Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1912-02-15
Also Trend Toward Popu-
lar Government Was
Touched Upon by
Colonel Bryan.
GREAT CROWD
HELD CAPTIVE
Colonel Is Also of Opinion
That Arizona Has Best
Constitution of All
the States.

The greatest commoner of them
all"
That is what Eugene Brady O'Neill
called Colonel William Jennings Bry-
an right TO the latter's face, and 10 the
several and respective faces of five
thousand cheering people in City Hall
plaza at half past two yesterday af-
ternoon.
| For the succeeding two hours the
greatest cOmmOner of them air was
busy living up to the foreword. Some
Iperhaps there were in that great crowd
who wouldn't know a commoner from
q dish of chop suey. but be that as it
may the wonderful personality. the
lappealing ofatory. the clear compelling
| voice the eloquent gesture. and the
simple flow of perfectly selected
words held that crowd as effectively
as chains, or bars. and all the kings
horses and all the kings men" could
not have dragged a corporal's guard
from beyond the sound of the speak
er's voice.
1t was democracy's day. and being
! democracy day it was fitting and
proper that democracy's prophet
should be the one to lift the inaugu-
ration celebration from the ranks Of
the commonplace to that of enthusi-
astic success.
| On the stand with Colonel Bryan
were the governor. Mayor Christy. Eu
gene Brady O'Neil and sunjry lesser
lights, but the crowd saw only Colonel
Bryan. and had ear only for the mag
netic words which fell from his ready
lips
| Whittier do we drift" might have
been the topic Of the speakers talk
but that wasn't what he called it,
/, Bryan preferred The Trend of Events
| Toward Popular Government" and
| politics aside it was one of the greatest
/ public speeches heard from a Phoenix
ipiatform i'm month of pink moons.
Among the subdivisions of his long
| speech the most important utterance
| 20 his hearers was the statement in
which he declared his reasons for mot
| being a candidate for the presidential
nomination" These. the Colonel de-
| clared. were because so many of his
policies had been adopted by Roosevelt
and Taft that it would be quite use
less for him to take over the cares
and worries of a great office when he
| could get Tlen to do the work for him
| and leave him free To- visit Arizona"
| It wasn't a very definite. or very
| convincing expression of a determin-
alton never again to become a candi-
date for the highest office the people
have tn bestow. Bryan didn't cross
his heart, ana if the clarion call again
sounds there is nothing in his Ad-
mission Day speech which cannot well
be turned off as a perfectly harmless
joke.
| One of the reasons why the Peerless
Cne likes 10 visit Arizona is on ac-
count of its democracy, and because
the state begins "a great era with a
great constitution"
The Arizona constitution has an
edge on the document promulgated in
Philadelphia. Bryan declared that the
Oklahoma constitution is a better doc
ument than the constitution of the
| United states and that the Arizona
@ institution is better than the Oklaho-
ma constitution.
With the initiative and referendum
vCu can ge: anything else you want"
continued the speaker. Il am free to
confess that I would have advised the
-limiration of the recall for the sake
Of statehood. but / am mighty glad
that | did not have the chance to adj
wise you
Bryan is for the recall of everybody
who can oe recalled. He would recall
Judges. and he would establish the
Ipresidential primary at the earliest
date permissible by a benign provi-
I,lence and the first legislature of the
new state.
| The income tax amendment received
the eloquent seal of his approval, and
he commended this proposed consti-
tutionai amendment to the early con-
sideration of the legislature.
President Taft came in for arraign-
lment. and the Colonel found fault with
the presidents use of the word dem
agogue which he sail the presiden;
had unconsciousIy applied To- Abraham
} Lincoln in Lincoln Day speech wher
he referred To the IMAM being above
, the dollar According to Bryan. Taft
, doesn't believe this doctrine which h,
r stated was first elucidated by Lincoln
in 1889.
Colonel Bryan then switched from
: politics to education ami for half a
hour he drew an eloquent word pic
5 ture Of the advantages of an educa-
T;oral system hich will send forth eacl
: child fun armored To fight his battle
= on equal terms ith every other indi-
e vidual This. he declared. should b.
{ the states first care. IF God had in