Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-04-12
Remarkable Speech by Southern Editor at the Banquet
Given in Honor Of william ]. Bryan
at Chattanooga
Believes Roosevelt the Foremost and Most Practical
Champion Of Popular Rights Two Generations
Of the Republic Have Produced
Associated Press to Bismarck Tribune

r - .T 1. $.
Associated Press to Bismarck Tribune
Chattanooga, Tenn, April IA
sensational feature of the banquet |
given here last night by the Bryan An
niYersary club, at which William J.
Bryan was the guest of honor, was
the letter and subsequent speech Of |
John Temple Graves, editor of the
Atlanta Georgian. who in his letter
refused to speak because the toast
master asked him not to make his |
suggestion that Bryan should nom
mate Roosevelt for reelection.
Graves In his letter said:
q came to Chattanooga, yielding to
no one in my affectionate regard for
Bryan and for the democratic party
and Its principles.
In my speech / tried to make this
plain in as warm and glowing
sentence as my convictions and these
convictions are SO earnest and sincere
that I cannot change them unless bet
ter reasons are given than have been
presented to me up to the present
time.
1t appeared to me that the only fair
and honest thing to do was to speak
my convictions in full council and with
open voice. In this belief my speech,
upon request of the Associated Press,
has already been sent out to news
papers of the country.
There seems nothing left me then
save to withhold the speech from the.
Bryan banquet, although cannot con-
sistently ask the newspapers, to which
it has already been given, to refrain
from such use as they may see fit to:
make Of it"
John Tomlinson of Birmingham, one
of the speakers and postmaster, met;
Graves on his arrival from Atlanta at
noon and requested the omission OF.
the reference, arguing its Improperly,
in view of Bryan's presence at the
banquet. Graves declined to alter his
views or, subject his speech to censor
ship. He attended the banquet as an
invited guest, remaining but short
while z$1s sss35
Later Graves was persuaded to take
his place at the banquet table and
delivered his speech.
In his speech Mr.. Graves, among
other things, said:
a gathering of Democrats in this
strenuous era may be always defeat.
of fellowship, but it should be not.
less an occasion for serious counsel
and fearless de1iberation
The festival occasions OF our mod
ern Democracy have in the main been
feasts Of reason. but the have very
rarely been followed by any decisive
flow of the ballots in succeeding
national campaigns. ~
We have always been right, ]:
but we have rarely been presi- ]:
AS: dent-onlg once in forty years. !:
Eve bring out of the turbulent
years behind us a record of high
purposes and hollow results, of
heroic advocates and unavailing
campaigns, of splendid enthusiasms
and few victories, of radiant reforms
and unrealized expectations. Of I'M
failing loyalties and lamentable
lack of the number of ballots suTfi-
Gent TO entrench us in the admins
tration OF the government.
The Democratic organization /:
/: is still one Of the two great part !:
y: les OF the republic. Its meaning !:
I: was never clearer, its mission ]:
never more benefciant, but it's !:
prospects are as uncertain as they /:
have ever been since Thomas !:
Jefferson brought aome from !:
France the shibboleths Of pop |:
ular liberty on which It sprung
u: to life.
Among those who have led us ii
the past, and among those who are
TO lead us In the future, there de-
serves to live and there will be left
TO live no name more Ilonored, nc
character more revered, no leader
ship more trusted. and no personality
more beloved than william j. Bryan
OF Nebraska.
The question with us in these
serious and honest hours is whether
Z this il the time to commit once more
TO the fortunes Of the battle the plat
form Of our principles, and to force
once more to the front the man
whom our Democratic Mass delight
us to honor.
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