The Indianapolis journal., 1904-01-27
SPEECH BY v, ]. BRYAN
TO A NEW YORK THRONG
Nebraska'S Silver Apostle Dis
cusses Moral Issues and
Grows Humorous.
HIS POLITICAL VIEWS

NEW YORK. Jan. 26-Every seat in the
Madison-square Concert Hall was taken
tonight when William j. Bryan began ms
speech on Moral Issues In the audi
ence there were many women. while the
body of the hall was more than half filled
with cIergymen. There was no presiding
officer, Mr.. Bryan being escorted to the
platform, where he was greeted with pro-
longed applause. He said i'm part:
Il do not speak with authority; L am not
a candidate for any office; l am only a
private citizen, and l can prove by the eol-
torial pages of nearly all of. our leadlng
dailies that / have excellent prospects OF
remaining a private citizen during the re-
mainder of my life. But think not that
prospective obscurity has been forced upon
me by unfortunate circumstances or oy
cruel fate. | can prove by an interview
which appeared in yesterday morning
papers that / have recently renounced a
prominence that was within my grasp, III 1
had only followed the advice or one OF your
distinguished financiers Joseph Z, Hen
dirk, who is quoted as saying III MI.
BRYAN had come home from Europe ana
said that he had learned a great deal ID
his trip abroad, and declared that ne was
convinced that 1t would De uesIddole
thing for all Democrats to get togetner,
he would be a great man and his influence
would have been greatly increased by MS
present course he is killing himsei; .,,oa
surely If Mr. Hendrix is to be be1eVed
and L quote him not because he deserves
special notice, but because, having leIt us
in 1896. he is fair representative OF those
who the last seven years have been CIV
ing our party advice instead OF votes-lt ne
is TO be believed my words ought to chaI-
lenge your attention and arouse that inter-
est which usually attaches TO an ante-mor-
tenn statement, when the speaker is sobered
by the thought of impending dissolution.
GETTING TOGETHER
"Why have L flung away ambition? Why
have rejected this proffered greatness and
been deaf to the entreaties of those who
talk only of getting together?' 1 want TO
know what they are getting together for
whether to defend rights to enter upon
course of pillage. The trouble with our
government to-day Is that il is too much
Influenced in its operations by men whose
only loyalty is loyalty to the money bags.
| will il pay? has been substituted Tor is
| it right?' and as a consequence our legls-
| lative assembles-city state and national
| are becoming auction rooms in which gov
ernmental privileges are knocked down 10
| the highest bidder.
'One evidence that our party hon
estly seeking to secure justice TO the masses
| in 1896 and 1900 is 10 be found in the fact
that our campaign funds were insignificant
| in both campaigns. In 1892 the Democratic
| party collected a large campaign fund from
the corporations. 1T spenI more , tnan ca sl;VyO w.
| 600 in the two States of New YORK and In
| diana alone and what was the result! The
most plutocratic administration TINS coun-
| try has ever known. We witnessed sur
render TO organized and predatory wealth
| so abject and so complete that seven years
/ of exile from power have not entirely re-
moved the stain from the party. You ask
| why | am opposed TO the reorganization OF
| the Democratic party? Because L want my
| party TO define the rights of the people;
| want it to be the fearless champion of their
! interests; l want IL to present the moral
| issue involved in public questions and to
appeal TO public conscience.
| "In dealing with the labor problem, moral
principles only are applicable. Capital and
! labor cannot be reconciled by high sound
ing platitudes about law and order and
vested rights. Violence must be punished
no matter by whom the violence is com
mitted and property must be protected; but
those who would incarcerate a laboring
/ man for a small offense and then allow the
rich violators of the law to go unwhipped-
should be made to see the inconsistency
| of their position.
How can We restore respect for the doc
| trine of self-government, how can we fight
the trusts, how can we obtain just hnan-
cial system. how can we oppose high
tariff how can safeguard the rights of
labor. or secure the election of senator's by
popular votes? The first step forward for
any party is TO write an honest platform.
THE NEXT PLATFORM.
when the next Democratic convention
i undertakes to write new platform IL will
/ find the last one model of cIearness and
conciseness and of square-dealing. and
hope that the delegates TO the convention
! will be instructed by the various States ro
| indorse 1t.
| And how about candidates? 1t does not
| matter much what the name OF the presi-
dental candidate is, but ii does matter
| what he stands for and i'm what direction
| he is going to lead the party. Let the Re
publican party be challenged 10 meet the
moral issue presented-this Is democratic; il
is patriotic. Let this be done. and unless
reason and love of country have fled We
shall fight without being ashamed. If We
lose, il will be but temporary defeat and
will bring no disgrace with IT, If we win
the victory will mean much for our coun
| try and for the world
Mr.. Bryan departed frequently from th'
text of the address as previously given out
Speaking of the comforting of government
favors on great corporations, he said: .
want 10 call the attention of the clergy 4
this and / want to ask them what they ar
doing toward their congregations Of tn
degradation of the moral sense which i
| now going on. / don't want you by you
| applause to seem to rebuke the ministers 10
their past lapses Of conduct. But | want 4
have their attention called 10 the corrup
tion existing in high places These debaser
of the moral sense have grown more an
more defiant Of the people
Abiding to the open sale of votes, which
he said, existed in Delaware. Mr.. Bryal
said: ut is the commercialism that is de
| bauching Nation and betraying on
country | beg you 10 thunder out agains
this vicious principle. and not 20 try {
IL in little way