The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-11-01
BRYAN N Strong Plea

DEMOCRATIC LEADER ENDORSES
THE TICKET.
MAKES A BRILLIANT SPEECH
Demonstration at ces Moines tho
Biggest Accorded Speaker for
Many Years-Pays His Respects to
the Register and Leader.
Des Moines, Ia, Oct. 29.-Colonel
William j. Bryan spoke to an i'm.
mense audience here tonight. He
gave strong endorsement of Claude
r.. Porter which created great en-
thusiasm. Such a crowd filled the
auditorium and crowded about the
doors that the speaker of the evening
had difficulty in securing an entrance.
He was given the greatest ovation
political speaker in Des Moines has
received for years, and while he
spoke for over two hours, no one left
the great audience. Hundreds of peo-
pie were unable to get into the build
ing and went away disappointed.
He said in part:
Before taking up the subjects
which | desire to discuss permit me
to refer to the editorial in the Regis.
ter and Leader this morning. The
Register and Leader charges that
come to the state under the auspices
of men who participated in the rail
way conference in Chicago called to
prevent an endorsement of President
Roosevelt's rate regulation program
and to lend countenance and moral
support to state campaign which is
being financed, directly and indirect
ly, with railroad money. The paper
refers to what l said about Mr. Sui
lvan of Illinois and charges that the
situation in Iowa is such that cannot
consistently object to Mr.. Sulliyan's
remaining on the national committee
and at the same time support the
Democratic ticket in Iowa. | gladly
accept the challenge of the Register
and Leader and make this PROPOSE
ton: If there is member on the
state committee who occupies the po-
sition that Mr.. Sullivan occupies,
will insist that he ought to resign
from the committee. Mr.. Sullivan is
an official in a misunderstanding com.
pany that is constantly seeking ia
vors at the hands of the city and
state. Ii there is any member of the
Democratic state committee in Iowa
who occupies the same position, will
say of him as said of Mr.. Sullivan,
that no man can serve two masters
and that no man ought to be a mem
Der of the Democratic organization
who is connected with favor-seeking
corporation, for such one cannot be
just to the public and to his corpora.
ton at the same time.
Second If there is a person on
the state committee who is opposed
to railway rate regulation, or who
tried to defeat the bill proposed by
the president for rate regulation, he
ought to resign from the committee.
for the Democratic party cannot afford
to have any one connected with its
party organization who takes the side
of the railroads against the people on
this proposition.
Third, The Register and Leader
says unequivocallv that The Demo
cratic campaign in this state is being
financed. directly and indirectly, with
railroad money. If that is not true,
it is a libel and the editor ought to
apologize for the statement. If it is
true, Mr. Porter ought to demand that
every dollar of such contribution be
returned to the railroad which gave
it and that the member of the COM
mittee who received the money resign
and that every member of the COM
mittee who knew Of the receipt of
the money resign. If the Register and
Leader will bring evidence to prove
that the committee has received
money from any railroad in this state,
CT in any other state, to aid in this
campaign, and Mr.. Porter does not
Demand the return of the money and
the resignation of those who re-
ceived it. or knew of its receipt,
will ask the Democrats of the state to
vote against him. Can make my
position any stronger than that?
Il am informed by Mr. Butler that
hot one dollar has been received, di
rectly or indirectly. from any railroad
nor from any one who is position tc
contribute railroad money. If my in
formation is correct. then the Des
Moines Register and Leader has. fol
political purposes, libeled the Demo
cratic organization and the Democrat
lie party. If my information is incor
rect, and the Leader will prove what
it asserts, l will insist upon the re
turn of the money and the resignation