The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-04-29
BRYAN TALKS
Full Text of His Chicago
Speech Delivered
Saturday.
Opposes Parker Criti.
5 cism Of New York
Platform.

On Saturday evening, April 23rd,
William J. Bryan made his first public
utterance upon the present political
situation at Chicago. He spoke as fol-
lows.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
AS It is somewhat unusual for q po-
litical speech to be made as this one is
tonight, let me preface my remarks
with an explanation.
have hired this hall and I intro
duce myself because do not care to
speak under the auspices of any club or
organization which is committed to any
particular aspirant for Office. My con-
cern is not about the name or the per-
sonality of the nominee, but about the
principles for which the Democratic
party is to stand
While many of the papers seem to
assume that the contest for the Demo-
cratic nomination is necessarily be-
tween Judge Parker and Mr.. Hearst,
and that every Democrat must either
be for one or the other, such position
Is Illogical and without foundation.
and by that l mean those who would
carry the party back to the position
that II occupied under Mr.. Cleveland's
Observation-Disclosures not entirely agreed
among themselves as to the proper
candidate upon whom to concentrate
their votes, and so those who are in
sympathy with the spirit of our recent
N M 30 81. Id
availability Of those who represent the
progressive element of the paray.
My own position is one of neutral
ity. / regard as available all condi-
: dates who are in favor of making the
Democratic party an honest, earnest
and courageous exponent Of the rights
of the masses, and | regard as unavail
able all who are in sympathy with, or
obligated to, the great corporations
that today dominate the policy of the
Republican party and seek, through
the reorganizers, to dominate the pol
icy OF the Democratic party.
/ have favorites among those on our
side and no special antagonism to those
who represent the reorganizers. / be-
]ieve that the line should be drawn
between principles, not between men,
and that men should only be consid-
cred as they may be able to advance
or retard the progress of Democracy.
have come to Chicago because from
TINS point / can reach a large number
of voters in the Mississippi Valley, and
have expressed desire to have the
ministers attend because they can and
should exert an influence in behalf of
honesty and fairness In politics.
When some two years ago l became
satisfied that ex-senator David b. Hill
was planning to be a candidate point
ed out the objections to his candidacy.
When the Cleveland boom was
launched, I pointed out the objections
to his candidacy, and now that Mr..
Parker seems to be the leading candi-
date among the reorganizers, ] desire
TO present some reasons why he can
not be considered as an available can
didate for Democratic nomination,
and / find these reasons not in his per-
sonality, but in his position upon public
questions.
For year he has been urged to
speak out and declare himself upon the
important issues Of the coming cam
paign, but he has remained silent. II
this silence meant that nobody knew
his views. those who have been loyal
to the party in recent years would
stand upon an equal footing with those
VINO deserted, but it is evident now
that while to the public generally his
views are unknown. they arc well
known to those who are urging his
nomination.
PLATFORM EXPLAINS PARKER's
ATTITUDE.
Whatever doubt may have existed on
this subject heretofore has been dis
PEELED by the platform adopted by the
New York state convention, and talk
ing this platform as text l am san
guine enough to believe that ! can
prove to every unbiased mind that
Judge Parker is not a fit man to be
nominated either by the Democratic
party or by any other party that stands
for honesty or fair dealing in politics.
! cannot hope to convince those who
favor deception and fraud in politics,
but ! am satisfied that we now have
evidence sufficient to convict Judge
Parker of absolute unfltness for the
nomination.
If he did not know Of the platform
In advance. II he did not himself die
tate 1t or agree to it, he has allowed
1t to go out as his utterance, for the
convention was dominated by his
friends and adopted resolution pre-
sentlng him as the candidate of the
party in the state.
This platform, then, can fairly be re-
garded as his declaration upon public
questions, and what does the platform
say?
This Is government of law, not of
men. one law for Dresidenta cahinete