The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-27
BRYAN'S CRUSADE.
lie Opens the War for Endorse
ment of h. C. Platform.

New York Jan. 27.-Every seat in the
Madison Square concert hall was taken
last night when William Jennings
Bryan began his speech on Moral Is
sues" In the audience there were many
women. while the body of the hall was
more than half full of elergymen. There
was no presiding officer. Mr. Bryan
being escorted to the platform, where
he was greeted with prolonged ap-
plause. He said in part:
Il have preferred to speak independ-
emily of any organization, because 1 do
not care to ernbarrass any friends or
supporters who may differ from me in
opinion. Both I and they therefore are
left to pursue in the future, as we have
in the past, the course that seems to
US bast. sNs
Il do not speak with authority: am
not a candidate for any Office; I am
only a private citizen. and can prove
by the editorial Da ges of nearly all of
our leading daily papers that I have
excellent prospects of remaining a pri-
vate citizen during the remainder of my
life
1.-The trouble with our government to-
day is that it is too much influenced in
its operations by men whose only
loyalty is loyalty to the money bags.
Will it pay2' has been substituted
for Is it right? and as a consequence
our legislative assemblies city, state
and national, are becoming auction
rooms in which governmental privileges
are knocked down to the highest bid
dor.
"One evidence that our party was
honestly seeking to secure justice to
the masses in 1896 and 1900 is to be
found in the fact that our campaign
funds were insignificant in both cam
paigns. In 1882 the Democratic party
collected a large campaign fund from
the CORPORATIONS 1t spent more than
100000 in the two states of New York
and Indiana alone. and what was the
result? The most Dlutocratic admin
istration this country has ever known.
We witnessed a surrender to organized
and predatory wealth so abject and SO
complete that seven years of exile
from power have not entirely removed
the stain from the party. You ask why
am opposed to the reorganization of
the Democratic party. Because 1 want
my party to define the rights of the
people: I want it to be the fearless
champion of their interests; I want to
present the moral issue involved in
public questions, and to appeal to the
public conscience.
When the next Democratic convention
undertakes to write a new platform it
will find the last one a model of clearness
and conciSenesS and of square dealing,
and I hope that the delegates to the con-
ven ton will be instructed by the various
states to indorse it.
And how about candidates? It does
not matter much what the name of the
presidential candidate is, but it does mat
ter what he stands for and in what direc-
ton ne IS gong TO leaC the party Let
the Republican party be challenged to
meet the moral issue presented-this is
democracy that is patriotic. Let this be
done and unless reason and love of coun-
try have fled we shall fight without being
ashamed. If we lose, it will be but a
temporary defeat and will bring no dis
grace with it. If we win, the victory will
mean much for our country and for the
world
Coming to the subject of imperialism,
Mr.. Bryan said:
Il believe that in the last campaign
that subject appealed to the American
people. 1 was willing to put all other
subjects in the background, although 1
was welded to them. must confess
that I was disappointed that so many
were Indifferent as to the issue and the
questions Some people thought, as the
Republican party must have done, that
the gambling chance in the Philippines
was Gods will. Some people are quick
to see the hand of God if it has a dollar
in it. What panied me most in the cam
paign was that the ministers of the Cos
pel saw the hand of God in the killing of
the brown people in the Philippines and
allowed a carpetbag government out
there.
Mr.. BRYAN referred to a speech of Mr.
McKinley's when in congress attacking
President CIeveland's fiscal policy. Nc
Kinley. he said. practically intimated
that Mr. Cleveland was making money
I