Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1907-05-02
CROWD
HEARS
BRYAN
Spoke At a Dinner
Given in Newark
Last Night.
COL. FORDYCE PRESIDED

|
NEWARK, May 2:-William J.
Bryan spoke at 12:45 O'Clock this
morning in Krueger's auditorium to
an audience of 500 persons. That's
fact. There was cheering, handclap-
ping; every one of the 500, men and
women, arose to their feet and yelled.
That goes without saying. Find
crowd, whether curiosity or hero wor-
ship gathers if,Ssthat wont cheer Bry~
an to the echo whenever he speaks,
unless it is composed of softsheu
clans.
The remarkable thing about Will
liam j.. BryaR's appearance here last
night was not the tokens of admira-
affon he received; not his speech not
his eloquence. They have been dupli-
Gated before; they will be again.
The thing to marvel at was that
500 persons waited from O'Clock TO
12:45 for him to come. Thty listened
to good speeches, in which they had
no particular interest," for four hours
and a half because Bryan was to
come at the end of them ALL
His Non-Partisan Speech.
Bryan began by saying that If he
started out by making non-Dartisan
speech President Roosevelt immedi-
ately made the same kind of a speech,
wherupon the speech Immediately be-
came partisan.
He referred to the President as
putting Democratic policies in force
and said he was glad to see what he
had advocated for years at last put IN
| tisan one
He was glad to join with Democrats
and republicans who We're more inter-
ested in carrying out an idea than IN
winning barren victory. He thought
! it was good sign that conflict Was
going on in the republican party be-
tween the stand-patters ana the re-
formers. He had gained good idea
of the value of harmony through the
lack of it in his own party.
Both radical and conservative par
ties were necessary, ne said. Tbs
radical to propose, the conseryafIv to
investigate. Finally the radn4ai
dragged the conservative on.
Initiative and Referendum
He then took up the initiative and
~rendum. This was in the demc4
cratic national platform six Years ago.
it was in democratic platform IN
Nebraska four years before that He
couldn't see why New Workers
thought in speaking of this at the
present time that he was trying to
|smuggle in a new idea without pay
ing duty on it.
State after state had adopted the
idea. Fl a man believed in the right
of the people to govern themselves
how could they oppose the initiative
and referendum? Representatives
pie. The people did the thinking.
The representatives were elected to
act. The idea of leadership in this
country developed the boss. IT was
not the duty of the leader to think
for the people, but to think with the
people. The leader must be ahead Of
the people or he would not be leading
them. The moulder of public opinion
did not make opinion. He simply
gave 1t form to make 1t more effec-
tive
The power came from the people
up to those for whom he spoke. He
said only what they wanted him 10
say.
If the people had the initiative
their representative, knowing that
they could act, would act. II the
representatives knew the people
could veto their laws they would not
pass laws they know the people
would veto. If one man could veto
the act of legislature. why could
not the people who elected that man
and the legislature as we'll
NJ, m n tto,. xuh nj r,3fGtqlxpc in thu
constitution, if the people had the
power to correct the mistakes they
would correct them The initiative
and the referendum were the best
things found so far to bring the gov-
ernment near to the people. When
the people had the power TO correct
mistakes, abuses would be corrected
quickly
If the People Could Rule.
If the people had their way tlere
was no danger in any country. When
predatory wealth damned the stream
so high that it broke there was dis
aster below. If you give tho people .
method of government they can con-
troll they will reform every abuse IS
soon as they find them out. But II
you dare to obstruct the people you
will find a cry for more radical re-
form.
At the close Of Mr.. Bryan's address
the hall shook again to resonnd}ng
cheers ana the men and women IL
the audience pressed forward to me
platform in tumbiing mass TO shaNe
hands with the man whose oratorv
had thrilled them. For over half an
hour Mr.. Bryan shook hands With
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