The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-31
Private Citizen Has Seldom
Been So HonOred in the
COuntrys History
SPEECH PROVES TO Be
GREAT CAMPAIGN CALL
Travellers Eyes Filled With Tears as
for Eight Minutes the Thunderous
Applause continued-Intro-
duced BY Tom Johnson.

New York, August SO.-The home COM
ing of w. ]. Bryan was made complete
tonight when he was greeted in Madison
Square Garden by a throng of welcomers
numbering more than 10000.
1t was such welcome as seldom, if
ever before, was accorded private cit-
zen. Mr.. Bryans eyes filled with tears
as he stood and acknowledged the thun-
ders of welcome from twenty thousand
throatJ. For eight minutes while the
garden seemed to sway and shake from
the shouts and applause, he strobe nerv-
ously from side to side of the platform
Only once during the entire evening was
there anything approaching such a DEM
onstration That was when the speaker
told his hearers that he had been con-
verted to the cause of government owner
ship of railroads.
Il favor the control of only the trunk
lines by the national government" said
Mr. Bryan. and the ownership of all
other railroads by the state governments"
In an instant thousands of voices we're
raised and thousands of faces were turned
toward the side of the building opposite
the speakers stand where William Ran
dolph Hearst sat. ~
Three cheers for Hearst was the cry
which swelIed until the speakers voice
was drowned for moment.
Sounds the Campaign Call.
Tonight's reception which wa S given un-
der the auspices of the Commercial Trav-
ellers' Antitrust league proved really
to be the sounding of the democratic cam
paigns call. Mr.. Bryan's speech was u
clear-cut outline of his ideas as to What
the democratic policy should be. The elec-
tion of United States senators by the
people; regulation of the trusts by the
government; a universal eight hour day;
settlement of all international disputes by
arbitration rather than by force, and re-
vision of the tariff were some of his
points.
: Mr. Bryan declared, however, that he
was merely expressing his own opinion
and not attempting to forecast the policy
of his party.
Mr.. Bryan declared that the trusts were
the great issue of the day. He favored
the closest supervision of the organiza-
tion of corporations and declared that no
man should be a director of two or more
corporations which deal with each other
He called for the enforcement of the
criminal clause of the Sherman antitrust
law
Government Ownership of Railways.
He went into the question of the gov
ernment ownership of the railroads and
declared that what he had seen in other
countries had served to strengthen his
conviction on the subject. He saw dam
ger in Capitalization, however, and for
this reason advocated federal ownership
of trunk lines and state ownership of
local lines
The speaker scored the republican con-
gress for not passing the legislation urged
by President Roosevelt giving publicity
to campaign contributions, but gave the
President some praise for what he termed
his adoption of democratic ideas. Mr.
Bryan said he hoped the income tax might
some day be imposed through amend
ment to the constitution. He referred
briefly to the recent insurance investiga-
tion, and said, smilingly that he be-
lleved the disclosures made would result
in difficulty in securing large campaign
contributions in the future.
OF the financial question Mr.. Bryan said
the unexpected and unprecedented dis
covery of gold had brought a verdict to
both the advocate of the gold standard
and the advocate of bimetallism
THE republicans have gained so much
pleasure and some partisan advantage"
he said from the dlssension in our ranks
on the money question that they ought
not to grudge us the pleasure we find In
the fact that conditions have removed
the discord and dissension."
Frequently Interrupted BY Applause.
Mr.. Bryan for an hour and twenty min
utes was frequently interrupted by ap-
plause The only discordant note sounded
during the evening was when Mr.. Bryan
turned to a discussion of socialism and
declared that the man who says the trust
is an economic growth and has come
10 stay is the one who is helping the
socialist. Some one yelled. Three cheers
for socialism," but the call was drowned
in Kisses. Mr.. Bryan quickly said:
my friends 1 have no objection to any
man expressing himself in favor of So
cialism because the socialist a rule
in an honest man. He is seeking what
he believes to be a benefit with argu-
ment and not with abuse. l deny that
the trust is an institution necessary for
economic purpose. l deny that it is an
economic institution at all. 1t is economi-
cal 1t is political; 1t rests not on natural
laws bu on man-made laws"
The streets and avenues outside the
garden were choked for blocks by other
thousands who stood patiently for hours
for the privilege of even getting glance
at the distinguished visitor. The interior
OF the garden was a waving sea VI colOr.
Every person In the audience had been
provided with a miniature American flag
and every cheer from 10000 throats was
accentuated by the waving of 10000 tiny
STATS bearing the stars and stripes.
Breaks Into Unrestrained Cheering.
When Chairman Tom L. johnson in his
Introduction of Mr. Bryan referred to the
guest of the evening as the first citizen,
II not the first official of the land-not
yet the first Official" and Mr.. Bryan
rose the great gathering broke out in
unrestrained cheering while the band
played HAL to the Chief
So touched was Mr.. Bryan by the well
come that as he stood waiting for the
cheers to subside his eyes filed with tears
and he strode nervously from side to side
of the narrow platform.
How can thank you for this welcome
homer" he said.
my heart would be ungrateful If 1t did
1T consecrate itself to your service 1t