Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-27
BRYAN AT THE FEAST.
First Public Appearance Since Elec-
 tion.


 First Public Appearance Since Elec-
 tion.
 LINCOLN, Neb, Dec. 27.-The annual banquet of the Jefferson club of Lincoln at the Lincoln hotel brought together nearly 300 representative men of the Democratic and Populist parties of Ne braska, together with a number of lead CTS from other states. William J. Bryan made his first appearance at a public gathering since the election. and the greeting accorded him was nSver moro hearty and spontaneous in his home city. His address received the closest atteu- tOn, and the applause was frequent. Aside from the remarks of Mir. Bryan, the event of the evening was the speech of John w. Kern, defeated Democratic candidate for governor of Indiana, who aroused the banqueters to q high pitch of enthusiasm not only by his laudaton of MT. Bryan. but by his outspoken criti- cis'n of those Democrats whom he ac- cused of contributing to his (Bryansl de feat. His denunciationS of Democrats who offered 'gratuitous counsel to De mocracy,' though he mentioned no names, was accepted by the crowd as u reference to former President Cleveland. II was after 10 o'clock when the dinner was finished and the speaking began.
 ' E,les Live" said in part:
 At this banquet. surrounded by neigh bors who have been my friends for ten years, l may be pardoned for saying d word of q 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 prrsi- dency-and no candidate ever received more loyal support than you have given me.
 "Whpther shall ever be d candidate fer office again is q 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 < work is complete. l shall be content fl it is my lot to aid ill 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. It should not be an end, but the means for the accomplishment of q purpose.
 The presidency seemed desirable be- cause it would have enabled mo to give effective ait to certain reforms which l believe to be necessary to the public wei fare, but dcfcat-cvcn q second dcfput- does not lessen my interest in this reform, and time may prove that my work is tO advocate rather than to execute
 The ConmOncr will give me an op- portunity to participate i'll public discui- sions, and 1 am sIirc that an editorial pursuit will furnish as much intellectual enjoyment as l could have found in the White House and in addition thereto will give me moro time for home pleasures.
 The principles for which We contend ed i'll the last campaign still live, and we who believe in them must continue to fight for them. An election does not change principles. 1t only determines what principles shall be for the time be- ing applied.
 If we are successful in divcrtinS 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. ] am confident that we shall ultimately win, but if the trend to- ward plutCcracy cannot be checked it is still better that we should be defeated ir q righteous undertaking than that WIG should join hands with those who are ig noring the inalicnable rights of man."