The Alaska citizen., 1915-08-09
Bryan Gives Eloquent Appeal for Peace Speaks at San Francisco on 4th of July

an address delivered on July at San Francisco by William Jennings Bryan, formerly Secretary of State of the United States)
 We are less hampered by trad- | ton and precedent than the nations | beyond the ocean; We have. there l fore, been more free to profit by the lessons of experience. Our Ma tion has profited by precedent. but it has not permitted itself to be fettered by it, and hereafter as here tofore, it must be brave enough to mark out new ways and to achieve new victories. I ask you to con sider along three lines in which progress has been made and along which still further progress is possible.
 First, we must solve alright the domestic problems which confront our generation-and we must do this not only for ourselves, but that our example may help those, in foreign lands, who while not as free as we are to set the pace, are as anX- ious as we that a right solution shall be reached. Every domestic problem of any importance involves to greater or lesser extent a conflict between human rights and what are known as property rights.
 HUMAN RIGHTS SUPREME.
 Jefferson, the most profound politi- cal philosopher who has yet appear ed, and the greatest constructive statesman in .. the worlds history, founded his entire system of phil osophy upon the proposition that human rights are superior to prop erty rights.
 Lincoln, who was not ashamed to count himself a follower of Thomas Jefferson, presented the issue in Ian guage more apt, more terse, and more epigrammatic than any em- ployed by Jefferson in advancing the same idea. In 1859 Lincoln, in letter expressing his regret that he was unable to accept an invita- tion to participate ill the celebra- tion of Jefferson Day at Boston, said,
 The Republican party believes in the man and the dollar but in case of conflict, it believes in the man before the dollar
 If Jefferson, the first and greatest Democrat, and Lincoln, the first and greatest Republican, united in sup porting a proposition, it would seem to be worthy to be accepted by this generation, unless it's correct ness can be successfully impeached; but as this proposition is sometimes rejected in practice by those who have not the courage to openly com bat it, I shall invoke the authority of one greater than either of the political leaders to whom l have referred, the teacher from whom both, consciously or unconsciously, drew their inspiration. Christ, in language conveying a like meaning, has drawn the same comparison and drawn it in favor of man as against property. And yet, notwithstanding the fact that this proposition, name ly, that man comes first and proper ty afterwards, is endorsed by au- thority which cannot be controvert- ed in spite of the fact that the proposition is supported also by the universal conscience of the common people, We find that every import ant economic problem, here and elsewhere, now and always, involves this dispute as to which has the prior claim and the precedents of history, l must admit, are largely on the side of property.
 TRUE GUIDE FOR US.
 If the United States is to lead the world in the advance toward economic peace, it must be guided by this principle, that human rights come first, and must apply to every question Wltu WHICH IL Has to uChi. This does not mean that property rights are to be violated; it means. rather that respect for human rights is condition precedent to the SC curity of property rights. Let mans prior claim be recognized and he will see to it that the claims ot property have due consideration; if mans rights are trampled upon, the rights of property will have no defender
 "The second thought relates to the true measure of greatness. Ac- cording to the old standard, the in dividual grew in importance as he was able to command the services of others; he was great in proportion as people, either voluntarily or under compulsion, labored for him. The natural outgrowth of this measure of greatness was contempt TOT toll: labor has usually been regard ed as a badge of inferiority, while idleness has too often been accepted as an evidence of responsibility.
 It was cruel theory-as demor- alizing to those who ate the bread