The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-10-06
WESTMINSTER DISTRICT BRYAN CLUB.
Committee to Arrange for the Reception of
Hon. VIM. Jennings Bryan-Able and
Entertaining Speech by Hon. Frank
I. Duncan.

was announced that Hon. VIM. Jennings
Bryan would speak in Westminster in the
afternoon of October %, and on motion the
President of the Club was authorized to ap-
point a committee of Eve, with the power to
appoint sub committees TO prepare for his
reception and to make all necessary arrange
ments. President Herring appointed the fol-
lowing committee: Fred. ID. Miller, j. Milton
Reifsnider, B. F. Grouse, Dr. j. Fl. Billings
lea and John j. Reese. Mr.. Bryan will ar
rive here about O'Clock in the afternoon,
and will make speech OF about an hour.
MR.. DUNCAN's SPEECH.
President Herring presented Mr.. Duncan to
the Club and a round of applause greeted him.
He said he was glad to be here and felt com
plimented that he had been invited to address
the club. He SAID in part:
This is a most important campaign. L
know that the phrase important campaign is
somewhat q stock expression, but l am III
earnest when | say that this is the most i'm
poriant campaign in the history OF the coun-
try. We have come to the parting of the
ways, when we must choose between repub-
lie and an empire. Forms of government are
not changed rapidly and suddenly, but slowly
and insidiously. 1t is not necessary that the
man in power be crowned with jeweled head
gear to make him an emperor OF to enable him
to exercise imperial powers.
"0ur constitution, | may say, WAS written
in blood, and we should preserve it by the
peaceful ballot while yet it is not too late.
Ii the United States was the first and only
Republic in the worlds history, we might
then be justified in making experiments, even
though they afterwards turned out 10 be un.
wise. But other republics have existed. aud
history is full of their mistakes and failures.
While Rome, Greece and Athens give us
many valuable lessons, their history is most
valuable in showing us the lancets that open
the viens of a republic and let out It's life
blood. careful study of the republics OF
the world, and some of them lasted for cen
turtles, reveals the fact that their failures were
not from causes from without. but from infu-
ences within and tonight desire to speak for
little while on two of the influences most
dangerous to this republic, because they were
most potent in wrecking those OF the past. L
refer 10 the Capitalization OF wealth and the
Capitalization of power. Capital has been so
manipulated and combined by the money bar
ons of the country under Republican iegisla-
ton and executive sanction during the present
administration, that food and raiment and
nearly every staple article i'll daily USE,
whether in the home, in the shop or on the
farm, is controlled in its growth, i'll lis manu-
iacime and in its price, without reference TO
the ordinary and health laws OF supply and
and demand, by a great combination of capital
called "a trust; and the trust goes even farther
and places price on labor and arbitrarily
places Il limit on the production of labor as
well. Since President Mckinley's Inaugural
ton more trusts have been organized than
during all the years of the history of the coun-
try. Lincoln, whom / regard as one OF the
great men of the country, because he was
honest as well as able, said this was govern
ment of the people, for the people aud by the
people, but under Mark Hanna and Mckinley
il had become government of Trusts, for the
Trusts and by the Trusts.
Recently three employees OF railroad came
to me and asked me to dr. W up II memorial
for them, asking for an increase OF two cents
an hour in wages. | told them woLld do so,
but asked them what reason | sholid assign
for the advance. They answered that four
years ago they got along very well; that they
were able, with their wages, tn meet all Their
expenses, but that since then the price uf all
necessities had sn advanced that The purchas-
ing mower of their wages were reduced until II
was almost impossible 10 live. When heard
such sensible and intelligent reasons assigned
| thought the battle of 1900 was won. When
the plain, laboring and working people were
reasoning thus / felt that the incubus OF the
trusts would be thrown off and | rejoiced al
the prospect of the defeat of the party under
whom trusts had multiplied and thriven.
"My friends some of yon are carpenters,
builders, merchants, mechanics and farmers,
and YOU know how the trusts have enhanced
prices. Barbed wire has advanced S13 per
cent, lumber from 20 to % per cent, cut
nails lis per cent, wire nails 80 per cent,
wrought iron 100 per cent, rope 80 per cent,
tin plate 67 per cent, beet 355 per cent,
crackers / TO IL cents pound. carpets 10 to
90 per cent, and so on. This has not been
because of any natural law of supply and de
mand, but because the trusts had the power,
under the Republican system of protection, to
levy this tribute from the people, and had the
rapacity TO do so.
MR.. BLAKENEY.
Mr. Duncan alluded to the Republican
nominee for Congress. Mr.. A. A. Blakeney.
He gave part of Mr.. Blakeney's speech when
a candidate for County Commissioner in 1895.
to the effect that the ship of state was going to
Annapolis with Lloyd l.owndes and some
would stop off mt Towson, and that he would
show the people how their money went. Said
Mr. Duncan
"Well, my friends, he did. The mileage OF
the Democratic County Commissioners had
been about $4,000 year. Mr.. Blakeney S
the first wear was $46S.60. He went by "A cir
cuitous route of about AZ miles, with free
passes in his pockets, when the distance from
his home across to Towson was but Is. And
when he went into Office the county debt. made
necessary by floods which damaged roads and
bridges, was about 100000, and when the
people of Baltimore county hurled the Re
publicans from power the debt was ascer-
tained. by experts, TO be S425, 900. Mr..
Blakeney was true to his promise-he showed
the people how the money went.
"Mr. Blakeney is II smiling gentleman. Ii
he comes here he will tell the people that he
he is opposed to trusts, but he Is at the head
of the cotton trust in this state. And he
showed the people another way their money
went. His cotton mill was assessed at $50,
600 and he sold it TO the trust for Sl25, 900.
And while County Commissioner be concluded
there ought to be a road from his mill 10 the
railroad. Stone to macadamize it could easily
be gotten from the side of the hill, but there
were some stone in his mill dam and he chose
to blast that out to put on the road. The road
cost about SIS, 600 mile. TWAS good one,
but the people did not use II. Still that was
their fault-the road was there ready for use
il anybody wanted to drive on it.
'sIhere was a time when man could work
where he pleased. When be wanted TO quit
one place he could go to another. II is not
so now. If you leave the mill at Franklinvlle
You cannot get work at the Phoenix mill or at
Woodberry The trust does not permit labor
any such privilege.
'sMr. Blakeney, after showing the people OF
Baltimore county how their money went, will
not ask you TO send him to Congress to enact
reforms there | have told you how he re-
formed the debt from $50, 600 to $425, 900, and
l. Il 1.a