The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-24
ASSAULT 0NN JUDGE p|siRlKER
 1@s Bryan Trains Batteries on
 JuriSt. NEBRASKAN IN CHICAGO Gives His Idea of Platform for Democratic Party. Says the Enunciations of the Albany Convention are Evasive--An- nounces no Preference for
 Presidential Nomination.

Chicago, April &.-William J. Bryan ad- dressed large audience tonight in the End regiment armory. The meeting was entirely an affair of MT. Bryans. He paid all expenses. He was particular to have 1t understood that his address was not in favor of or against any particular aspirant for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency.
 His subject was The New York plat form and he repeated several times dur ing the course of his address that he was discussing measures only and not men.
 Mir. Bryan was his own presiding of hcer. and introduced himself to his hearers. He characterized the platform adopted at the recent State Convention in New York as ambiguous, uncertain, evasive and dishonest" declaring that 1t would disgrace the Democrats of the nation to adopt such a platform and it ought to defeat as an ansiprant for Democratic nomination any man who would be willing to have 1t go forth as a declaration of his views on public ques- tions"
 The address follows:
 Speech of Bryan.
 As it Is somewhat unusual for a political speech to be made as this one Is tonight let me preface my remarks with an explanation. I have hired this hall and introduce myself because do rot care to speak under the auspices of any club or organization which is com ndtted to any particular asplrant for of- flee. My concern is net about the name CT the personality of the nominee, out about the principles for which the Dem ocratic party is to stand.
 While many of the papers seem to assume that the contest for the Demo- , cratic nomination is necessarily between Judge Parker and MT. Hearst. and that every Democrat must either be for one or the other. such position is illogical and without foundation. Those who hle clasGed as reorganizers--and by thaA | fResn those who would carry the psNsx back to tho position that 1t occupied ur-' der Mfr -leveland's adninistration-are mt entirely agreed among themselves as to the proper candidate upoI whom to concentrate their votes, and so those who are in sympathy with the spirit of ou. recent platforms may differ as to the relative availability of those who repre- sent the progressive clement of the party:
 says He Is Neutral. My own position is one of neutrality. l regard as available all candidates who are Tn favor of making the Democratic rarty an honest, earnest and courageous exponent of the rights and interests of the masses, and regard as unavailable all who are in sympathy with, or obli- gated to, the great corporation that to- oay dominate the policy of the Republi- can party and seek, through the reorgan- izers. to dominate the policy of the Dem ocratic party I have no favorites among those on our side and no special antagonism to those who represent the reorganizers. I believe that the line should be drawn between principles, not between men. and that men should only be considered as they may be able to ad- vance or retard the progress of the Democracy.
 When some two years ago I became satisfied that ex-Senator David B. Hill was planning to be a candidate, I pointed ou the objections to his candidacy. When the Cleveland boom was launched, I pcInted out the objections of his candi- dacy, and now that Mir. Parker seems to be the leading candidate (though not the only candidate) among the reOrganizers, I desire to present some reasons why he cannot be considered as an available can
  l find these reasons, not In his person. aEty. but in his position upon public questions.
 The Silence of Parker.
 For q year he has been urged to speak cut and declare himself upon the import ant issues of the coming campaign, but he has remained silent. If this silence meant that nobody knew his views. those who have been loyal to the party in re- cent years would stand upon an equal footing with those who deserted, but 1t is evident now that while to the pubic gcnerally his views are unknown, they are well known to those who are urging his nomination. Whatever doubt may have existed on this subject heretofore. has been dispelled by the platform adopt ed by the New York State Conventions, and taking this platform as a text, l am sAp gulnu enough 10 believ. ;%It 1 can prove to every unbiased mind that Judge Iurkef is not fit man to be nominated either by the Democratic party or by any .ther party that stands for honesty or fair dealing in politics. l cannot hope to convince those who favor deception and fraud IT, politics, but I am satisfied that we now have evidence sufficient to con vict Judge Parker of absolute unfitness for the nomination. If he did not know
 
 himself dictate Ii or agree 10 it. he has allowed it to go out as his utterance, for the convention was dominated by hts friends and adopted a resolution present. ing him as the candidate of the party of the State.
 The Issues Which Prevail. What are the issues before the coun- try? The trust question is certainly an iseue. and yet there is nothing in that platform that gives any encouragement to the opponents of the trusts. There Is not a word or syllable that binds a per son elected on such platform to do any thing that the trusts are unwilling to | have done The Kansas City platform stated the partys position on the trust question. but the New York platform not orIy falls to endorse the last national platform. but also falls to propose any definite or positive plan of relief. | imperialism Is an issue Our govern ment is now administering a colonla. policy according to the political princi- | rlas ap,nIoved nv George IU. a century