The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-09
SPEECH OF BRYAN.
Nebraskan Criticises the Action or
 

Nebrnskan Criticises the Action or
 New York.
 St. Louis. July s.-When Nebraska was called for nomination MT. Bryan arose and spoke as follows:
 Gentlemen of the conventions: Two nights without sleep and cold make 1t difficult for me to make myself heard. I trust that 1t will be easier In a moment. but as I desire to speak to the delegates rather than to the wis itors I hope that they at least can hear.
 Eight years ago Democratic con- vention placed in my hands the stand ard of the party and gave me the com mission as its candidate. Four years later that commission was renewed. come tonight to this Democratic con- vention to return the commission and to say that you may dispute whether fought a good fight, you may dispute whether I finished my course, but you cannot deny that I have kept the faith. (Cheers)
 As your candidate did all I could to bring success to the party. As private citizen today I am more inter- ested in Democratic success than I ever was when I was candidate. (Cheers) The reasons that made the election of a Democrat desirable were stronger in 1900 than in 1896; and the reasons that make the election of the, Democratic candidate desirable are stronger in 1904 than they were in 1900.
 The gentleman who presented New York's candidate dwelt upon the dan ger of militarism and he did not over state the dangers. Let me quote the most remarkable passage that ever oc- cured or that was ever found in the speech of nomination of any candi- date for President. Governor Black of New York, in presenting the name of Theodore Roosevelt to the Republican convention. used these words:
 The fate of nations Is still decided by their wars You may talk of orderly tribunals and lecrned referees. You may sing in your schools the gentle praises of the quiet life You may strike from your books the last note of every martial anthem and yet out in the smoke and thunder will always be the tramp of horses and the silent, rigid, upturned faces Men may pro- phecy and women pray. but peace will come here to abide here forever on this eartfr only when the dreams of childhood are the accepted charts to guide the destinies of men Events are numberless and mighty. and no man can tell which wire runs around the world. The nation basking today in the quiet of contentment ana repose may still be on a deadly circuit. and tomorrow writhing in the tolls of war. This is the time when great figures must be kept in front. If the pres sure is great the material to resist 1t must be granite and iron. This is an eulogv of war This Is declaration that the time prayed for for perpetual peace will never come. This eulogfz- ing the doctrine of brute force and giving denial to the hopes of the races. And this president. a candidate for re- election. is presented as the embodi- ment of that ideal, the granite and the iron. to represent he new idea of mili- tarism.
 Do you say you want to defeat the military idea. Friends of the South are you trying to defeat military Idea? Let me tell you that none of your North East or South more fears the triumph of that idea than I do. If this Is the doctrine that our nation is to stand for, It Is retogression. not progression: It Is the lowering of the ideals of the na- hon; 1t is the turning backward to the ages Of force. More than that 1t Is challenge to the Christian civilization of the world and nothing less. Loud Applause.l