The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-01-16
THEY HEAR BRYAN.
Members Of the State Legislature Re-
minded Of Their Platform
Pledges.

HELENA, Jan. 11.-For four hours
today the members of the house and
senate, as we'll as several hundred
spectators, many Of them women,
waited for William Jennings Bryan.
who, about o'clock, was escorted to
the rostrum by q joint committee OF
the house and senate and introduced
to q crowd eager to listen to the man
who advocates thorough American.
ism and not only perpetual alton OF
such, but reforms that will carry out
all those sentiments and I'M .'ntions
contained in that portion of the con.
stitution which demands govern
ment of and for the people. Mr..
Bryan said, in brief:
"There are two theories regarding
public representation. One is that
representatives are elected by the
people to think for them: the other,
that they are elected to carry out the
wishes of the people. The more these
theories are compared, the more i'm.
portant it is that the representatives
of the people should have proper
idea of their duty. In my opinion,
the people should and do think for
themselves and it is the duty of their
agents, such as you gentlemen are, to
carry out their wishes: and if that
occasion should arise when repre-
sentative of the people cannot see his
way clear to carry out the wish ex.
pressed when he was elected by his
fellow citizens, he then should resign
and give away to a man who can.
"Battles have been fought and mil.
lions have died tn at their children and
their children's children should have
a good government.
''The platform on which you were
elected is binding and those who
adopted that platform and elected you
on it recognize their right to demand
that you do consider it binding.
''The embezzlement of power is as
grievous crime as the embezzlement
of money, and it is only when there
are great interests on one side and
co mmon man on the other that there
is danger of a bias. Corporations OF
the class most commonly known do
not advance the public veal, but are
one of our creates menaces. Legiti-
mate corporations need not fear for
injustice in fair exchange. The nat.
ural man can protect himself against
natural man, but he cannot protec,
himself from the man-made giant"
The speaker touched on railroads
and county and municipal affairs, de-
ploring the issuance of perpetu al
franchises and the giving of bonuses
to industries to locate in community,
as he believed the country had reached
that degree of bstantiality where
such customs were unnecessary.
Mr.. Bryan spoke of the many thing:
President Roosevelt had done to bring
the people to realization of theil
citizenship and what duties were in
cumbent upon them and said he was
glad to pay a tribute to the presiden
for his sincerity along these lines
and do so with much more safety tt
himself than as a democratic candi
date, which statement was followed b!
an outburst of laughter and hant
clapping.
Mr.. Bryan closed by saying tina
the only way q man could acquir'
wealth honestly was by giving come
thing in return. The stability an,
prosperity of this country does no
rest upon dollars, but upon the carry
ing out of ideals, the accumulation o
} ideas, the execution of q mans unal
terable purpose in advancing to hi
fellow man and his country all tha
is good to him end seeking CONSTANT,
to increase that good for the glory Q
those who will follow him.