The Detroit times., 1914-11-30
BRYAN URGES NATIONS
YOUTH TO SIGN PLEDGE
tContinued from Page One).


piio beverages. Fully three-fourths
the great body OF young men arose
hen he called for an expression.
he pledges. headed by the signature
the secretary of state, Will be cir
nlated by the 1000 Y. NJ. {. A. boys
Michigan, who invited Mr. Bryan
the conference.
Mr.. Bryan's significant depression
as as follows:
Having told you something that
mother stamped upon my mind
efore | was TO- and something that
y father stamped upon my mind be-
bre was 10, come TO a third thing
hat they united in impressing upon
be when | was so young that | can
lot remember" said Mr.. Bryan.
IT do not remember when | first
gned the pledge. II had TO guess
hould say that II was the first day
bat learned TO sign my name, but /
bay have signed IL a few times be-
bre that with my mark. But what |
10 know IL that | have been signing
he pledge all my life. And | know
irther that, as long as | live, l shall
Ign the pledge any day IL, by signing,
can get one human being to sign
nth me. (Applause.)
IL believe In signing the pledge. IL
as been a protection TO me. When
gent into public life they told me
nan had TO drink In order 10 be In
olitics. II Is a lie. A man does not
ave 10 drink TO be in politics. There
no position In the world that
ober man cannot I'LL better than n
rinking man. cloud applause.)
when the president asked me to
ecome member OF his cabinet |
old him that | knew OF but one OBJ
ection that could be raised against
ne, and that was that ] did not use
vine and would not serve H. He left
for my wife and | 10 decide, and
did not take us long TO do IT, Gap
lause.) We have not found il neces-
airy TO use wine in extending hos
itality to those who represent other
ations and our diplomacy ia not Of
ne kind that requires you to have
nan drunk In order to deal with
i'm" (Applause.)
MAY | digress just a moment? The
ay before left home | met friend
Who was drinking and, | asked him il
nd he said that he would. | drew
hp the pledge and 1t read: We, the
Undersigned promise, God helping us,
lever 10 use Intoxicating liquor as
beverage. After he had signed il
aid To him: We will have two copies
II II, and / will keep one and give
our wife the other And he said TO
ne, Do you know that my wife viii
~ ply - 10
gave her thousand dollars?' | said
II is worth more 10 her than thou
and dollars" And | had that pledge
IN my pocket as | was coming east
he other day when your leader MIR
Fan Dis, met me In Chicago and
howed me this invitation, signed by
,000 boys ! could not resist such an
Invitation. (Applause.)
II could not decline II and do you
know how that invitation began? Read
I've. the undersigned'-an that
made me think of the pledge in my
pocket and ! am going TO make
proposition TO you. / want to sign
b pledge with Just as many OF you
hs will sign. ! am going to ask those
in charge OF this meeting TO give you
chance TO sign pledge here or
when you so home. have already
Eigned II. would like TO sign II with
you. would like 10 have every boy
here sign that pledge, and then |
would like TO have him go home and
get az many more signers as possible,
commencing with his parents and his
brothers and sisters, and with his
Friends
"Oh, my countrymen, II we could
Just get men to sign the pledge and
keep IT, we would not have the dis
graceful spectacle that we have in
this country today with four times as
much spent for liquor as for educa-
ton and 10 times as much as in spent
for religion II we had this condition
we would not have to have all the
sorrow and suffering that drink
causes. And IL the young men OF this
state will bind themselves together in
agreement not TO drink, IL will soon
| be easy to solve the liquor question
and drive the saloon from our midst.
IL do not want anyone Of you TO
rise unless he is willing. | do not
want this to be done In any sudden
passion or At of enthusiasm. 1t Is
pledge for life. But, how many OF
you have thought about 1t enough to
rise and indicate that you will be
willing to sign the pledge with me?
How many OF you? Cat this point
nearly all the boys in the audience
arose). Boys. / am much obliged TO
you, and / want these folks down
here to know that they rose up there
too (Applause)
"You know, when / am working in
politics | have TO get majority 10
agree with me before can get any
thing | believe In put into opera
ton. And II Is not ae easy as you
might think to get a majority 70
agree with you always. But II I can
take something like this and get ne
human being TO start on better way
have done something, and II will
make me glad all the rest OF my life
II. by coming here tonight, ] have
been able to protect any OF you by a
pledge against the evils OF intemper-
ance, Forgive this DEPRESSION. l
think Il Is the most profitable digres-
sion I ever made In making speech
Mr. Bryan believes that 10000
Michigan boys will join him In this
total abstinence pledge. His plan Is
TO offer the same to the youth OF
every state as opportunity offers
while he declares that he expects to
be In politics as long as he lives, his
dearest hope now is to devote the
remaining years OF his life to work
with boys. seeking to help them
shapen their lives after the Christian
"a ID In.