our Government and
must be transmitted unimpaired to pos
terity. We have no choice, therefore, but
| to stand steadfast, come what may
IF We are successful in diverting pres
ent tendencies and in carrying the Gov
ernment to its old foundations we shall
| rejoice in the victory and profit by the
/ reforms secured
Il am confident that we shall ultimately
win, but IL the trend toward plutocracy
cannot be checked, it is still better that
we should be defeated in a righteous up-
dertaking than that we should join hands
with those who are ignoring the inalien-
able rights of man..
SPEECH or MIR. KERN.
Jchn w. Kern, of Indiana spoke to the
toast The Rank and File" He said in
part:
while the Democratic party is still