Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-03-16
DEMOCRATIC
OPPORTUNITY
SPEECH DELIVERED BY w. j
BRYAN AT WILMINGTON, DEL.
The Famous Democrat Talks From the Shout.
der. Gives Wholesome Advice. Places
Grover Cleveland and His Clan on the
Gridiron in Great Shape.

Friends and Fellow Democrats: 1t is
very gratifying indeed to meet the repre-.
sentatives OF the democracy OF Delaware
about this banquet board. This gather
ing is not much like the first meeting l
had here. l came to Delaware at a time
when you did not know me, and l did not
know you. have often thought of the
first speech | ever made in Wilmington.
1t was not a large meeting; there was
plenty OF room in the hall for any others
who had desired to come. And intro
duced myself, because there wasn't a
nan in the community, so far as knew,
who was willing to take the responsibility
Of Introducing me. That was only about
six months before | came as president
tial candidate, when they nearly ruined
the building trying to get in.
I have been interested in watching the
growth OF sentiment in this state and
throughout the union, and | am not at
all pessimistc in regard to the future. |
am confident OF the triumph of our ideas,
never more confident than now.
It gives me great pleasure to meet with
you tonight, as, last night, on a similar
occasion, met with some Of the loyal
democrats of Baltimore. | am glad to
meet my old friend, Handy. There WIS
time along in the early hours OF ;he
morning at Kansas City, when he came
in mighty "handy." They were discuss
ing the platform down there, and he was
loyal when we did not have any votes to
spare when it came to vote. | am also
very glad to meet again my friend Gray,
whom | learned to know years ago, and
others with whom I have become ac-
quainted since-the members OF this
democratic league, the democrats who
have convictions and are not afraid to
own them.
The campaigns OF 1896 and 1900
brought out a great deal OF moral courage.
/ have known some heroes in my day
men who had the spirit OF martyrdom !;
men who were willing to suffer for what
they believed to be highland a man $
convictions are better measured by what
he is willing to suffer than by what he is
willing to enjoy for those convictions.
You who live in these eastern states
have had much more to fight against.
The power OF wealth is greater here than
it is out in our country. You have had
much more to contend against than We.
You know we sometimes speak Of those
who come up Through great tribula-
tons" That phrase can be applied to
the democrats of Delaware, Maryland
and other eastern states, for you have
certainly come up amid great tribula-
tlons.
There is no doubt OF the ultimate tri
umph OF the principles for which you
and contend.
do not come here tonight as candi-
date for office; do not come as leader
even, for, am glad to say, the democratic
party is in different condition from that
OF few years ago. Ten years ago leaders
in the democratic party had more in
fluence than they have now. We had
leaders then, and we followed them, often
followed them blindly. | remember a
time-why, it was when my boy was
born-when l was such an admirer OF
Grover Cleveland and John G. Carlisle
that if 1 had named my child after public
land Carlisle Bryan. You can imagine
how l would feel now if had given him
that name.
Now. these were our leaders. and, my
friends, we have learned lesson in re-
gard to leadership. We have found that
q leader ceases to be leader when he
ceases to have followers. As someone
has remarked, the real leader is the man
who is going in the same direction that
the people are going, but is just a little
bit ahead. That is what leader is, he
must be going in the same direction as
the people. In fact, great many people
make mistake when they think that
the people going in the same direction as
they, are following them. Ii the man
who thinks he is leading will just turn
and 60 the other way he will be surprised
to find how few OF the people will turn
back when he does. And SO when PEG.
pie tell me that a change has taken place
in the democratic party in the last few
years, when they talk about the "rem-
nant" who believe in the principles Of
the Kansas City platform-well, l have
had too much experience to believe what
they say, for have spent now more than
twenty years trying to change the minds
OF republicans. and l l.aow what slow