The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-24
Let Us Protect the Rights
of Others.
LAST NIGHTS SPEECH
At Least Two Thousand People Packed
Metropolitan Hall to Hear Mr..
BrYan's Great Lecture
on the Value of
an Ideal.

Never was William Jennings Bryan more
superb, more grandly inspiring than he
was last night, when he reached the CHI
max of his great, uplifting lecture on
"The Value of an Ideal,'' and told IN
living words of splendid power what
Very high he put it; it could not have
been put higher, but then did he not say
it was but a low ideal that could ever
be reached? The huge audience that
packed and jammed the Metropolitan
Hall was simply carried away with the
wonderful eloquence of the words of the
man, and with the man himself who
could formulate such an ideal.
I'VE ought to so love our country that
we would prefer the triumph OF the truth,
even if it differs from what we believe
to be the TRUTH said Mr.. Bryan. This
is an ideal of party life. We ought to
have faith in the omnipotence of truth
If could suggest a prayer for the party
man with high ideals, it would be, %
Lord, give us faith in the wisdom OF do
ing right.
Lets make our nation the one with
the highest ideal on earth. Let the
American nation show to the world that
the greatest thing of all is to protect the
rights of others, till some people afar off
shall look at our flag and say: That flag
stands for our rights as well as theirs.
Let that be our ideal, the highest nation
al ideal the world could ever know" SAID
MIR. Bryan amid applause that shook the
building from top to bottom.
1T was the greatest speech he ever
made" they all said who had heard him
before 1t was a tremendous crowd that
heard Mr.. Bryan, and it was a repre-
sentative one. The lower floor was packed
with all of Raleighs best citizens and
out of town people who could possibly get
in there All the extra chairs that could
be gotten in We're used and the standing
room was all taken up. In the galleries
every inch of space was filed by the A.
and NJ. boys, to whom the lecture was
especially directed and who had invited
Mr.. Bryan to Raleigh. besides number
from Wake Forest, the University and
otner institutions.
The stage, too, was filled to its utmost
capacity. Among those noticed there be
sides President George T. Winston, of the
A. and NJ. College We're: Senator H. E.
Ward of Plymouth; Representative
Thomas w Blount, of Roper; Rev. Nc
Nicely Dubose, rector of ST. Mays; Gen
Julian S. Carr, of Durham; Senator John
E. Woodland of Wilson; Mr.. #. S. Spruill,
of Louisburg; Capt. C. n. Allen, of Au-
burn; Mr.. ]. B. Coffield. of Everetts;
Judge a. W. Graham, of Oxford; Chief
Justice Walter Clark. of the Supreme
Court and Associate Justices H. G.. Con
nor, r. NJ. Douglas and Platt d. Walker;
Attorney General R. d. Gilmer; Secretary
of State J. Bryan Grimes; State Chemist
B. W. Kilgore State Bank Examiner
John O. Ellington; Mayor A. NJ. Powell,
Rev. T. y. Iyey, Prof. D. H. Hill, Capt.
F. E. Phelps, Mr. c. NJ. Busbee, Mr.. T.
NJ. Arlington, Mr.. John Arlington, Capt
S. A. Ashe. Mr. R. H. Battle. Mr.. S.
Brown Shepherd, Mr.. j. D. Johnston and
Mr. ,Josephus Daniels, of Raleigh.
Altogether it was estimated that at
least two thousand people heard Mr..
Bryans great speech last night And
never was he in better voice, in happier
vein in more inspiring mood; never did
his words flow with greater ease,or with
mere import; never were they more fit
ting or more expressive of their meaning;
never did his thoughts come crowding
one upon the other with swifter sequence
never were his anecdotes more apt, more
telling, more full of humor, and never
was his audience more heart and soul
with him from start to finish.
The interest the great audience mani
tested was intense. Every note struck
was appreciated to the full. Not a word
of the hours speech was lost; not
sentiment passed UNDECIDED. 1t was the