Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-10-18
MR.. BRYAh'S SPEECH.
DELIVERED AT THE STATE FAIR IN
RICHMOND OF OCT. 11TH.


Mr.. Bryan, after expressing graft
hcatiOn at his reception and the use
fulness of agricultural fairs. said in
substance
1.-The greatness of our nation ls not
measured by the products OF farm or
factory, but the manhood and woman
hood produced for the following OF
high ideals. Things tending to ad
vance our Government Can never bt
out of place. shall take as my sub
ject The Average MAJ and shall
show how numerous be is-hOw i'm
,jortart be is-and then connect him
with Government and with public
problems, and if, when | am through,
you have asuspicion that this average
man of whom | speak lnclines to be
Democratic, just remem Der that the
average man, if lie knows what he is,
cannot be anything but Democratic. ,
Loud laughter followed this sly po-
litical sally.
There is no other country on this
globe, where men is so free to make
the most of his brains and his muscle
as In the United States"
"Our average man, is the biggest
average man in this world. In some
countries, you cannot end an average
man, for the ave &c Ii an would be
somewhere between the extremes and
be is not present in the flesh. He Is an
imaginary character. The common
people are the people in this country,
the term common people was c0mpl1-
mentary, and had been so since the
time of Christ, of whom it was said
the common people beard Him gladly.
In this favored class, he put the
farmers-the farmers, who, as class,
are rich enough to keep out of the
poorhouse, yet not rich enough to dis
grace their families by marrying for
eign nobility. Next come the mechan-
les as types Of the sterling middle
class and the city wage ca ,Ders. These
are the people-the farme and art
isans-who produce tn country q
wealth in time of peace and do her
fighting in time of var. Next came
the merchants always allowing the
merchant princes time to Jump Quit;
the physicians (perhaps t. specialists
will object; the ministers ONE occu-
pants of high priced pulpits may not
be pleased); the lawyers, particularly
the corn field lawyers; the newspaper
men, with some exec ptions; the teach
ers-in fact, anybody else Who wants
to come in. Yes even the hnanciers
may come in if they SO desire. The
bankers also may come in. although
some didn't in the '96 compaign. After
all, it is more a matter OF sympathy
than possession,
Thomas Jefferson, though lch, cast
his lot with the people-he was one OF
the common people and their Greatest
friend. Now isn't this a large and a
respectable class?
~ am glad l belong to it, my father
was Virginia farmer" (Appla use
81 am proud of every drop OF perspi-
ration that came fron his blows"
Another good shot," cried an en-
thusiast in the audience.
Eyes" ''he taught me to respect
labor and to work myself
Against three-Term Proposal the
two term precedent. So strong is this
idea in this country now that the
President of the United States recog-
nizes it. He said on the evening OF
bis election that be regarded this term
as q second term and would not be a
candidate for third term. 30 the
President recognizes it, my friends.
II had said what the President had
said. | would not believe the protes-
tations of friendship of any member
of my party that assumed l would
change my mind on such a question.
Great applause
He declared himself in favor of elect
ing United States Senators by the
people. The present plan is "to(
Hamiltonian."
THE Hamiltonian idea is the decay
ing idea; the Jeffersonian idea Is Tho
growing idea. Everywhere in the
world the Democratic party Is grow
ing; the aristocratie party is the dyins
party the world around.
The Federal courts have attempted
to suspend the laws of the States, ane
they have made the people reflect OF
this division of powers.
And what's the result? Just 81
soon as the people think about it they
begin te express themselves in demo-
cratic terms The Attorneys Genera
| of the States of the United States me
| at st. LOUIS less than two weeks ag'
and they prepared a memorial to b.
| presented to Congress, and what is 1t
1t is request that the power OF In
lower Federal courts to suspend tn
laws of the States shall be taken away
so that these State laws may be enforc
| ed, leaving those that object to prose
cute appeals from the Supreme Cour
Of the State to the Supreme Court o
| the United States. Now that i
| Democratic doctrine, though a maj
ority of the Attorneys General VIII
prepared the memorial were Repub
| licans -
He commented ou RooseNalt's tend
ency to borrow good things rom III
Democratic platform "a pro SIS Whicl
Mr.. Bryan described as ''nibbliDg."
ut government ownership is
pretty good threat to hold over rail
| far fhau innft ar ont n