Mexico weekly ledger., 1906-09-13
BIGGEST DEMONSTRATION HE
EVER GOT IN ST. LOUIS.
Says Railroad Rate Bill Would
Never Have Been Passed But
For Democrats = Portion Of
Speech Given.

Fifteen thousand persons. svelter-
ing. perspiring ard cheering, heard
Mr.. Bryan last night, at the Coliseum,
St Louis, deliver the first partisan
address he has made since bis return
TO his native land. 1t was, Of course,
the chief event OF a day in which be
delivered half 4 dozen Speeches-at
the Merchants Exchange, the Jefier-
son Club, Druids' Hall, the Coliseum,
on the street, and finally at The Re-
public once. Altogether 5000 per-
sons heard him
The ovation was the most enthusi-
astic ever accorded the great Demo-
crat in St Louis, and demonstrated
his popularity with MiSSourians.
At the Coliseum speach Mr.. Bryan
attacked the Republican administra-
tiOn on its record on the trusts, on the
tariff, the rzilroad-rate regulation and
the Philippines. He declared that
what virtue there was In the railroad
~rzte-revision law enacted by the last
Congress was suggested by Demo-
cratic platform, 'the salient plank OF
which, said Bryan. II wrote my
self,p
He asked his auditors how long it
would take under a Republican adj
ministration to punish the trusts, in
view Of the fact that in eight years
not a single trust magnate has been
imprisoned.
He declared that the Republican
Philippine policy has cost the county
enough money to build the Panama
Canal, to irrigate all the arid lands Of
the Weston to construct a public high
way from New York 10 san Francisco,
which would do more to settle the
matter OF railroad regulation than all
the laws that might be passed In the
next ten years.
On the matter OF the tariff, the
Nebraskan asserted that the Repub-
licans are in the position Of those
patriots who agree that I'VE must all
hang together or we will all hang
separately" Therefore, 1t is, he said
that the great monopolles that have
fourished under the protective system
are to-day demanding that the tariff
be reformed by its ''friends''
But it was on the subject Of railroad
rate revision that Mr.. Bryan showed
his greatest power. He declared, In
vigorous language, that the rate-re-
vision law enacted by the last Con.
gress was stolen from a Democratic
platform, and that what popularity
President Roosevelt to-day may boast
he owes to his adherence 10 Demo
cratic policies.
"If a Republican President can
attain such popularity by being a
Democrat part Of the time" said Mr.,
Bryan, "what would be the popularity
of a Democratic President, who is q
Democrat all the timer"
Mr.. Bryan gave credit to Roosevelt
for what he had done in this matter,
but asserted that the Hepburn rate
bill could never have become a law but
for Democratic platforms and Demo
cratic votes, and that it would have
been a much better law had the ad,
vice and amendments Of such Demo.
Gratis as Bailey and Tillman been
accepted.
On the subject Of labor legislation,
Mr.. Bryan said:
II want to counsel you laboring mer
that II you Icould not obtain from
Republican Congress before the cleo.
tion the legislation you demanded,
you have no hope of getting 1t after
wards"
Mr.. Bryan spoke for exactly one
hour. During that time be used up
three palm-leaf fans.
He also left his hotel later and ad.
dressed crowd gathered In front OF the
Coliseum unable to gain admittance.