The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-13
Speech of Mr. w. J. Bryan Accepting the Nomination
 Of the Democratic Party

Lincoln i.eb.. Aug. 13.-The follow ing i'd MT. william Jennings Bryan's speech of acceptance. which was oe- livered immediately after he had been notified of his nomination for the Fres- idencv by the Democratic party:
 MT. Clayton and Gentlemen of the Notification Committee: I cannot accept the nomination which you omclaIlN tender without first acknowledging my deep indebtedness to the Democratic Party for the extraordinary honor which It has conferred upon me. Hay ing twice before been candidate TOT the Presidency, in campaigns when ended in defeat. third nomination, the result of the free and voluntary act ot the voters of the party. can only De explained by a substantial ana 'undis- puted growth in the principles and pol, icies for which T. with mulsltu1S r,u ol cip1es and policies have given me what ever political strength l possess. the action of the convention not only re- news my faith in them. but strengthens my attachment to them.
 A Platform Is Binding.
 shall, in the near future. prepare more formal reply to your notihcation;; and. in that letter of acceptance. will deal with the platform in detail. It Is sufficient, at this time. to assure you that I am in hearty accord with both the letter and the spirit of the plat form. I endorse 1t in whole and in part. and shall. if elected. regard it's deliberations as binding upon me. And. may add, platform is binding as to what it ornits as well as to what it contains. According to the Democratic idea, the people think for themselves and select officials to carry out theic wishes. The voters are the sovereigns, the officials are the servants. employed for fixed time and at stated salary to do what the sovereigns want done. and to do 1t in the way the soverei&ns want 1t done. Platforms are entirely in harmony with this Democratic idea. A platform announces the party's' po- sition on the questions which are at issue: and an official is not at liberty to use the authority vested in him to been submitted to the voters for their approval. If one Is nominated upon q platform which is not satisfactory to him. he must. if candid. either decline the nomination, or, in accepting IT, pro- pose an amended platform in lieu of the one adopted by the convention. No such situation. however. confronts your candidate. for the platform upon which was nominated not only contains nothing from which dissent. but 1t specifically outlines all the remedial legislation which we can hope to se- cure during the next four yeara
 Republican Challenge Accepted.
 The distinguished statesman who re- ceived the Republican nomination for President said. in his notification speech: 'The strength of the Repuhli- can cause m the CduiV3ffu 4k Adltu Afs the fact that we represent the policies essential to the reform Of known abuses, to the continuance of liberty and true prosperity. and that we are ocally declares. to maintain them and carry them on.''
 m the name of the Democratic Par &y, accept the challenge. and charge that the Republican Party is responst- ble for all the abuses which now exist fn the Federal Government. and that 1t is impotent to accomplish the reforms which are imperatively needed. Fur. that the Republican platform un- equivocally declares for the reforms that arc necessary; on the contrary. affirm that 1t openly and notoriously of reformers. whether those. reformers be Republicans or Democrats. So far did the Republican convention fall short of it's duty that the Republican candidate felt it necessary to add to his platform in several important partic- ulars thus rebuking the leaders of the party. upon whose cooperation he must rely for the enactment of remedial leg isIation.
 As I shall. in separate speeches. dis cuss the leading questions at issue. } paramount question. and to the far reaching purpose of our party. as that purpose is set forth in the platform.
 Shall the People Rule.
 
 shadowing issue which manifests itself in all the questions now under discus sion. is Shall the people rule? No matter which way we turn; no matter to what subject we address ourselves. the same question confronts us: Shall the people control their own govern ment. and use that government for the protection of their rights and for the promotion of their welfare? or shall the representatives of predatory wealth prey upon a defenseless public while the offenders secure immunity from subservient officials whom they raise to power by interruptions methods This is the Issue raised by the known abuses" to which Mir. Taft refers.
 Presidents Indictment Against the
 Party.
 In a message sent to Congress last January. President Roosevelt said: ''The attacks by these great corpora tions on the administrators actions have been given a wide circulation throughout the country. in tn 0 newspa- pers and otherwise, by those writers Gnd speakers who. consciously or un- consciously, act as the representatives