Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-26

States, and for the eloquent words just
spoken by your chairman, in your be-
half, I thank you.
AS a candidate I shall try to wear
the honor worthily and as faithfully as
can discharge all the duties properly
devolving on me as one of your stand
ard bearers, and if elected l promise to
serve well the people of the republic
by the conscientious discharge of the
duties of the office.
I have no thought that the men who
made up that great convention at Dem
yer nominated me as their candidate
because they believed I had ability or
merit superior to that possessed by
anyone of the distinguished gentlemen
whose names were considered in con-
nection with the vice presidential nom
ination. Many years Of service on my
part might have had some slight IN
f1uence in determining their action, but
1 am persuaded that 1t was the chief
purpose of the convention in choosing
a son of Indiana as it's candidate to
show It's appreciation of the great
Democratic party of this splendid COM
monwealth, made up as 1t is of more
than a third of a million of good men
and true-the flower of the Democratic
army of the republic. I prefer to ac-
cept this proffered honor in the name
of those loyel Democrats of Indiana
really intended.
1t is pleasing to me to be associated
in this campaign with the distin-
guished gentlemen to whom the stand
ard of the party has been committed.
For years we have been friends. rec
ognize in him a man of spotless CHAR
acter and high ideals, always actuated
by patriotic motives and an earnest
desire to promote the welfare, nonor
and glory of his country.
Nomination Was Demanded
He became your candidate because
his nomination was demanded by the
rank and file of the party, which de-
mand was emphasized by popular
movement in his favor, which as 1t
proceeded so grew in volume and force
as to become irresistible.
He entered upon this campaign un-
pledged to any special interests, under
no obligation to any unlawful or other
combination of capital, looking to no
corporation for campaign contributions
absolutely free to serve the people
by carrying out the pledges of his
partys platform. While he is the Zoe
to unlawful monopoly and Is prepared
to lay a heavy hand upon the lawless,
whether rich or poor, without fear or
favor and to combat the encroach-
ments of greed upon honest endeavor,
he is the friend of every legitimate
business enterprise, whether conducted
by individual or corporation, and Will
sympathize with the promotion or
every movement which makes for the
welfare and prosperity of the country
A distinguished Republican the other
day referred to his influence with mis-
party as a one-man power. II by tnat
he means to say that Mr.. Bryan used
this power, in a marked degree, to
awaken the thought and arouse the
conscience of the republic as no other
man of his time, or If he meant that
by his upright life, his consistent
course, his appeals for right living
and patriotic action, he has earned the
confidence and personal affection OF
millions of his countrymen and gained
the respect and admiration of all the
people of the world who love liberty
and humanity-then the distinguished
gentleman was right with respect TO
the "one-man" power of William j..
Bryan.
Mr.. Bryan exerted no Others power.
He has had no subordinates to COM
mand. no officeholders to direct.
think it may be surely stated that
there were no postmasters, no other
federal officeholders in the Denver
convention. Every delegate to that
convention carried his sovereignty
under his hat, and as an Independent
American, a free man, owing no oD-
legations save to his country and MS
flag. cast his vote for Bryan, because
in his heart he believed the nomina-
ton and election of such man was
demanded by the best interests Of the
republic.
The Republican nominee for vice
president in his recent speech or ac-
ceptance affected the belief that the
question "Shall the people ruler car
ried an implied charge of venal1ty
against the American electorate. He
AFFIRMED with great emphasis that
under recent administration the peo-
pie have ruled without let or hin
drance. It is passing strange that in
a republic like this there should be
occasion for discussion of question
like this. 1t is a government OF the
people. They presumably govern them
selves through their servants whom
they send to represent them in con-
gress. Their will, when known, ought
to be supreme and should be given
immediate effect.
And if the will of the people, once
known, is not given erect, then the
people do not rule.
Will any intelligent man claim that
there is or has been any substantial
diversity of opinion in this country OF
the question as to whether the tariff
duty on wood pulp used in the man
ufacture of paper should be reduced
or removed? In this case the tariff
tax operated for the benefit of the
paper trust alone. allowing that COM
bine to levy millions of tribute each
year upon newspapers of the country
and their readers.
The press of the country, without
regard to party, united in demanding
relief. the people of the republic
unanimously seconded the demand.
The president of the United States
threw the influence of his great office
in favor Of the press and public.
Trust Was Stronger
But all without avail. The dom
inant forces of their party has estab-
lished in the house of representatives
parliamentary monopoly under
which the sole power to determine
whether measure should be allowed
to become a law or not was lodged
in the speaker OF that body and his
committee on rules, and by the fiat
of that one man the will of the press,
the people and the president was set
at naught
Behold the spectacle. On one side
eighty millions of free people demand
ing legislation to right an admitted
wrong. On the other side a few men
engaged in public plunder, aided by
the nominating power within the Re-
publican party, represented by the nre-
siding officer of the once popular
branch of congress And the plunder-
ers and these unfaithful public serv-
ants prevail over the people of this
great republic! In this instance DID
'n0 11et,,,ar,y 1ono ronerasanoay,