Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-16
He Admits He Is Pretty
Nearly the Democracy.
Nothing Good Among Repub|l-
cans Except the President.
Shouts For the Democracy and
Goes 10 Providence.

Boston, March 15-William Jennings
Bryan was the guest today or the
Democratic state committee OF Mass
achusetts, and at a banquet this al
ternoon in the Quincy house delivered
an address in which he touched upon
the various points of Democratic doc
trine. and in which he declared that
the Democratic doctrine had been vim
Dictated by recent events. After spend
ing the night at .Dedham with George
Fred Williams, Mr.. Bryan came to this
city to confer with officers of the New
England Democratic Progressive
League for the purpose of arranging
for series of lectures in New Eng
land extending from April Is to April
so. The dinner followed a reception at
which some 200 or more Democrats
were introduced to Mr.. Bryan. John
F. Feeney. chairman of the state COM
mittce, presided at the banquet, and
besides Mr.. Bryan the speakers wera
| Mayor John F. Fitzgerald and Mr..
Williams. Among the prominent DEM
ocrats present were District Attorney
John B. Moran. Col. ~. c. Drinkwater
and E. Gerry Brown, the candidate for
Lieutenant Governor at the last cleo
| ton. Mayor Fitzgerald extended the
| welcome of Boston, and Mr.. Williams
| declared that the trend of events in
dicated that Mr.. Bryan must still be
the active leader of the Democracy.
Mr.. Bryan was given a great demon
| Stration, all those present standing
| cheering repeatedly. Chairman Feeney
| introduced him as the the foremost fig
ure in American craftsmanship" and
expressed his doubt if any Office which
Mr.. Bryan might hold would make him
any dearer to the American people.
| After acknowledging the greeting.
Mr.. Bryan narrated how he had origi-
nally met Mr.. Williams. Incidentally he
referred to the fact that some people
had termed him "an emotional orator" "
Mr.. Bryan then remarked:
| But if I err at all I err on the side
| of conservatism"
| Taking up the accusation that he was
the author of the Democratic platform
of 1896, Mr.. Bryan declared that he
wrote but little of that platform. and
deserved little of the credit for it, but
that he had had more to do with the
platform of 1900.
"The platform of 1896" said Mr.. Bry-
an, twas called the Bryan platform and
| it was spoken of in terms of derision.
| My enemies have done me the favor of
| linking my name with platform which
would have been proud to write. I
have been given credit for the growth
of the IDEAS therein contained. These
ideas have not grown because I advo-
Gated them, but have grown because l
advocated them. If 1 have any strength.
| it is strength that I derived from the
| ideas to which I have attached myself.
Ideas make men: men do not create
| ideas" He did not claim any credit he
said, as the originator of those things
for which the Democrats have been
| fighting. He believed that the trouble in
| 1896 was that the Democrats stated
| truths before all the people compre-
hcnded them, but he believed he was
safe in saying that the majority of the
Democrats who voted in 1886 did COM
| prehend them.
Il think" asserted Mr.. Bryan. that
| if we had had vote Impoverished and
| unintimidated in 1896, l would have
| been elected by an overwhelming ma
| jority."
You were elected" shouted man
at the table in front of Mr.. Bryan.
you were elected, ! say"
Mr.. Bryan'S only comment upon tho
| interruption was that they should take
the figures as they were returned and
that he was too conservative a man to
change his opinion until he had re-
ceived conclusive evidences. He went
= on:
Il shall not discuss the amount of
fraud that was perpetrated in 1896,
but we had against US the largest cor
poration fund that was ever used in
campaign. The largest vote was
bought that ever was bought and if
any man voted without being bought
he had only himself to blame. If a
man voted our ticket he did so be-
cause he believed in it and because he
had the moral courage to do so. l
would a thousand times rather be
defeated candidate with the following
| had than hold an Office and have to
thank corruption and intimidation. In
spite of all, | am proud of the heroism