The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-01
Under Care of Physician Great Commoner Delivers Ad-
 dress Sitting
POWERFUL ARGU MENT IS
 PRESENTED TO THE MEN
Speaker Was Suffering From Travel CTS Nausea-Has Decided Not to Make the Trip to
 Cuba.

Between 5000 and 5000 people were turned away from the Jefferson theatre yester- day afternoon when William Jennings Bryan held a conversation with three tiers of thinking men. Sitting in chair and never raising his voice far above the ordinary tone, with few gestures and no gesticulations, the great Commoner talked about an hour and a half with the people about their religion. Yet every one heard, and each word spoken was so full of the fire of conviction that it needed no passionate language to make it stick.
 If there was an infidel or skeptic in that audience he must have become thor oughly ashamed of himself and his doc trnes. Birmingham people all agreed that they never heard a more powerful, nor more simple defense of the Chris tian religion, nor more forceful inspira- tion for love and service.
 While MT. Bryan was suffering from travellers nausea and was under the phy sicians care he spoke twice yesterday. Last night the Cumberland Presbyterian church was crowded with people to hear him talk on missions. His condition was not considered serious, and he will leave today for Jasper He speaks in several Alabama cities, winding up at the fair in Tampa, and will then return to his home, having given up the idea of going to Cuba.
 Mir Bryan has aged very little since his last visit to Birmingham, although he was very weak following his attack 
 Preliminary Exercises. The meeting at the Jefferson was op- ened with song, and few remarks by Secretary J. P. Stubbs of the local Young Mems Christian association. The Rev pr. w. F. Evans then read a se- lection from Proverbs and the Rev. Dr. J. L. Branscombe took up the collection for the benefit of the Y. M c. A. work in Birmingham. It was explained that MT Bryan got no payment for his speech other than the pleasure it gave him to be in Birmingham again. He said that he made his living in the day time, and was ready to be of service to God on Sun day
 In speaking of the guest Mir Brans- con be said, "It is true he is not President but he yet may be. He is a Presbyterian and believes in faith and perseverance.
 After a solo, President R. s. Munger of the Y. M. C. A. introduced the speaker. who asked to be allowed seat. He said that he always enjoyed most those speeches which he made on Sunday with out compensation, especially to lne young men, feeling that they needed to be talked to about religion more than women.
 Tribute to Association.
 In his opening remarks MT. Bryan paid a high tribute to the association. for, in his opinion, it had done unlimited good. and he had never heard of a single incl dent where an organization had been con- ducted without order and the spirit of Christianity.
 q am glad to make a speech under the auspices of the Y. M. c. A." he said Many of you have heard me talk on political subjects. I enjoy making them and under sufficient provocation will make another one. I have always made study of the science of government, and will continue to do so, but I like re- ligon better. having spoken on religion six years before going on the stump, and I went on the stump at 20. It is hard to get the concurrence of the people on political ideas. but if in religion can touch one human heart I will think my accomplishment has been great.
 q took up this subject because I found that some young men thought it intel lectual to be skeptical, as an evidence of higher intelligence. l want to apply com mon sense arguments to these questions which come to the young mind."
 Relation of Man to God.
 The speaker then took up the relation of man to Gcd. Every man in this aud fence has some relation to God. It is all ways there. If could open your hearts and read that relation I could do more toward helping you than any one else. There is always a revolution when this relation is clanged. Morality is the out ward manifestation of this inward rela- tion. It is the everyday influence of re- ligion upon oha' acter, and it becomes a young man to realize that religion is not thing to use just before you die or on Sunday, but all the time.
 Some people try to build a moral system on reason without resting it on religion. But such a system can only borrow it's morals from systems that do rest on religion. Wherever you search all civilized races are influenced by some relation to God The differ ence is that reason simply conforms to public opinion while the morality of God conforms to the ever-present eye of the Almighty. Man needs the inner strength that comes from the con- sciousness of the presence of God where there is responsibility for every single thought and action. The inner hold on the ideals of life is the only hold on life'
 MT. Bryan told of the period of skepticism in his own life while at college. q had been worried by the nerplextty of creation while at college, hut finally turned back to that first chapter of Genesis and read Tn the beginning God made heaven and earth. On that I placed my faith and will still be standing there until God removes the mystery behind. Every ohter theory starts with an assump- tion."
 Theories of Life.
 Here the speaker took up the various theories of life. beginning with the nebular Hypothesis which he said, at