Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-05
wnDNEspAY, FEBRUARY {. zoos
MoTAsLE SPEECH by MR. BRYAN

y 49, f>pLE. 0tEESft BY MIX. bhTRN
The country has within weel, been
given two notable public documents
which will unquestionably play no
small part In the great political strug-
gle on the threshold Of which the ma
ton now stands. The special mes
sage OF President Roosevelt to Con-
presg last Thursday. ANA the speech
last night In New York before the
Civic Forum by William Jennings
Bryan are two papers that the people
can well devote time and thought 10,
: IT Tor. no other reason than 10 make a
tomparison OF them. The message OF
the President, while unquestionably
mn able document. was more of II
EiirieN than II WAS n state paper for
81 Ind for Its motive bitterness and
yo,t might almost say revenge toward
some people who had dared 10 qnes-
stsob certain acts which had been per-
I rcrnied by Roosevelt as the chief exc
: IL zsi ~ % the United States used his
once to publicly answer those criu-
cisns, Knowing full well that they
wonld receive more attention IL made
In Il public document than if given
onts in the form OF n semi official
statement or nm inspired" newspa-
per story. Venom was the inspira-
ton for Roosevelt's utteances and
with such a spirit Tor It's Incentive, 1t
is bound not to carry the weight and
consideration that it would have, had
ita inspiration beon based ON some
higher sentiment
The speech of Mr. Bryan last night
s AN New York was in direct contrast in
3 taht respect to the Presidents
message. The motive of MIR. Byan's
speech was lofty principle and an
& earnest desire, direct from the heart
To see n certain great evil from which
tiiis country is suffering corrected
All evil that Is growing all the timc
and unless there Is n check placed
Oh, It will completely absorb all
ether commercial interests of the ma
tion. Mr.. Bryan comes out In rs plain
speech us possible for a man who has
splendid command OF tho English Ian
glaga; Roosevelt admits that this
dyil exists, but there is not the genn-
Inc true ring to his state paper as
there is to the speech of Mr.. Bryan.
\ ar. bryan has been accused many
Times of being n denngogue. but in
thss Instance, at least, there is one
ascater demagosuc in this country
Than he. The speech of Mr. Bryan is
radical but therc is nothing of the
mob oratory about it, and II is not
nm appeal to the rabblc. Thore is no
!. singe OF class hatred 10 1t. In order
to say what he had to say. and 10
fuily cover the splendid subject, there
bad TO be denuncia,ion, and there
had 10 be an earnestness that might
,5r called bitterness, but nowhere can
there leo found in the speech anything
s1si might be defined as demagogic:
nothing that can be defined as grand
stand play" which Is so noticeable In
the message OF the President.
Mr.. Bryan's utterances relative to
wall street and stock Exchange
"a rshling are true. 1t was a fearful
picture he drew but 1t was q fearful
ruBIoct on which lie was talking. The
esii of gambling ~ margins is so APP
Z i,;sasing shat Il is Impossible fof those
WIG have never been IN arttal con-
Z tast with It appreciate 81. 81 is just
What Mr.. Bryan described ID vulgar