Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-01-27
ON MORAL ISSUES
Bryan Defends Position in Speech
at Madison Square
Garden.
APPEARED OF OWN ACCORD
Wants Democratic Party to be Fear
less Champion of the
People.

New York, Jan. 21.-William Jen
nings Bryan declared the Kansas City
platform n model of clearness ano
square dealing" in Il speech on Mora
Issues" delivered in Madison Square
Garden last night. The Nebraskan
also added the hope that the delegates
to the democratic national convention
from the various states would be in
structed to indorSe it, Mr.. Bryan said
in part:
Il have preferred to speak independ-
emily of any organization. because
do not care to embarrass any friends
or supporters who may differ from me
in opinion. Both 1 and they, there
fore, are left TO pursue in the future,
as we have in the past, the course that
seems to us best.
Il do not speak with authority; |
am not a candidate for any office: |
am only Il private citizen. and / can
prove by the editorial pages of nearly
all of our leading dailies that | have
excellent prospects of remaining 4
private citizen during the remainder
of my life.
But think not that this prospective
obScurity has been forced upon me by
unfortunate circumstances or by
cruel fate. l can prove by an inter-
view which appeared in yesterday
mornings papers that | have recently
renounced prominence that was
within my grasp. if | had only follow
ed the advice of one of your distin-
guished financiers. Joseph {. Hendrix,
who is quoted as saying:
If Mr.. Bryan had come home from
Europe and said that he had learned n
great deal i'm his trip abroad. and de
clared that he was convinced that it
would be a desirable thing for all dem
ocrats to get together. he would be "a
great man and his influence would
have been greatly increased. BY his
present course he is killing himself
Makes Ants-Mortem Statement.
Surely, if Mr.. Hendrix is to be be
licVed-and | quote him not because
he deserves special notice. but be-
cause, having left lis in 1896, he is Il
fair representative of those who for
the last seven years have been giving
out hearty advice instead of voteS-if
he is to he believed. my words ought
to challenge your attention and
arouse that interest which usually at
tachcs to an ante-mortem statement.
when the speaker is sobered by the
thought of impending dissolution.
''Why have | flung away ambition?
Why have l rejected this proffered
greatness and been deaf to the en-
treaties of those who talk only of
getting together?' | want to know
what they are getting together for.
whether to defend rights or enter up
on a course of pillaqe.
The trouble with our government
today Is that it * too much influenced
in its operations by men whose only
loyalty i loyalty to the money bags.
viii it pay?' has been substituted for
Is il right" and. as a consequence,
our Legislative asSemblies-city. state
and national-are becoming auction
rooms in which governmental privi
leges are knocked down to the high
est bidder.
"One evidence that our party was
honestly seeking TO secure Justice to
the masses in 1896 and 1900 is TO be
1Ounu IN the TACT 1hai our campaign
funds were insignificant in both cam
paignS. In 1892 the democratic party
collected Il large campaign fund from
the corporations. 1t spent more than
81 100000 in the two states of New
York and Indiana alone. and what was
the result? The most plutocratic ad-
this country has ever
known. We witnessed n 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 l am opposed to
the reorganization of the democratic
party? Because | want my party to
define the rights of the people: | want
il To be the fearless champion of their
interests: | want it To preach the
moral issue involved in public qucs
tions and tn appeal TO the public con
science.
Moral Principles Only Apply.
In dealing with the labor problem.
moral principles only are applicable.
Capital and labor cannot be reconcil-
ed by high-sounding platitudes about
law and order and vested rights. Nio-
leuce must be punished. no matter by