Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-05-02
Distinguished Democrat Address.
ed Audience of about 700 at
The Strong Theatre.
SPOKE ON THE AVERAGE MAN
Declared That the Common People Are
So Largely in the Majority That
The Government Wi, BE Just
What They Make It
Scored the Trusts.


the United States, came to Burlington
= thursday and addressed an assemblage
of about 100 hearers in The Strong
Theatre. The attendance at the meeting
was not what had been expected and
Of those present a large number were
from out of town. Mr. Bryan arrived in
the city from st. Johnsbury about noon
in special car. attached to the d. & L.
train, which was so minutes late. A large
crowd greeted the Nebraskan statesman
at the railroad station. He was at once
escorted to the Van Ness House where
he lunched with his party. included in
which were George Fred Williams and
Col. A. c. Drinkwater, both Of Nrassa-
chusetts. and Col Alexander Troupe of
Connecticut.
Mr. Bryan was greeted by crowds at
many of the stations between St. Johns
bury and burlington. At Cambridge
Junction he was met by special dele
CATION of burlington men. consisting of
Ex-MaNor James Z. Burke. p. c. Dodge.
George w. Eclloy NJ. n. Mcmahon. AL
derman W. L. Stone. Or. p. f.. McSwee-
ney and James r. Mcmahon and by
John r. Donnelly of Nergennes. z. s.
Harris of bennington and ]. J. Thomp-
Following lunch. an informal reception
was rendered Mr.. Bryan at the Van Ness
House, a large number shaking hands
with him.
Mr., Bryan and other members of his
party We're then escorted to The Strong
Theatre, the Sherman Military band
leading the procession. At the theatre
FIX Mayor Burke presided. Mr. Bryan.
sat towards the front of the stage, pro-
rinent local democrats and visitors from
different parts Of this and other States
also occupying chairs on the platform.
In introducing the speaker Mr.. Burke
said there are two persons in the Uni
ted States whose names stand high
above all others. one being the Presi-
dent, and the other the guest of tho
day, Mr.. Bryan, whom he characterized
as Americas greatest orator.
MIR. BRYAN'S ADDRESS
Mr.. Bryan received n hearty welcome
from the assemblage before him. Your
very warm greeting" said he, makes
me forget that the season is late and
that the weather outside is colder than
I expected to find it when left home"
Continuing. he said he was here to
speak as a citizen to citizens and IL
any supposed that his interest In pub
lie questions and their solution was
because he has been a candidate for
the presidency, he would say that he
was interested in such questions long
before he was a candidate for office
| The time is propitious for more indo-
pendence in politics. Parties will
I IL
YOU can render a party is to punish IT,,
to make it recognize morality apd
conscience in its transactions n we
love party there is all the more rea-
son why we should chasten it. No
platform or party should compel man
| to violate his conscience.
| He said he proposed to speak on n
question which brings up for consld-
Grafton the organization of society ana
the theory of government, his subject
being The Average Man" a few
years ago in the City of Mexico lie
noticed that they had two claVes Of
people. Among the officials we've in
tclligent, well educated men; they
! lived in comfort and their manner of
| life was that Of the best of our peo-
pie. But IN Mexico he also found the
| PROM tIIt man WHO ltDOTS ana VINO
| has no education, a great gap existing
between him and the other class.
There Is no middle class there. In
Asia he found conditions worse. The
men at the bottom toiled and those at
the top ruled with an impossible gulf
between the two. In Europe there is
no middle class such as we have. It is
easier here than anywhere else in the
on. Here the average man has tho
greatest chance He is not only the
dominant factor in political life hut
is the highest average man in the
world.
!. If we are to have good government
the average man must get it and main
tain it, Speaking of his own paper
"The Commoncr," Mr.. Bryan said that
I whatever influence it may have is due
to the fact that the editorial column
endeavors to maintain the principle
exemplifled in the name Lincoln once
said the Lord must have loved the
common people for he made so many
of them. 1t is surprising to find how
numerous the common people are ana
how unimportant the others are. This
country will be good when tho common
when they permit il to be bad.
WHO ARE THE COMMON PEOPLE?
| And who constitute the common reoplc,
The farmers, the most numerous class Il,
the land. belong. They haven't enough %
get into tho aristocracy and they have
! sufficient to avoid the poorhouse Tho ar.
tisans, mechanics and laborinG men be-
IN fcr
the wealth producers. The merchants also
belong. There might be few merchant
princes who would jump out If you put
them in that class but the majority
couldn't II they tried The physicians toe
are of the common people, with whom and
on whom they live. The physicians arc
daily among the common people and dc
more work for nothing than any Other
people in the community. Lawyers as a
whole belong in this great class, although
a few might feel uncomfortable there A
wise editor recently wrote a criticism OF
the Oklahoma constitution saying It was
drawn up by a cOrn-fed lawyer The con
sttution was drawn up by a corn fed
lawyer but that lawyer puttled up all tn,
holes that trust-fed lawyers had shot IN
other constitutions. Some of the news
paper men belong to the common people
although there are corporations which
control newspapers. having their sheet.
chloroform the people while they UhC