The Topeka state journal., 1900-02-08
DISLIKES HIS TITLE.
Bryan Would Rather Not Be
Called Colonel.

New York, Feb. 8.-Colonel William
J. Bryan delivered an address in Music
hall. Plainheld, N. J., yesterday after
noon.
Mr.. Bryan, Congressman DAILY of New
Jersey, and John =. heI1man of Pam
neld, left Jersey City on a Central rail-
way tram at noon. Ihey arrived at
FlaIntleId at . cock. AL each station
many persons entered the car, some of
whom accompanied Mr.. Bryan to
Plainfield. When the train reached
PIainfield fully / 500 people were on the
platform 1t was with difficulty that
the way to the carriage was cleared,
Mr.. Bryan being compelled to shake
hands with all VINO could get near him.
Preceded by a brass band, the carriages
started for the Cedar Brook farm, the
home of James e. MARITIME.
AT the farm an informal luncheon
was provided. Mr.. Bryan was intro
duced to 200 men as he entered the
house. Shortly after ? o'clock the party
started for Music hall, which was pack
ed to it's utmost capacity. There were
many Republicans in the hall and also
many gold standard Democrats. The
speaker said he had no hope of con-
Verting any man who in 1896 voted
against free silver and did not know
why he voted. The man who voted
against free silver and who knew why
he voted that way was a man open for
conviction.
Bimetallism, Mr. Bryan said, was
stronger today in the west than ever
before. The armies of England had
been checked by a handful of Beers
and that was enough to shake the
money market. What would happen,
he said, if England had been fighting
a big nation. AT this point there was
much applause and Mr.. Bryan said:
Don't applaud, it is anarchy" He
said he had been asked to drop the
money question. In reply he would say
he considered it the greatest question
that had bRRn presented TO the
American people. He would not drop it.
but would stand by all the principles
of the Democratic party.
Mr.. Bryan left for New York on the
4:17 train. About 2,0U0 people at the
railway station cheered him as he left
for the metropolis.
Mr.. Bryan spoke last night in Car
negie Music hail on Pending Prob
lems," under the auspices of Winfield
Scott Hancock Post q. a +. for the re-
lief OF soldiers, widows and orphans.
More than LOCO men and women paid
the price of admission. With the hope
of filing the big hall those in the gall
leries were invited down stairs. Still
there were empty seas in the auditor
ium and three galleries were vacant.
There was some enthusiasm, however,
notwithstanding the smallness of the
audience.
Mr.. Bryan entered the hall escorted
by Ex-Governor Hogg, o. H. f. Bel
mont and Tom l. johnson. When he
made his appearance he was greeted
with great cheering. The Catholic
Protectory band, which had played Sc
lections from .'Attila' struck up See
the Conquering Hero Comes" as Mr..
Bryan took his seat
Mr.. Bryan in the course of his speech
spoke Of the strife of the civil war and
the restored harmony between the
north and the south. Then, speaking
| of the man who served in the Spanish
| war, he said:
I claim no credit for myself for what
I did as soldier. l would rather not
be called by my military title and when
/ recall the civil war 1 feel ashamed
| to be taken for a soldier. All I did was
| to express a willingness, and that was
done on the day war was declared, and
| my resignation was signed the day
! peace was announced
| Continuing, Mr. Bryan took up one
| by one the political questions of the
| day. After declaring his belief in the
| income tax as means of securing an
| equitable division of the burdens of
| taxation, he turned to the money ques-
ton. In the course of his remarks on
| this topic Mr.. Bryan said:
1T is not a settled problem. I can
| speak of a certainty now, because an
| amendment was presented to the bill
| now before the senate. The bill pro-
| VideS for a gold standard but the
| amendment provides that it shall not be
| so construed that monometalIism shah
| not be possible with international agree
| ment, SO whatever a man may have
| thought ABOUT the money question be-
| ing settled the day before yesterday he
can not say it is settled now. Much as
| I have tried to conceal my views on
| this question Qaughter) it has cropped
| out again"
The other pending problems those
| which MIR Bryan discussed at length.
| were whether the United States should
| have a currency issued by the bankers
or not, and the trust question. In ex-
| PLANTATION of his position the speaker
| said:
Il have been asked why don't drop
| the silver question and take up the
| trusts entirely. Because they are the
same thing. 1 am not going to drop the
| money trust and attack the soap or the
match trust. I am not going to drop
| the bear in order to chase the cub. You
| will find that the men who stand be-
| hind the money trust are the same as
| the men who are behind the interna-
| tionaI trusts"