The Elbert County tribune., 1906-09-06
WELCOME BRYAN EDITOR IS CONE
HOME FROM HIS TRIP AROUND
THE WORLD.
GREETED BY VAST CROWDS


Madison Square Garden, New York,
to Hear Him speak-Governor
Folk and Tom L. johnson Present.
New York.-Such a welcome as sell
dom in this country's history has been
accorded a private citizen was given
William ]. Bryan at Madison Square
Garden Thursday night in the celebra-
ton of his return from a year of for
eign travel.
As the guest of the Commercial
Travellers Antitrust League, Mr..
Bryan was greeted by more than 10000
persons. who filed the great structure
from floor to upper galleries. The
streets and avenues outside the garden
were choked for blocks by other thou
sands who stood patiently for hours
for the privilege of even a fieeting
glance at the distinguished visitor. The
interior of the garden was a waving
sea Of color. Every person in the audi
ence had been provided with an Ameri-
can flag and every cheer from 10000
throats was accentuated by the waving
Of 10000 staffs, bearing the stars and
stripes.
In his address Mr.. Bryan declared
himself in favor of free trade so far as
necessary to crush combines; election
Of senator's by direct vote; arbitration
OF labor disputes, an anti-injunction
law; convenina of Congress sooner af-
ter elections than now, and for gov
ernment ownership of through lines
and state ownership of local railways.
When Mr.. Bryan entered the hall
the proceedings, which had already be-
gun, were brought to a temporary
w aiph r,afr "
after volley of thunderous cheering
rolled through the great building.
When Chairman Tom L. Johnson, in
his introduction of Mr.. Bryan referred
to the guest of the evening as the first
citizen of the Republic, not yet the first
official, but the first citizen by common
consent" and Mr.. Bryan rose, the
great gathering broke out in unre-
strained cheering, while the band
played HAL to the Chief"
So touched was Mr.. Bryan by the
welcome that as he stood waiting for
the cheers to subside his eyes filed
with tears and he strobe nervously
from side to side CT the narrow plat
form.
How can I thank you for this well
come homer" he said. my heart would
be ungrateful If 1t did not consecrate
itself to your service. 1t was kind to
prepare this reception. 1t was kind OF
Governor Folk to come here all the way
from Missouri. 1t was kind of Tom
Johnson, that example of the moral
courage we SO much need in this coun-
try, to lend his presence here.
1T was kind in you to recompense
me fully in being absent so long from
my native land. thank you. i return
to the land of my birth more proud Of
nv citizenship than ever before"
Mr.. Bryan then began his formal ad-
dress, saying:
Like all travellers who have visited
other lands, l return with delight to
the land of my birth, more proud of its
people, with more confidence in its gov
ernment and grateful to the kind Prov
idence that cast my lot in the United
States. My national pride has been in.
creased because of abundant evidence
/ have seen of the altruistic interest
taken by American in the people of
other countries. No other nation can
show such a record of benevolences
and disinterested friendship. My love
for our form of government has been
quickened as I have visited castles
and towers and peered into dark dun
geons, and l am glad that our Nation,
profiting by the experience of the past
and yet unhampered by traditions and
unfettered by caste, has been permit
ted to form new center of civilization
on new soil and erect here a govern
ment of the people, by the people and
for the people, l also return more
deeply impressed than ever before
with the responsibility which rests
upon our Nation as an exemplar among
the nations and more solicitous that
we. avoiding the causes which have
led other nations to decay, may pre-
sent a higher ideal than has ever be-
fore been embodied in a national life
and carry human progress to a higher
plane than 1t has before reached"
Mr.. Bryan's entry into New York
Thursday afternoon was series OF
ovations, beginning with his landing
at the Battery at A o'clock and reach.
ing an early climax when he arrived
at the Victoria hotel, Twenty-seventt
street and Broadway, an hour and fiji.
teen minutes later. Here the home.
coming Nebraskan was fairly mobbed
by the thousands of persons who had
gathered outside the hotel entrances
and the hundreds who had forced their
way into the corridors.