Perth Amboy evening news., 1908-10-24
!: BRYANS SPEECH IN THIS CITY.


" ~ VVV VV - - ~ ~ - " y
Ladies and Gentlemen Il do not
have to apologize now for speaking
to audiences. Twelve years ago,
when l first made a canvass of the
country as presidential candidate,
republican papers said that it was
not dignifed for a candidate seeking
so high an Office to appear before the
people and present his cause to them.
These papers said that it was undig-
nified for presidential candidate to
go chasing around after votes, but
now that the republican candidate
has been doing a little chasing him
self, 1t is no longer undignified for a
presidential candidate to speak to
you, so one Of my sins has become a
virtue by imitation.
said twelve years ago that the
president was only a hired man en-
ployed at fixed salary for a def
mite period to do the work that the
people wanted him to do, and New
York paper criticised me and said
that l was bringing the high Office of
president down to the level of hired
man. Well, l have had twelve years
to think about 1t and l am not pre-
pared to take it back. 1t Is my be-
lief that the president is hired man,
and l say it in spite of the fact that
one of the presidents hired men has
recently criticised me and declared
that l ought not to use such language
of great ruler like a president.
Well, my friends, am more inclined
to use 1t now than ever and, If there
Is man big enough to be a candi-
date for this Office who denies that
the president is hired man, I think
that | ought to repeat it until no man
will be willing to deny that the presi-
dent Is the employe of the people.
/ refer to this matter because | be-
lieve 1t is important that every voter
should understand the responsible
ties and the position of a public Of
ficial in this country.
Two Theories of Government.
There are Just two theories of gov
ernment; one that the government
rests upon force, the other that it
rests upon the consent of the govern
ed. Our theory is that government
Is thing made by the people for
themselves. They guard it, they
change it, they administer 1t and
they use 1t to protect their rights and
guard their interests, and election
day is the day upon which the people
speak.
1t might be pleasant If candidate
had the power to compel the people
to vote for him, or 1t might be pleas
ant If one could hold the Office in
spite of the votes of the people. That,
my friends, is a condition in some
countries, but I prefer to live In a
country where the candidate can pre-
sent himself and where the voters de-
eide whether they want him or not.
l have had an opportunity to visit
some of the courts of the old world
and see some of the people who have
been born into Office, and prefer our
method of placing man in office.
prefer our plan for, under it, the
people can take up one of their own
number, invest him with authority,
keep him there while they want him
and put him down when they get
through with him; and l would rath-
e1 respect that kind of a government
than a government where one rules
by right divine or is held in Office by
the bayonetS of an army; but, my
friends, if we would maintain the
government as it came to us, we must
preserve the principles upon which
1t is based, and at this time in this
labor center | want to remind labor
ing men that the constitution and the
laws invest the right to vote in the
individual, not in the employer OF
the individuals. The employer has
the right to his opinion, but the en-
MI In, lie irc q m oh
right to their opinion as the man who
employs them.
l remind you of this because
sometimes, the employers forget it.
and | want to keep you posted so that
if an employer forgets 1t you can re-
mind him of it and assert your
rights. My attention has recently
been called to this because the super
intendent of a great railroad system
out in the state of Ohio two or three
days ago called the employees togeth-
er and notified them that if they
voted the democratic ticket they
might expect a reduction In wages,
but If they voted the republican tick
ct they might expect good times and
probably an increase. My friends
hope that one of the laws we may Sc
cure in the future is law that Will
compel the employer to respect the
right of citizenship of his employees,
and l believe that now is good time
for the employe to understand that,
when he receives wages from an en-
ployer, the wages cover the hand and
the brain engaged in the work, but
they do not cover the rights of citi-
zenship that are upon the brains and
the hands.
Attacks Republican Platform.
My friends, the issues in this cam
paign are clearly presented and a
verdict at the polls will be for or
against the issues presented in our
platform. l say that they will be for
or against the issues presented in our
platform because the republican plat
form does not cover all of the issues,
and 1t does not speak definitely upon
the issues of which 1t is made up. A
verdict for the republican party is
not a verdict for any particular thing
that is definitely discussed. but a ver-
dict against the democratic party is
a verdict against issues, policies and
principles that are clearly set forth.
Let me call your attention to some
of these that you may understand
the Importance of your position at
this election.
Publicity of Contributions.
We desire to encourage a new era
In politics. We desire to introduce
into this campaign the right of every
American citizen to turn on the
light and let the people see what is
going on; we therefore declared in
favor of publicity as to campaign con-
The republican conven-