The San Francisco call., 1908-07-19
BRYAN TALKS ON
EQUITABLE REWARD
Tells Teachers the Government
Should Be Changed to
Remedy Condition
Praises Planks in Democratic
Platform and Scores Evil
of Monopoly

LINCOLN. Neb., July 1S.-Deelaring
ducer his equitable reward and that
the administration of the government
should be changed to remedy this con-
dition, William ]. Bryan today from
the lawn of his home delivered one Of
the most important utterances in the
last several years. The occasion was
the visit of several hundred teachers
normal school. After shaking hands
with the visitors, Bryan was intro
duced by Professor w. H. Clemmons,
principal of the school. Bryan spoke
as follows:
1t is true that have not been Off
cially notified yet of my nomination,
but there are. certain things that have
been said that have raised a suspicion
in my mind that an announcement is
going to be made soon that will not be
great surprise to me. But am In
sort of intermediary stare now and it
is not proper for me to enter into any
extended discussion until this an
nouneement is officially made. But l
cannot withstand the temptations to
say word when I am confronted by
the students who come here with Pro-
fessor Clemmons and Mrs. Clemmons.
They have been old time friends of
myself all the credit of your being here.
Professor Clemmons and L have been
In politics together for a good while.
It is well to have generous friends
minimize faults, for l think it was
Franklin who said more than a hun
dred years ago that mans friends, had
to oyerpraises him in order to make
up for the abuse he gets from his enc
mics he did not deserve, and il is fortu-
nate that have SO many partial friends
like Professor Clemmons to make up
for some who are little prejudiced
when they come to examine the prin-
ciples I stand for and that 1 have
tried for.
You are prepAring yourselves for
teachers. and what l want to say to
you is in line with your work. If you
will examine the platform adopted at
Denver you will find that 1t closes
with an appeal to those who desire to
see this government a government of
the people. by the people and for the
people and so administered that 1T will,
as far as human wisdom can, secure to
each individual the reward from So
ciety proportionate to the contribution
that that person makes to the welfare
of society,". To my mind this is the
ideal toward which government
should strive. There is a divine law
Of rewards 1t, is that every one shall
enjoy In proportion as that person by
energy and industry and intelligence
contributes to the world.
Many of you are the sons and daugh-
ters of the pioneers who came to this
country and constructed what was once
a desert into garden spot. When the
pioneer goes into a new country he en-.
dureS, sacrifices, and his reward ought
to be large. He goes forth with great
industry to convert the raw materials
that he finds into finished products of
material wealth, and when the condi
tions are such as they ought to be he
succeeds in amaSSing a fortune, in ac-
cumulating property @im proportion as
he applies intelligence and industry in
his work. i take Ii that that is the
divine law of reward, and government
should, as nearly as possible, follow
those laws.
One of our complaints against pres
ent conditions is that the rewards of
society are not equitably distributed.
Take, for instance, your occupation or
profession. 1t Is one of the most i'm
portant we have. In the first place,
before you could become teachers you
must have an elementary schooling,
and then you must prepare yourselves
specially for the work upon which YOU
are to enter. You must have developed
character. You must have the quail
ties that fit you for high citizenship,
and then. when you are prepared, you
go forth to take charge of our children.
of those who are dearer to us than our
own lives. You take those children
at period whent their characters are
being formed and by the impression
you make upon them you must largely
depend for their usefulness in after
years. Whether our children are a COM
fort to us, pride to us, a source of
H.