Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-04-06
BRYAN ON HIS SIXTIETH
BIRTHDAY

his 60th birthday anniversary at the
lAldine Club, New York City, on Fri
day, March 18th. In his after dinner
talk he said, among other things:
mo one has been happier than / in
the character and constancy of his
/ friends or more generously rewarded
for labor in the political vineyard. My
ambition is not to enjoy the honors of
office but to discharge as fully as /
can the debt of gratitude I owe to the
American people.
II am aware that my place in his
tory will not depend upon what others
do for me, but upon what am able to
do for my country. If kind Provi-
dence adds years to my life they will
be spent in an earnest effort to aid in
putting the American people in COM
plete control of their government and
| to promote peace among all the ma
ton, to the end that the conscience
of our country and the world may
more surely and more speedily over
throw injustice and establish among
men the nearest possible approach to
the divine measure OF rewards"
Some Barriers That Remain.
Comparing civilization to a mighty
river which will not be denied, he
listed Instructions which have been
swept away in his lifetime and those
which he declared must go.
In the latter class he placed the
profiteer, private monopoly, obstacles
to the wage earner's progress and the
formers advance, and the rules of the
United States senate, which he de-
clared should be changed so as to allow
majority to close debate and compel
vote.
He suggested three remedies that
surpass all others in effectiveness
Freedom of speech, supplying of citi-
zens with 'incorruptible channels of
information" "a governemt bulletin
not a newspaper" and faith in the
intelligence and capacity of the people
He refused to admit the possibility of
revolution in the United States.
Obstructive Senate Rule
"Just now the world is recovering
from the most destructive war known
to history. God grant that the lessons
learned in the awful conflict may new
er be forgotten" said Mr.. Bryan.
"We have learned at least one les
son, namely that it is a mistake to re-
quire a two-thirds vote to ratify
treaty. majority of congress can
declare war; it ought to be as easy to
end war as to begin it.
'"The league of nations with our ma
tion a member is the highest tribunal
that has been conceived by the mind
and heart of man, and our nations in
fiuence in the league should go far to-
ward making war impossible by culti-
waiting the spirit of brotherhood. Our
nations Representatives in the league
should be elected in districts by pop
ular vote"
Reforms Already Accomplished
Among Instructions which Mr.. Bry-
an said he had seen swept away were
efforts of predatory wealth to prevent
direct election of United States sena-
tors by the people; efforts of the rich
to prevent authorization of an income
tax; efforts of few money magnates
of Wall street to kill the currency law
which removed the center of financial
power from New York to Washington;
efforts of powerful financial interests
to stave off the coming of prohibition,
and efforts to prevent enfranchisement
of women.
To Curb PrOfiteering
Turning to the subject of profiteer-
ing, Mr.. Bryan continued:
1--WE need commissions in states and
cities for the investigation of charges
of extortion, with laws for the punish
ment of the guilty. If this is not suf-
ficient, it may become necessary to reg
ulate the middleman's profit as we now
regulate the interest that the banker
can charge.
Another great problem that presses
upon us for solution is that presented
by the private monopoly. 1t is incon-
ceivable that an intelligent people will
permit themselves long to remain the
victims of those who use the private
monopoly as means of exploiting the
public"