The Commoner.
WILLIAfl J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
Vol. 3. No. 6.
S Iflffi1 Nebraska, Feb. 27, 1903.
Whole No. 110. .
ir.
m Zbe test of Democracy.
Abstract of a Speech HelivcreiL by Mr.
Bryan at the Annual Dinner Given by the
Jcffersoii-Jaclcson-Lincoln League on Lin
coin's Birtliday, Feb. 12, at Columbus, 0.
The following is the substance of the speech
delivered by Mr. Bryan at Columbus, O., February
12, at the dinner given on Lincoln's birthday by
the Jofferson-Jackson-Lincoln league. Hon. John
J. Lenta was toastmaster and ex-Governor Budd
of California and Mayor Tom L. Johnson of Cleve
land also made speeches. Mr. Bryan said:
It is entirely appropriate that we celebrate
this day. In April," 1859, the republicans of Boston
celebrated the birthday of Thomas Jefferson, and
Abraham Lincoln in a letter expressing his re
gret that he could not bo present eulogized the
author of the Declaration of Independence in
eloquent terms. Lincoln said at another time
that ho had no political principles that he had
not drawn from that Declaration. ' If the early
republicans could honor the natal day of Jeffer
son in 1859, we democrats can at this time ob
serve with fitting -ceremony the birthday of Lin
coln. I am glad Jo be present on this occasion, and
I appreciate the generous words of compliment
spoken by the toastmaster, Mr. Lentz. We are
fortunate in having with us in our fight against
foes within the party and against fdes-without, so
able and courageous a democrat as Mr. Lentz has
shown himself to be. I was glad to listen to tho
distinguished ex-governor of California. You are
to be congratulated upon his presence, not only
because of the pleasure his speech has given you,
but because he is a living proof that we have ac
tive and vigorous democrats on tho Pacific coast.
Pardon me if I call him a Budd of promise
and we have them all over the country. I was
gratified to hear him refer to the work that Mr.
Hearst has done personally and through his pa
pers. Mr. Hearst has been of immense service
to the party. He Has shown that wealth need not
lead a man away from the people; he has shown
that he is willing to trust his fortune to the care
of laws made by the masses. The democratic par
ty has never condemned the accumulation of
money by honest means. A man can have any
amount of moneyif he makes it legitimately
and still be a democrat. It is only when his
money has him that he finds it necessary to be
come a republican in order to find congenial
company. Jefferson, the greatest democrat of all
time, was rich in this world's goods richer for
his day than Hearst or Johnson are now but
Jefferson asked for no class legislation and lived
up to the maxim, "Equal rights to all and spe
cial privileges to none." It has delighted me also
to hear again the voice of Cleveland's mayor. I
rejoice that Senator Hanna finds in his own homo
city a foe like Tom Johnson, who has the brains
and the bravery to meet him and overthrow tho
commercial standard which the republican leader
has set up. Mr. Johnson, says that he has no
higher Ambition than to be mayor again. Well,
God speed him in the realization of that ambi
tion, but as long as I believe as I believe now
that he only desires office because the office will
enable him to protect the rights and interests of s
the people, I shall bo glad to aid him. I care not
to what he may aspire.
I have taken as my subject tonight, "The
Test of Democracy," but I, do not come to preach
a new gospel or to formulate now rules. (The prin
ciples to which wo hold are not new principles;
they are truths self-evident truths and trutun
.'are eternal. Jefferson did not invent the prin
ciples set forth in the Declaration of Independence;
he merely stated them in language so apt that
the words will always linger in the memory of
man. Jackson did not create new principles; he
simply applied with matchless courage tho politi
cal doctrines handed down from a proceeding gen
eration. Neither did Lincoln originate new prin
ciples. He built upon tho-foundation laid by Jef
ferson. And we today are not seeking to se
cure the adoption of a new theory of govern
ment; we are only trying to make the govern
ment what the fathers intended it- should be a
government of the people, by the people, and for
the people.,
So with the rules for measuring men and par
ties, they are not new rules, they are rather tho
every day rules which we apply in tho ordinary
affairs of life. Nations and parties and men are
judged by their performances rather than by
their promises; by their works rather than by
their words. In every calling, profession and oc
cupation men are measured not by what they say
of themselves, but by what they do, and it is even
,so in politics.
Christ laid down a rule that applies to tho
world as well as to the church. He knew that
false prophets would arise to deceive and to mis
lead, and He gave to his disciples this sound, but
simple test for distinguishing the fatso frcji the
true: " By their fruits ye shall know them Ho
stated it even more strongly and said: "Many
will say to mo in that day, Lord, Lord, have wo
not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name
have cast out devils? and in tby name done many
wonderful works? And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew y'ou: depart from me, yo
that-work iniquity."
(There have been false prophets in politics
also. .'There were false prophets, in the days of
Jefferson men who professed great love for tho
people and yet would not trust the people. There
were false prophets in the days of Jackson, and ho
was warning his countrymen against them when
he said: "The path of freedom is continually be
set by enemies who assume the guise of friends."
Tho nation has its false prophets today who
are declaring that duty to the Filipinos compels
us to make subjects of them, and yet these false
prophets are not willing to o their duty to
citizens of the United States. 'Democracy has Its
false prophets now. They stand in tho market
places and talk about harmony the very thing
that they themselves destroyed. They demand
the leadership and say to tho party: "Did wo not
hold office in thy name, and in thy name draw
large salaries?" If the party has learned wisdom
by experience it will say: "Depart, I never knew '
you, ye that work iniquity." j
Those who are old enough to aspire to leader
ship have made a record during the last sevea
years and by that record they must be judged.
Tho great fight between manhood and mammon
began in 189G, and Is not yet doclded. Those who
did not realize tho nature of tho contest then
ought not to ask to bo put in command over those
who did, and those who know tho nature of tho
contest and yet directly or indirectly aided plu
tocracy must repent and bring forth works meet
for repentance before they can bo trusted with
control.
We want harmony, but there can be no har
mony between tho party and men who call them
selves democrats and yet oppose loyal democrats
more bitterly than they do republicans. It is
much easier to convert the republicans who really
desiro just government and equal laws than it
is to draw back to tho party those who, under
standing tho issues, supported tho republican
ticket In 189C or voted for Palmer and Bucknor,
for many republican?, though not approving of re
publican policies, were held to the party by tho
strength of party ties, while tho democrats who
left their party gave positive proof that they
preferred republican principles to democratic prin
ciples. Many republicans were held within their
organization by tho recollection of early repub
lican arguments, but tho democrats who wont
over in 1896 Were attracted by tho vices and
hypocrisy of modern republicanism, and wo do;
not want them to como back until they are dis
gusted enough to come back for good. They told
us how it pained them to leave tho party in 1896
and I do not want them to bo compelled to go
through tho same anguish again, as they will
have to do if they return to us with the hope of '
transforming tho democratic party into a re
publican party. '
The struggle between democracy and plutoc-
racy is still on and must continue until one side
or the other is completely triumphant. It is a
real contest with tho welfare of the race at stake,
and we are not willing to have it converted into a
sham battle. Tho platform of 1896 was demo
cratic and the questions raised by it have not been
settled. Tho platform adopted at Kansas City
was also democratic, and the issues raised by it
have not been settled and tho republicans havo
no plans for settling them. The reorganizes tell
us that the money" question has been dlsppsed of,
but no statement could be farther from the truth.
True, we have some five hundred millions more
money in circulation now than wo had in 1896,
but it only proves that wo were right in asserting
that more money would make better times. And
yet with all this unexpected increase in the circu
lation we still have too little money in tho coun
try. Reserves are loaned and reloaned and Sec
retary Shaw had to rush to the aid of Wall street
and tide the financiers over a panic by giving them
the free use of more than $130,000,000 of govern
ment money. Not satisfied with this scarc't.f
money they are now seeking to make the silver
dollar redeemable in gold and abroad tho finan
ciers are endeavoring to make gold dearer by
driving silver-using nations to tho gold standard.
Talk about the money question being set-
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