The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-05
Talks TO toquois Club on PO-
IitcaI Issues Of Day
SCORES SULLIVAN SEVERELY
Tells Illinois Democrats That If They
Endorse Sullivan They Cannot En-
dorse Him In Any Way-Re-
pudiates Endorsement.


the guest of the local democracy delivered
today within eight hours two addresses.
His first speech, which was made at
luncheon given in his honor by the MEM
bers of the Iroquois club dealt entirely
with the political issues and economic
questions of the day. The second speech,
which was made at banquet given In
his honor by the Jefferson club, was de-
voted to National Committeeman Roger
c. Sullivan of Illinois, whose resignation
Mr.. Bryan had demanded, but who was
indorsed by the recent state convention
which also declared itself in favor of Mr..
Bryan as the next democratic nominee
for President.
Mr.. Bryan not only scored Sullivan and
his political methods numerically, but
Informed the democrats present, many OF
whom were delegates to the recent state
convention that If they accepted Mr.. Sui
llvan, they could not indorse him in any
way.
He informed them emphatically that he
would have none of the approval of the
democrats of Illinois and that he re-
pudiated their recent Endorsement of him.
In his afternoon address Mr.. Bryan
said regarding his recent utterance in
New York on government owership of
the railways:
Talks of Railroads.
ST stated what l thought with the ex
pectation that everybody else would ex-
ereise the same freedom in the discussion
of the question. I was led to my con-
clusions by the corruption Of the people
of the United States by the railroads. as
have seen it. In my judgment we have
had no more corrupting influence In
American politics than the railroads. 1t
has corrupted the people. byth pass.
have known judges to be elected by
railroads. and I have reached the con-
clusion that this corruption cannot be
eliminated until these natural monopoles
become the property of the government.
] am opposed to Capitalization, and, be-
cause I believe that the state can best
do that which concerns the state alone.
/ believe in the doctrine of self-govern-
ment, therefore, I prefer that instead of
having all the railroads owned by the
federal government, we should have the
local lines owned by state governments
and only the trunk lines owned by the
federal government"
After thanking the members of the Iro-
quois club for the honor bestowed upon
him, Mr. Bryan said:
II was told in Europe that when I re-
turned home ] would find great many
more people friendly to me than there
had been at some previous period in my
career. 1t was suggested that absence
made the heart grow fonder. This was
pleasant In one way but disagreeable in
another, for 1 could not be absent always,
and If absence made the heart grow fond
err, there must be some danger in my re-
turn. I was somewhat worried when l
received reports from various conventions
Endorsements and kind resolutions, and 1t
looked for while as If the Presidency.
with all its troubles and its trials, was
about to be forced upon me whether 1
would or not
Saw Interview.
I'm the midst of my gloom saw an in
terview attributed to prominent repub-
lican. He said that they had been little
scared, but that l was coming home soon
and would commence talking. and then all
danger would be removed. 1 have
breathed easier since then, and l can
say to the republican that If l do not
kill my chances by talking. it will not
be because | will not talk enough.
Il want to say to you that all over the
world there is a perceptible growth in
democratic ideas. When l speak of de-
mocracy l speak, of course, In that
broader sense in which democracy means
the rule of the people, 1 think possibly
there has been less progress in this coun-
in some of the countries of the old world.
That may be explained by saying that
we have less distance to travel than they
have in Europe, and that we have to
some extent felt a counteracting infiu-
ence in the last twenty-five years, that
to my mind can be traced to the dominat-
ing influence In politics of great corpor-
alton, interested in favorite legislation
and in special privileges"
Mr.. Bryan then. amid much applause.
advocated the election of United States
senators by the people, and added
II think 1t is time to speak plainly in
regard to the United States Senate, and
IN my humble Judgment the reason why
reform has been delayed for a decade
and more, is because predatory wealth
has put its operating tolls in the Senate
and until this can be remedied and the
Senate brought into harmony with the
voters of this country there is not much
prospects of REFORM
On the Trusts.
On the trust question he said:
sTo the extent that the President has
gone | am glad, but he has not gone far
enough and he has not been able to take
his party with him far as he has gone"
AS remedy for the trust proposition Mr.
Bryan said he is in favor of shutting up
in the state that allowed its Incorporation
any trust that oppressed the people and
allowing 1t to operate in no one other
state. 1t would then be in position to
eat up the state that gave 1t birth, and
that state would thereafter be careful
not to be eaten a second time.
The banquet held at night in the Audi
torium hotel under the auspices of the
Jefferson club was a pretentious affair, at
tended by fully 800 prominent democrats
from Illinois and other portions of the
middle west. Mr.. Bryan was given a
most enthusiastic greeting when he arose
AaI< It- a11
follows:
THE chief honesty of party's purpose
is shown not merely by its platform or
the speeches of its candidates and sup
porters, but by the character of
the men who are entrusted with the party
management
illinois presents a case in point and 1
take this opportunity to state my posi-
fion In regard to the national committee
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