The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-16
BRYAN MUST BE THE LEADER
(continued from First Page.)


 Taking up the accusation that he was the author of the democratic platform of 1896, MT. Bryan declared that he wrote but little of that platform, and deserved little of the credit for it, but that he had had moreto do with the platform of 1900.
 He did not claim any credit, he said, as the originator of these things for which the democrats have been fight ing. He believed that the trouble in 1896 was that the democrats stated these things before all the people com prehended them.
 II think asserted Mr Bryan, that if we had had a vote unpurchased and intimidated in 1906, I would have been elected by an overwhelming majority.
 He went on: q shall not discuss the amount of fraud that was perpetrated in 1896, but we had against us the largest corporation fund that was ever used in any campaign. If a man Vot- ed our ticket he did so because he be- lieved in it, and because he had the moral courage to do so. l would a thousand times rather be a defeated candidate with the following I had than hold an office and have to thank corporations and intimidation. It is better to have run and lost than never to have run at all.
 No one rejoiced more than he in the vindication that has cometo democrat ic ideas, for dearer to him than any office was the triumph of the things for which they had been fighting.
 And I rejoice so much, said MT. Bryan, "that I never lose an oDpor- tunity to thank the president. for what he has done The president was one of my opponents No one used harsh CT language than he did toward our cause. Yet I want no man in the com- munity to anticipate me in hearty com- mendatlon of anything he does than I believe is right. I do not know what the presidents attitude will be in the coming campaign but it is certain that he cannot take back what he has said about our ideas.
 "Ten years ago they called our ideas insanity, yet on no question that we ever discussed have we been more vim dicated than on our idea that more money would make higher prices and better times.
 "The republican party has been in power for tetn years with undisputed rule If it hasn't done anything that ought to have been done, it is it's own fault. What is the result? We find the republican party not So popular to- day. The party has gone on the to- began slide, so that now it has just one man whom 1t regards as popular enough to be the candidate for presi- dent Why is 1t that the president alone has escaped the paralysis that has fall en upon all the rest, There Is only one explanation, and that is that his pop ularity is due to his following the dem- ocratic doctrine"
 Mir. Bryan charged that the slump in stocks, of which the men in high f. nance complained, was caused by the very men who are now complaining.
 Eff I man venture a prediction, he added, q would say that in the fight that Is coming the democratic party will be looked upon as the protector of the small investor against the manipu- lation of the sharks that have obtain ed power in Wall street"
 Mir. Bryan was given a second ova- tion when he concluded his address. He left soon for Providence, R. l., where he was to speak tonight
 A meeting of the New England Dem
 1..,. La1I previous to the dinner. State Senator William Kennedy of Naugatuck, Conn.,, was chosen vice president for Connee- ticut to succeed State Senator SSTe- miah Donovan of Norwalk, Conn.