The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-09
In Doing So, However, He Fires Few
Shots at Grover Cleveland and
Other Straight Democrats.
MEN WITHIN PARTY LINES
ARE THOSE WHO HAVE RIGHT IT
DISCUSS REORGANIZATION.
Reform Is Internal Remedy and
External Applications Would Do
No GOod-Future Issues.

CHICAGO, Jan. s--william ]. Bryan was
the guest of honor at the annual banquet
of the Chicago Bryan League, which was
held tonight at the Sherman House. III
had been planned by the local Democrats
that a reception to Mr.. Bryan should be
made part of the days celebration, but dur
ing the afternoon telegram was received
from him saying that IT would be impossi-
BILE for him to reach the city until late in
the evening and the reception was there
fore abandoned. Mr.. Bryan did not arrive
until to-night and was driven direct from
the depot to the banquet hall. where sew
eral hundred members Of the league and
their friends awaiting his arrival greeted
him in enthusiastic fashion.
Mayor Harrison acted as toastmaster
and it was long after 10 o'clock when he
raped for order and in a neat speech in
troduced Mayor Rose. of Milwaukee, as the
first speaker of the evening. Mr.. Rose re-
sponded to the sentiment Party Loyalty"
and his remarks were received with much
favor. Samuel Alschuler, the Democratic
candidate for Governor of Illinois, in the
last campaign, was the second speaker and
he spoke on ''The State we Live In" He
made a clever and happy address. as
did Judge Edward E. Dunno. of Chicago.
who replied to the toast Retrospect and
Prospect" Some of the preliminary ad-
dresses were of considerable length and 1t
was after midnight before Mr.. Bryan, who
had the last place on the programme. rose
to make his address. He said:
"This is the fifth consecutive Jackson day
banquet which have celebrated with this
| club, and L appreciate the honor which the
members have done me In giving my name
| to the club, and am grateful for the sup
port which they have given to my can
| didacy in two campaigns. 1 take this op-
portunity, however, to express the nope
| that this club and others which have borne
my name will substitute for my name the
name of some Democratic saint, or name
descriptive Of PRINCIPLES ,a1s rather tnah man s
| lent prospects Of remaining such. l Intend
| to continue actively in the discussion or
public questions and do not desire to De
| embarrassed by being placed in the atti-
| tude of a candidate for any office. In Sc
| lecting journalism as the best field for use
| fulness, am aware that am placing my
self in the position where l can give more
| aid to others than to myself, but the field is
chosen deliberately because 1 am more in
| terested in the .promulgation of Democratic
principles than 1 am in enjoying any hon.
ors which my countrymen can bestow.
IN FIGHTING CONDITION.
THE Democratic party never in bet
| ter fighting condition than it is to-day, and
| rejoice that in the course of nature have
| many years in which to participate in the
unending struggle between human rights
and the usurpations of greed. Our party
stands for well-defined and positive policies
| and is prepared to wage an aggressive war
| fare against the plutocratic tendencies of
the evils against which Jefferson contended
| a century ago and against which Jackson
| fought thirty years later.
"It is not necessary to discuss the su5-
| ject of reorganization further than to sdy
that reorganization Is an internal remedy
and that it cannot be applied externally.
A person must be inside of the Party be-
| fore he can participate In the party man
| agement. Some seem to think that they
| may be outside for voting purposes and in
| side for purposes of reorganization. If
man allows his wife TO obtain divorce
| fl ON him on the ground of failure to sup
| port desertion, or infidelity, he must re-
| marry her before the public will pay any
attention to his expressions of solicitude
| for her welfare, and so those who have
| lost their party standing because of their
6esertion of the party candidates AID un-
| faithfulness to Democratic doctrines
defined by legitimate authority, must re-
| unite with the party before any attention
| will be paid to their pretensions OF inter
est
Those who are within the party lines
| have a right to a voice in the making OF
| the platform and are entitled to make such
| change in the organization or machinery
of the party they please, but honesty,
and good faith require that any desired
change shall be openly and fairly presented.
Party organizations are framed for party
| governments, and derive their JUS. powers
| from the consent of the governeo. Party
platforms are of no value unless they re-
| feet the purpose of and the policy desIi ed
| by a majority of those who belong 10 the
party. Those who are really devoted 10
A rft>1a x.nfrA
| deception in writing a platform or IN Sc
| curing the control of the party machinery.
| hope that in this and other Stares the
party may be able to avoid tnoze fierce
| factional contentious which sometimes dis
| tract attention from party principle and
| waste in personal fights the energy that
| should be directed against the common
| enemy.
.sThe defeat which the party recently suf-
| fered ought not to discourage any one who
| believes in the principles set forth in the
Kansas City platform. for If those prin-
ciples were right when the platform was
| written, and when they were indorsed by
nearly six millions and half Of voters.
| they right still. The Democratic party
| has been defeated before. but defeat has
neither destroyed its hope nor its tenets
| In 1872 the defeat was overwhelming. and
| yet won in 1876. In 1880 we thought that
| the people would rebuke the counting out
! OF Tilden four years before. but we werf
| doomed to disappointment. We won I'm 1854
| and lost in 1855. We won in 1892 and lost liz
| 1896 and 1900 If any one is inclined TO at
| tribute recent defeats TO the platforms
adopted or TO the organizations In charge
| OF the fight. let him remember that the de-
| feat of 1885 came at the close OF an admin
| istration entirely satisfactory TO those who
| are most anxious To reorganize the party,
| and that the defeat In 1896. which occurred
| under similar administration, was more
| disastrous than any that has taken place
| since
'sNo one can foresee the conditions which
our party must meet. but We can face the
| future with the determination TO apply
Democratic principles 10 every emergency
and to make the party faithful exponent