New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-14
BRYAN ST|RS HEARERS
At JEFFERSON DINNER
Wilson and Gaynor Reforms, He
Declares, He Has Been Ad-
voCating for Years.
NOT A CANDIDATE, HE SAYS
Give Me a Chance to Fight for
Progressive, That's All !
Want" Asserts the
Nebraskan.


After three long hours Of speeches at
the jefferson dinner of the National Demo-
cratic Club at the Waldorf-Astora last
night William Jennings Bryan, thrice Dem
ocratic nominee for the Presidency. electrl-
fled his audience by vigorous launch into
the issues OF the coming campaign that
seemed TO make him. loom up as big
factor In the Baltimore convention, al
though he asserted that he was not can
didate for the nomination.
81 am not a candidate for the nomination
as President on the Democratic ticket he
said II believe there are many men
in the Democratic party who can poll more
votes thar I can. Give me chance 10
fight for progressive. That's all | want.
Following with his address. after Gov
ernor Wilson and Mavor Gaynor had
spoken, each advocating his favorite re-
forms. Mr. Bryan took up the most salient
OF their points and made them his own by
declaring that he had been working for
them for a score Of years.
Il have been here before" he said. amid
laughter, but never under such favorable
conditions | am glad that a man has said
here what jefferson would have said. aud
they tried to drive me from your precincts
for criticisms less strong"
Saying how glad he was that man who
expressed his opinions about courts In such
a frank manner had been elected Mayor of
great city, while another, who spoke
! freely about the referendum and recall
was the Governor Of an Eastern state Mr..
| Bryan exclaimed:
MI 90 " hat q
adding:
| with those two radicals to preccde me
how could you reject my moderate speech?
| Is this the East? Am | living, or is this
| a dream? The new East
with those two speeches applauded in
New York and Roosevelt carrying Penn
| syvania what is the world coming to?
| What would the people here do to Jeffer-
! son IL he came back To advocate his prln-
ciples?
Il know what they did TO me- | know
that when | tried TO initiate him. and tried
| as best ! could. know what they did to
me | know that they allowed the preda-
| tory interests to COerCe people 10 consent
to the enslavcmont Of them to privileges"
Direct election OF Senators, tho primaries
! and all other recent changes Mr. Bryan
attributed 10 the influence OF the Demo
cratic party. and said that, although his
reputation here as a prophet was somewhat
| impaired. he vcntured to predict that soon
| the President would be elected by direct
vote lie referred to the law that made 1t
| A penal offence for corporations TO contrib
ute campaign money and exclaimed:
"Oh. nv countrymcn. II We only had that
law i'm -!
champ Clark. Speaker NJ IN" House of
! REPRESENTATIVES. who I'm many quarters is
| looked upon as a probable Democratic
choice for the Presidency. was unable To
attend tke dinner. and sent a letter OF
regret that was read instead Of his eX-
pected speech.
The reception accorded by the members
Of the National Democratic club To the
! mon prominently mentioned In connection
with the partys nomination for the Presl-
dency was OF a heartiness and acclaim 80
uniform that not the least inference could
have been drawn as 10 which Of them might
be credited with the slightest degree OF
preference.
Governor Dix, Senator O'Gorman and
Thomas r. Donnclly. president Of the clnp'
formed the centre Of the group that at
| tTdCted Inc d11fnllOU Va dil 'H'iHS
ccption that preceded the dinner they
shook hands cordially with Mr.. Bryan, Gov
ernor Wilson and Mayor Gaynor as teS
arrived. and they I'm turn exchanged greet
lngs Of equal warmth between themselves
The keynote of the speeches was taken
from the occasion celebrated, and .1hohaS
!offerson's conception Of n democratic gov
eminent was applied by all to the condl-
tons now existing in the country ana the
! speakers tried 10 draw differences as 10 no"
the author OF the Declaration OF lndepehd-
ence would have acted If confronted WIN
similar political and economical conditions.
| Senator OGorman laid the foundation TO
the oratorical feast in an eulo2y OF Jener-
! son and u description Of the principles laId
| down by the founder Of the Democratic
varty. Governor Dix followed with an ap-
Or ,ciation Of the achievements OF great
Democrats from the Empire State Ike sam
mel l. Tilden and Grover Cleveland.
Mayor Gaynor spoke again In favor or
amending the Constitution Of the United
states proyIding "A constitutional convcn-
ton every twenty years to report neces-
sarv amendments to be submitted 10 the
people. and he again criticised court decls-
IONS, winch, nc odii, isH hh'''"'' N'
cial legislation through strained inter
probation of the Constitution in regard TO
the words liberty and property. Then came
| Governor Wilson with speculative IN
auiry into what the possible attitude OF
jefferson toward problems like those OF the
tariff, the trusts and currency reform OF
the present day might be.
| In his letter Champ Clark said, IN part
My regret at my enforced absence from
YOUR dinner IL the greater because ! hhd
hoped TO extend hand OF cordial gooo
| fellowship 10 your other guests, whose
names. like my own. Will be presented al
| baltimore for the nomnation by the Demo
cratic party as its candidate for the Presi-
dency. That is an ambition which any
| American citizen may worthily cherish. and
in aid of which he may frankly welcome
any honorable assistance pronered to MIN
without detracting In the slightest degree
from the qualities OF any other asplrant
for the same high honor.
| TO the standard bearer thus chosen and
10 the platform adopted by that conven-
tiOn all loyal Democrats viii rally AS one
man forgetting all past differences IN sup
mort OF a standard bearer and the banner
confided to him to carry TO victory.
Governor Wilson said that America had