The Topeka state journal., 1908-07-04
LET PEOPLE RULE.
Keynote of Bryan's Fourth of
July Address.
Speaks to the PENNSYLVANIA
Bryan League.
HE SCORES GUFFY
SCORES GUFFY
Charges Him With Consplring
to Defeat Will of Democrats.
Says He Has Abstained From
Taking Hand in Controversy.

| Fairview, Lincoln, July 4.-W. ].
Bryan celebrated Independence day by
delivering his first front porch speech
| to an enthusiastic delegation today
| Tom l.. johnson, of Cleveland, who was
! in conference with Mr. Bryan when
| the visitors arrived, also responded with
| a speech.
| The delegation consisted of members
OF the Bryan Democratic league of
| pennsylvania, more than a score of
delegates representing the ANTIQUITY
wing of the party and several women
los people in all.
National Committeeman Guffy came
| IN for scoring at the hands of Mr..
Bryan, Mr. johnson and by James Kerr
| who addressed Mr.. Bryan in behalf of
| the delegation. In the speeches, brist-
ling with Indignation Guffy was charg-
ed with betraying the will of the peo-
| pie.
Mr.. Bryan said in part:
| II is very appropriate that the
Pennsylvania delegation come here for
| the Fourth OF July, for the Fourth of
ing of the declaration Of independence
| In the keystone state. 1t is also ap-
| propriate that you should be the first
delegation that has come as delega-
tlon on Its way to Denver (Applause)
| for In no state in this union have the
| Democrats who believe in the princi-
/ pies that now dominate the Democratic
| party-ln no state have the Democrats
believing in these principles made
| braver fight than they have made in
Pennsylvania. (Applause).
II L properly understand the signs
or the times, the overshadowing issue
of this campaign will not be one of the
issues that arise from time to time
presenting an economic question. The
overshadow1ng issue is one that per-
vades all these questions. 1t is simply
this, shall the people run their own
government or shall the masses be ex-
plotted by those who are raised to
power by predatory corporations?
i (Applause.)
Let the people rule, is going to be
one OF the slogans IN this campaign
and IT Is very appropriate that as this
convention is about to assemble as its
platform is about to be written, as its
nominees are about to be named 1t is
appropriate that the Pennsylvania
Democrats should be the first to stop
here and give their pledge that in that
convention Pennsylvania's influence
will be their own against the political
boss and the corporation in politics.
(Great applause.)
You will bear me witness that in
the 12 years during which 1 have been
in national politics I have avoided in
reference with politics of the various
states. Even in my own state have
or in the controversies for nomina-
tions 1 have never expressed an opin-
Il ion as to which Democrat should be
nominated to office. Even when del
me / do not take part in the naming
of those delegates. 1 have abstained
scrupulously from taking part in these
controversies between individuals and
I have done it for a reason. 1 believe
in the right of each community to at
90 ,%- h,,of r InI; \,
the people of each community know
better what they want done than any
outside person can know. And the
! only reason why 1 expressed an opin-
, ion in your own state Gas 1 have ex-
} pressed an opinion in that state in re-
! gard to the national committeeman
; who is to help manage the campaign)
Is this, that Mr.. Guffy, your present
national committeeman, who aspires
to be committeeman again, deliberate
ly. and wilfully conspired to defeat
what he knew to be the expressed will
of the Democrats Of Pennsylvania.
ApPiause:o aPar navs = urinary law in xour
state under which the voters have a
| right to select the delegates to the
national convention. Those who fa-
vored my nomination organized for
the purpose of presenting that issue
to the voters. In every district they
put up their candidates and these
|
themselves or it was written on the
ticket that was presented to the
voter at the polls and as a result of
that primary a large majority of the
voters in the Democratic party In the
state Of Pennsylvania expressed their
desire that should be nominated and
recorded themselves in favor of the
delegates who promised to 60 there
and favor my nomination. It is not
for me to say whether those Demo-
Gratis were wise or foolish, but if un-
derstand what Democracy means,
those men are the ones.to determine
what Pennsylvania shall say on that
subject and when political boss,
whether he calls himself a Democrat
or Republican, assumes to defy the
expressed will of his party, he shall
never be in the party organization, ex-
cept over my protest (Great ap-
plause) And as l have tried to be
! honest in politics have notified Mr..
Guffy that wherever my opinion has
| been asked / have stated that would
regard his selection as unfortunate
and his membership upon the COM
mittee as an embarrassment
Now, my friends, shall not discuss
the question further. I am not new in
American politics. have been in poll
tics for some time. have taken tho
people into my confidence ever since
I have been in politics. i have discuss
ed questions frankly. Nobody is in
| doubt as to what i believe or where i
stand and when this campaign came
on stated that while did not know
whether I ought to be nominated or not
IL the people said that they thought
lthat ought to be nominated I would
take it for granted that they meant
| what they said and when they nom
1 mated me they wanted to elect me and
| that no bishwhacker would be put in
to my counsels to betray me- (Great
| applause). And the man who thinks
that my election would be injurious to
this country ought not to participate
in that injury by helping to elect me
through organization work. As a pri-