Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-01-29
BRYAN PREDICTS
AUTOCRACY'S END
Talks to Lsrge Audience Gathered
in Grace Methodist kpis-
copal Church.

r~do
protbcrhood, William Jennings Bryan
.aII"% 70 a large audience at Grace
NJ - Church His topic was MANS
Relation to Government, Society and
cod" but it was his prologue, that be-
rausr this nation is at war, that inter
csted a large majority Of his hearers,
although his support Of prohibition and
voman's suffrage had their circles of
sympathzers. :,
His support of the President and this
government WAS unqualified and his
call to all Americans to do their share
In this war through all of the agencies
was pronounced one. His prediction
that when this war was over and peace
treaty signed. that it would mark the
death knell of autocracy and mean a
70 much applause.
every citizen owes it as his duty
a. man to support this government
when the nation Is at war, said MIR.
BRYAN. Nineteen years ago l was a
soldier, and learned some of the
things about discipline and soldiery
that l have never forgotten.
'The President today is bearing a
heavy burden So is Congress. Heavier
burdens perhaps than any men ever
bore before. There has been a call made
for 100000 men to arms. They are
making sacrifices, and if this sacrifice
involves life itself. then our sacrifice
back homo that involves but money Is
not near as much as theirs.
STAND BEHIND WILSON.
1--WE should stand back of the Presi-
dent and the government and give them
our support. We ought to aid all Of
the activities attending the soldiers
yL p,l " NJ L ,,u ~
Columbus and all of the many other or
gani2ations that tend TO render comfort
To our soldiers.
"But our duty is not finished here.
There rs food conservation that is neccs-
sary II the war is To be won. 1t has al
WAYS been the case that when Americans
were asked to sacrifice for n worthy
cause that they have done so freely and
generously. | believe that all that has to
be done now in regard to food Is to ask of
the people and they will give.
II believe that the saloon Is rubblng us
Of much food that otherwise could be put
TO better use. We have shut up the dis
tileries, but do not think it is right to
close the distillcry and not close the
brewery They have been co-partners In
sin so long that II is not right TO separate
them now. Let them die together.
thing we can do We can furnish money
There are two ways in which we can do
this BY taxations and through loans.
Before the war was on long we realized
that the government had resorted TO both.
But the loan is better than taxation, for it
gives us a return for our money while
taxation docs not.
"But let me tell YOU who arc inclined
to believe that the world is going into
bankruptcy, that if it does, this
country will be the last one TO make an
assignment"
Mr.. BRYAN then began his lecture
taking first mans relation to govern
ment. He asserted that this was the
best government under the sun, and
that while it was not perfect, 1T was
as near perfection as human hands and
minds could make it.
BETTER PEOPLE, BETTER GOVERNMENT.
The government grows better as the
people grow better" he continued.
Our form of government Is the kind
OF government towards which the world
has been leaning for over a century. All
of the nations of the world have been turn
inc to our government for ideas with
which to guide them. We have done more
to shape the policies of the world than all
Of the other nations of the world COM
bined."
Mr.. BRYAN referred to China becom-
ing republic and OF unsuccessful attempts
to return to a regime of monarchy. OF
the DAYS that Russia was now experenc-
ing, but said he believed that Russia would
succeed, and that President Wilson was
bestowing upon Russia the same kind OF
patient forbearance that he had on
Mexico.
After announcing that when peace
came il would end all autocracy, he said
that popular government would then be
the only government that would exist
The fundamental feature OF popular
government is that tine people get what
they want He went on to illustrate
what movements Were succeeding today IN
popular government; that the people were
turning now towards direct vote for
United States Senators; for the initiative
and referendum and towards woman's
suffrage For suffrage Mr. Bryan devoted
twenty minutes, using all the forces of
sarcasm, wit, logic and argument to
prove that suffrage should bs granted
woman.
He believes that woman should be