The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-27
Takes 0MOfa Issues as His
Theme ands Greeted With
Prolonged Applause
He IS NOT CANDIDATE
FOR PUBLIC OFFICE
Says He Is a Private Citizen and That
Newspapers Say He Will Remain
So During the Remain
der of Life.

New York, January 2s.-Every seat in
the Madison Square concert hall was
taken tonight when William j. Bryan be-
gan his speech on Moral Issues
In the audience there were many wo-
men, while the body of the hall was more
than half filled with clergymen.
There was no presiding officer, Mr.
Bryan being escorted to the platform
where he was greeted with prolonged APP
plause. He said In part:
IT have preferred to speak independent
ly of any organization because l do not
care to embarrass any friends or sup
porters who may differ from me in opin-
| ion.
Il do not speak with any authority; |
am not a candidate for any Office I am
only a private citizen, and can prove By
the editorial pages of nearly all our lead
ing dailies that I have excellent pros
poets of remaining private citizen dur
ing the remainder of my life.
why have flung away ambition?
Why have rejected this preferred
greatness and been deaf to the entreaties
of those who talk only of getting to-
gether / want to know what they are
getting together for; whether to defend
rights, or to enter upon course of pill
lage?
Too Much Loyalty to Money Bags.
''The trouble with our government today
Is that 1t Is too much influenced in its OPP
eratlons by men whose only loyalty is
loyalty to money bags. Will 1t pay has
been substituted for is 1t right, and as
a consequence our legislative assemblies,
city, state and national bodies are be-
coming auction rooms in which govern
mental privileges are knocked down to
the highest bidder.
zone evidence that our party was hon
estly seeking to secure justice to the
masses in 1896 and 1900, is to be found In
the fact that our campaign funds were in
significant in both campaigns. In 1892 the
democratic party collected large cam
paign fund from the corporations. 1t
spent more than 81 100000 in the two states
of New York and Indiana alope. and
what twas the result? The most plutocrat-
c administration this country had ever
known.
Surrender to Organized Wealth.
1--WE witnessed a surrender to organized
complete, that seven years of its absence
from power have not entirely removed the
stain from the party. You ask why
am opposed to the reorganization OF the
democratic party? Because / want my
party to define the rights Of the people;
I want It to be the fearless champion OF
their interests / want 1t to present the
moral Issue involved in public questions
and TO appeal to the public conscience.
fnrn rios
doctrine of self-government; how can we
fight the trusts, how can we obtain a
just financial system: how can we OPP
pose a high tariff how can we safe
guard the rights Of labor or secure the
election Of senator's by popular vote? The
first. step necessary for any party is to
write an honest platform
Model of Square Dealings.
when the next democratic convention
undertakes to write a new platform it
will find the last one a model of clear
ness am conciseness, and of square deal
ings; and hope that the delegates to the
convention 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 II does mat
ter what he stands for, and in what direc-
ton he is going to lead the party. Let
the republican party be challenged TO
meet the moral issue presented-ths is
democratic. this is patriotic. If we lose it.
Il will be but a temporary defeat, and
win bring no disgrace with 1t. If we win,
the victory will mean much for our coun-
try and the world"
Mr.. Bryan departed frequently from the
text as previously given out
Talks on Imperialism.
Coming to the subject Of imperialism.
Mr.. Bryan said:
II believe that in the last campaign this
subject appealed to the American people.
was willing to put all other subjects in
the Background. although | was welded
to them ] must confess that l was dis
appointed that so many We're Indifferent
as to the issue and the questions
Some people thought as the republic
can 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 1t has dollar In it.
What panied most of the campaign was
that the ministers of the gospel saw the
hand of God in the killing of the brown
people in the Philippines, and allow a car
pet-bag government out there