The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-07-20

Hand, declaring that 1t had been mill
istone around the neck of the party that
elected him. and making other refer
,ences equally uncomplimentary to the
former president
The picnic was attended by several
thousand Chocago democrats and Mr.
Organs address was frequently interrupt
ed by vigorous applause.
Among the other speakers during the
day were Mayor James A. Reed. of Kan
-sas City: jeremiah B. Sullivan, democrat
&c candidate for governor Of Iowa; Con-
gresham South Trimban. of kcntuckky;
mayor Harrison, of Chicago; Samuel Al
.schuler, of Chicago. and l.. E. Mccain,
iof Chicago.
/ Preceding the address at the picnic,
parade was held through the streets lead
ing to the ground.
Mr.. Bryan's Address.
Mr.. Bryan's address, the subject of
which was 1.-The Democratic Ideal,' fol-
lows:
THE ideal controls the life and gives
1t not only direction, but form and con-
stancy. An ideal permanently pursued
crystalizes into character and becomes the
vital part of the individual. If you know
a mans ideal. you know the man, and
he will dc in a given case.
NO one can overestmatc the value
of an ideal because ii measures the DIFF
ference between success and failure.
An ideal is important to a party
TO an individual, and must In the
end determine not only the party's char
acter. but the partys destiny.
THE party ideal is the ideal of those
who dominate it's councils and control its
action; and In any party worthy to be
called democratic. the controlling force
should be a majority of the voters of the
party. As in the case of the individual,
so with the parly-the character is form
ed not by n few decisions, but by multi
tude of acts all in harmony with a gen
eral purpose, and all Influenced by the
ideal AS In the case of the individual,
II Is impossible to follow one ideal a part
of the time and an opposite ideal the rest
of the time; with the party, there
must be a constant effort to apply the
same principles and the same methods to
all questions and issues.
Faith in the People.
The distinguishing features of any
party that deserves to be known as
democratic party is its faith in the peo-
pie its desire to advance the welfare of
the people, and its willingness to have
the people control their own affairs. A
democratic party seeks to administer the
government according TO democratic
principles, and It's ideal of free govern
ment is government IN which every de-
partment. legislative. executive and judi
Cial, is administered according to the
doctrine of equal right to all and special
priyifeSeS to none.
"A party with such an ideal Is more
closely scrutiniZed and more quickly crit
icised than party which makes no such
pretension because the world is inclined
10 measure a party by the standard which
1t sets up for itself. A party really
10 do VIII
might do with impunity because its own
teachings would he turned upon its con-
duct and hypocrisy added to It's other
sins.
Never before in the history of the
country has there been greater need for
a democratic party with a truly demo-
cratic ideal The aristocraCy which Hamil-
ton led against the democracy of Jeffer-
sons day, and the plutocracy which Nick
Biddle led against the democracy of Jack
sons day, have combined to assault the
democracy OF the present 6s-j. and these
assaults are supported by a metropolitan
press more subservient to capital and
more widely read than the papers of 1900
1892.
Republicans Enthrone Mammon.
TN 1896 the republican party, under the
leadership of Mark Hanna. became the
open ally OF organized wealth and a vic
tory was secured by the use of means
TO every believer IN the doctrine of self
government. The purchase of votes and
the coercion of employees-all these were
resorted to with an audacity never known
in this country before. AS result of that
election mammon was enthroned the
manufacturers were permitted to write
the tariff schedules without regard to the
interests to consumers. The financiers
were allowed to dictate the policy of the
treasury without regard to the interests
of the country at large, alTS the trust
magnates were permitted to bankrupt
rivals, stiie competition and extort with
out limit. When the Spanish war occur
red the syndiCates in complete posses
sion of the United States reached out for
new fields to conquer and they are now
using the American army and carpet
ba gger to exploit the inhabitants of the
Philippines islands. whose reverence for
our institutions has thus been converted
into hatred for our flag.
Surely, If there ever a time Wnen
the prea ching of the democratic gospel
ought TO he opportune, now is the time.
And yet the time OF great test opportunity
Is alao the time of greatest danger, Tor
an opportunity unimproYed Is worse than
lost. The character of our party IS TO be
determined by the manner in Wnich II
meets an opportunity and the manner IN
which 1t meets an opportunity Will oe
determined by the ideal that dominates
it. viii our party hesitate or take coun-
sci of IS fears? Will it abandon its cham
pionship of the peoples interest in the
hope of conciating reient~s foes, or
purchasing a few offices with campaign
contributions that carry with them an
obligation to be made good out OF the
pockets of the people?
This gathering OF the democracy OF
the second city of the union ought 10
have its influence IN determining the
party's position. and in molding opinion
IN regard to the party. 1t has been said
that no principle is worth living for
that IS not worth dying for; and so it
NAV be said that no political principle
Is worth fighting for that is not worth
suffering defeat for, and a matter OF
fact ones devotion to principle must
he measured by what he Is willing to
suffer in its behalf. not by the reward
he Is willing to accept for supporting It.
The democratic party must appeal 20
.sfe democratic sentiment of the country.
and this sentiment is far wider than any
rarity Wherever the question has been
submitted in such way that II could be
acted upon Independently there has al
wavs been an overwhelming majority In
favor of that which was democratic. ana
our party can appeal successfully to its
democratic spirit if but convince the
people Of CiIr earnestness and OF our
fidelity to those principles.
Cleveland a Milestone.
1--WE are handicapped just now by the
fact that the last democratic adminstra-
ton that we had was more subservient
to corporate dictation than any republican