The Topeka state journal., 1908-03-20
WHYDEMOCRACY?
William J. Bryan Asks the Cues
ti0n and Answers 1t
Ina Speech Before 10000 PeO-
pie in Chicago.
PRAISES ROOSEVELT
And Glasses La Toilette Among
the True RefOrmers.
But He Cannot Do Much for
Taft or Hughes.
PRAISES ROOSEVELT

Chicago, March 20.-Declaring
that the greatest of present day evils
is the domination of politics by IA
vor seeking corporations, and assert
ing. that the Democratic party is the
best qualified to undertake the task
of correcting this, w. ]. Bryan last
night delivered a speech on national
issues before big mass meeting in
the Seventh regiment armory on
Sixteenth street. Mr. Bryan took for
his subject, why Democracy and
after discussing the records of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, Governor Hughes and
Secretary Taft as regards corporation
legislation, he answered the question
by saying:
Because the Democrat party is
the only party sufficiently large to
give hope of success and sufficiently
democratic to give hope of relief af-
ter a victory has been won"
Mr.. Bryan's speech was the only
one delivered at the meeting. Car
ter H. Harrison, former mayor OF
Chicago and head of the Bryan league
under the auspices of which the
gathering was held, introduced the
speaker after declaring that the
meeting had been organized to give
Mr.. Bryan a full opportunity to ex-
press his views on issues whicn may
tional campaign. The proceeding
were late in starting, owing to the
size of the audience. About ten thou.
sand persons crowded into the big
building.
Mr.. Bryan's Speech.
Mr.. Bryan said in part:
There is no question upon which
the people are thinking which doe!
not to a greater or less extent involve
this question. Shall the government
be administered in the interest of tht
whole people by unpurchasable anC
fncorruptible representatives of tht
people or shall the favor seeking cor
porations control the elections, rails
their representatives. to power ant
through them exploit the country?
the present situation is satisfactory
If the people are contented with tn
distribution of wealth, and with tn
predominating influences of thes
combinations then there is no goo,
reason why the Republican part,
should not be continued in power
for it has created the conditions whicl
now exist and must have credit o
blame according to whether thes
conditions are desirable or un
desirable. I think I can safely asser
that conditions are not satisfactor
and in support of this assertion I ca
point to the fact that remedial legisla
ton is demanded by practically all O
the democrat party and by a larg
proportion of the Republican party
Whatever popularity the president ha
is due to the efforts that he has mad
in the direction of reform, althoug
these efforts have been spasmodi
rather than continuous and have no
been supported by his own party. tn
Democrat party can claim the righ
to carry out these reforms, first be
cause that party is almost unanimous
ly in favor of reforms while in tn
Republican party there is a very larg
minority, il not an actual majorit1
against any and all important re
forms.
while the Republican party is spend
ing it's time between reformers an
standpatters the Democrat party
ready for action. Then too, a Demo
crat administration will if elected Ell