nr" wrY73?1
The Commoner
VOL. M, ko. 2
8
I
I
tatto no noariy as I can Judgo of sixteen to ono
hrid Which hoars tho following iiiBcription:
T0 TnB HONORABLE WIL
LIAM JENNINGS BRYAN, PROPH
ET, STATESMAN, REFORMER,
PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL
DRY FEDERATION, THIS CUP IS
PRESENTED BY THE THIRTY
EIGHT CONSTITUENT BODIES OF
THE FEDERATION IN RECOGNI
TION OF HIS SERVICE TO THE
CAUSE OF TEMPERANCE AND
NATIONAL PROHIBITION.'
"As wo hand to you this chalice of heaten gold
And Oliver in recognition of your distinguished
"service, wo rocall that no small part of your
oorvlco to this causo and to your country has
boon mado possible by tho devotion, sacrifice and
inspiration of tho noble woman who has walkod
by your sido ministoring to your comfort, moth
orod your children and honored herself and her
box in all of theso relations. No ostimato can
bo placed upon tho forces which have achieved
national triumph over tho evil of strong drink
which doos not include tho large and command
ing part which women have played In tho reform.
"Mrs. Bryan's song, 'It Must Be Ratified,'
has rung from shore to shore of our nation. By
voice and pen and sympathy her influence has
boon constant and potont, diroptly and indirectly.
On behalf of tho Federation and all-friends of
tho reform without roforonco to crood or party
or sex or organization, I hand to you theso
flowers for Mrs. Bryan as a token of our sym
pathy, our respect, our love and our gratitude."
MR. BRYAN'S RESPONSE
Dr. Scanlon and Friends:
I am at loss for language in which to make
an appropriate reply to tho very gonerous words
that havo been spoken by Dr. Scanlon.
No ono has been moro fortunato than I in
having a largo circle of friends, and no one in
that circle has been moro constant than Dr.
Scanlon, to whom I am indebted moro largely
than to anyone olso for tho great honor done mo
by tho thirty-eight organizations which united
their efforts in behalf of prohibition in tho for
mation of tho National Dry Federation.
I esteem it a high honor to have been chosen
as the oxoGiitivo of this federation, representing
as it doosvtho conscience and devotion of moro
than twonty millions of Christians, and I owe a
debt of gratitude to Dr. Scanlon for having borne
the larger part of the burden during tho exist
ence of tho federation; and now ho increased
my obligations to him by arranging this delight
ful luncheon. Ho has complimented me, too, in
bringing with him his good wifo who has been
a full partner in all his activities.
Even boforo wo wore associated together in
the work of tho federation I learned to appre
ciate Dr. Scanlon's Christian strength and moral
force as they woro manifested by him in his
work as head of the Presbyterian Board of Tem
perance. In response to what ho has said let mo speak
first for Mrs. Bryan, to whom I shall carry the
flowors so graciously presented. Although we
are ono you will not count it as praise of myself
if I say she is deserving of all honor for the part
oho has played in what I have done. The wife
of a public man does not, as a rule, receive the
credit ,duo her because her work is less con
spiclous than his. In my case, I could have done
very littlo if I had not had as my companion ono
who was able to bear a double burden and "keep
tho homo fires burning'1 while I was serving my
country as best I could.
When I think of Mrs. Bryan's contributions
to our joint efforts I am reminded of a speech
once mado at a Pilgrim Banquet. After several
prominent orators had eulogized the Pilgrim
Fathors, tho program, concluded with a toast to
tho Pilgrim Mothers. Tho speaker to whom
was assigned tho honor of responding to this
sentiment contended that tho Pilgrim Mothers
deserved oven greater merit, "For," said ho
"the Pilgrim Mothers not only endured all that
tho Pilgrim Fathers endured, but they also en
dured tho Pilgrim Fathers."
I think wo who have had any experience In
public ltfe should not forgefhow much our wives
have had to endure, and, because I am fully con
scious of tho burden mine has had to bear I
am glad to bo your messenger to carry your
fragrant greetings.
As for myself, let me say that this loving cim
,-will be treasured as a priceless proof of a con
fidence, and love which I profoundly esteem.
It is not necessary to believe that one meiits
praiso in order to enjoy it; in fact, I am not
pure but that we appreciate it tho more in pro
portion as we feel that it is not deserved. Meas
ured by this rule, you can understand how
grateful I am for tho good will that prompts tho
giving of this cup.
I shall make Mrs. Bryan tho custodian of It,
and as It will be more frequently used for
flowers than for grape juice, your bouquet shall
bo Its first fair tenant.
I beg Dr. Scanlon to convey to the "organiza
tions represented in the National Dry Federation
my grateful acknowledgments.
And how apppropriate that we should gather
here today to exchange congratulations and
mingle our expressions of a joy that defies com
plete expression, for is not this the day toward
which wo have looked as tho crowning of our
efforts?
REPRESENTATIVE GATPIERING CELE
BRATES EVENT
Ratification was mado complete when, on the
sixteenth day of this month, Nebraska, God
bless her, completed the list of thirty-six
statos necessary to ratification. But today the
Acting Secretary of State, Mr. Polk, issued tho
proclamation which announced to the world that
tho amendment had become a part of the organic
law of tho land. The greatest moral reform of
tho generation has been accomplished, and how
could wo havo called together a group of persons
better entitled to celebrate tho event?
By tho side of our host sits tho great Secretary
of tho Navy, Hon. Josephus Daniels, who rend
ered a signal service to tho cause of prohibition
when ho banished intoxicating liquors from all
tho armed ships of tho nation.
I received some little credit, Mr. Secretary
and a great deal of criticism, for banishing wino
from the table when diplomats were officially
entertained. But, while that little incident was
a matter of discussion in the capitals of the
world, it was .nly an example and it was not
universally followed, but you went beyond ex
ample and Issued .an order that was immediately
obeyed. And it came just in time 'to render
material aid in the making of our navy what
it has been under yjur administration, tho
model of tho world. I need not tell you how
deeply I am touched with tho words, you havo
employed in regard to my humble part in this
epoch-making reform.
At the speakers' table here we also have Com
missioner Roper, upon whom will soon rest re
sponsibility for the enforcement of the prohibi
tion law; and near him Hon. Cato Sells, tho
Indian Commissioner, who has so rigorously en
forced the laws made for tho protection of
the red man from the white man's fire water.
The Labor Department is ably represented in the
person' of Assistant Secretary Post and the State
Department of Chief Clerk Davis, and Robert
F. Rose, expert stenographer for all tho depart
ments. And before I leave the list of ofllcals, allow
me to call attention to Congressman Webb, of
North Carolina, who led the fight in the House
for the submission of the prohibition, amend
ment; to Congressman Barkley, of Kentucky,
who introduced the amendment that closed the
distilleries during the war; and to Congressman
Randall, of California, whose amendment, aimed
at tho manufacture of beer, finally grew into
war prohibition which will closo all the saloons
in the nation on the night of June 30th. We are
proud to have them with us.
We have here also Senator Thompson, of
Kansas, whose state was a pioneer in prohibi
tion, and Senators Shafroth, of Colorado and
Myers, of Montana, who have been stalwart
champions of tho amendment. We havo hero
too Congressman Sanders, of Louisiana, without
whose aid Louisiana, handicapped by havinir
within her borders the wettest city in'the South
would not have ratified. You will remember that
Louisiana is the only state in which ratification
was carried by a majority of one, an that one
would not have been secured but for the fact
that Congressman Sanders joined his cront
strength with the strength of Louisiana
splendid executive, Governor Pleasant na s
We have here also Congretsman Shallen
berger, of Nebraska, who as Governor S
he 8 o'clock closing law, the first step S
by Nebraska in the final march toward the v
termination of the liquor traffic; CrogrewnSfn
Stevens, of my home state, a political f rE ?.
more than 25 years, is here Z SLf d for
Weaver, of North Carolina wSo renreLn?m?n
district in which I spend, thl suSrnths!
an
and Congressman ,Faris of Oklahoma r,n
of the nnmrrfiHsiftrml rintru- , ' "airni;
: , :t . wu,mmB(j oi our p....::
anu uongressman leiley, of Pennsylvania V
was one of the first of our eastern coSj?
s to espouse the causo of prohibition. en
I cannot forbear to thank Secretary rb( i
Senators Thompson and Myers, and nlj m
men Webb, Barkley, Randall, Sanders Sf
bringing their wives with them; tho aiwo-5
of suffrage hastens the day when women 5
grace all our political banquets. m
. But, leaving official life, let me call attend
to other honored guests, several of whom ,Z
mado contributions to this cause even ereatlr
than the contribution made by the officials mi
ent. Miss Gordon, President of the WomaX
Christian Temperance Union, deserves to head
the list for she is the worthy executive of the
greatest orgnization of women the world has
ever known, an organization which for nearly
50 years has labored in season and out of season
for tho banishment of saloons. And we are
gratified that she has brought with her Mrs
Yost, the legislative superintendent of the W. c
T, XL's work at the national capital, together
with others of her co-workers, Mrs. Beauchamp,
of Kentucky, Mrs. Richards, of Ohio, Mrs. Pea
body, Mrs. Montgomery and Miss Church.
And the Anti-Saloon League, which for a
quarter of. a century has taken tho lead in
organizing a non-partisan, political fight against
the saloon, honors the occasion by the presence
of nearly all of its head officers.
In front of me sits Dr, Howard H. Russell, the
father of the Anti-Saloon League, who called the
organization into being nearly twenty-six yearn
ago and has ever since been identified with its
work how happy he must be today; Rev. E.
C. Dinwiddle, legislative representative of tho
Anti-Saloon League in Washington, who has
directed the -fight in congress for some twenty
years; Hon. Wayne B. Wheeler, the national
attorney for the Anti-saloon League, who has
met and worsted the ablest attorneys that tho
liquor traffic could employ, and Dr. Cherringlon,
the editor of the newspapers through which the
Anti-saloon League Iras given Its information to
the country.
We have here too the Hon. Joshua Levering,
prohibition candidate for president in 1896, at
a time when- the principle of prohibition was
not universally accepted, and, I may add, while
we were "rivals for the highest honor in the
nation this has never disturbed our friendship.
We have also Rev. Ruf us W. Miller, represent
ing' the Federal Council of Churches, and Rev.
W. F. Crafts of the National Reform Bureau.
And it gives me special pleasure to welcome at
this board Rev. Father O'Callaghan, who, as
president of tho National Temperance Society
of the Catholic church, introduced me to a
Chicago audience when I made the speech that
began my attack upon the liquor traffic.
Besides the persons mentioned, we have the
Methodist Board of Temperance represented by
Mr. Waring; the Clergy represented by W
Deetg Pickett; and tho cartoonists, who have
.been so powerful p, factor in our fight, repres
ented by the most distinguished of the profes
sion, Mr. Berryman of the Star; while tw
moving picture people are represented by wr.
Dalton, than who'ni there is no more earnest
advocate of prohibition.
I have called your attention to the presence
of these guests that you may know what a rep
resentative gathering this is. The fact tna
these here assembted havo taken so active a pari
in the great reform, whose triumph we now
celebrate, makes if unnecessary for me to speaa
at length upon tho subject.
COMPLETENESS OF VICTORY
Just a word as to the completeness of aw
victory and the work that lies before us. wb
needed thirty-six states. We now have ion
" two, six more than necessary, and we
sure of Several others. When the South wen1
dry, the friends of the saloon said that it w
purely a local movement and would never rew.
the North; but before the first day of b
March every ttato bordering on Canada , win fl
ratified; all but one of these border states "
ratified already. When tho West beean Jd
dry, the representatives of tho liquor traffic : bw
it would never come East, but wo now faJ
but two of the states bordering on the Atwni '
and ve tvM have them as soon as the yw
have another chance to vote, if not before. w
the small sTates -went drythe wets saw w
the wave would-no"t reach, the big states, uui
.a.
..-. unX,m4 M