The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, July 24, 1908, Page 5, Image 5
-VTSirrv ---w'yy'lgiin..y The Commoner. JULY.. 24,. 10 5 AT FAIRVIEW ":" s riRn- t fix i in&delMTS As soon as it was announced that Mr. Korn liad been nominated this telegram was sent: "Hon. John W. Kern, Denver, Colo. Your nomination gratifies mo very much. We have a Bplendid platform and I am glad to have a run ning mate in such complete harmony with the platform. Stop off and see us on your way east. "WILLIAM J. BRYAN." At 9 o'clock Friday morning a largo number of Lincoln people accompanied by a band, board ed special motor cars and visited Fairview. The crowd comprised republicans as well as demo crats and was intended to be a non-partisian greeting to a neighbor. Mr. and Mrs. Bryan greet ed their visitors and Mr. Bryan delivered the fol lowing address: ,.,,,, ,1. "Ladies and Gentlemen and Neighbors: It is very kind of you to come out to indicate your good will at this time when great honor has come to this family, and I want to express for Mrs. Bryan and myself gratitude and apprecia tion for these evidences of your friendly interest and good will. The esteem of one's neighbors is a priceless asset to any one. The honors of pub lic life often come through circumstances for which the recipient is not entirely responsible. There are sometimes waves that carry into ofilce those who have little expectation of being elected, and carry out of office those who have every Teason to expect a continuance of public favor. I may recall two of such within the memory of all of us. You will.tfc member that in 1890 there was a great democratic tidal wave that swept into office many who ft ho time of their nomination had little expectation of success. Four years later there was another tidal wave, a republican wave that swept out of office a great many democrats and Into office a great many republicans, who hardly expected to suc ceed. Circumstances are potent in the political, success of people. Therefore you cannot build se curely upon honors- that come without necessarily much effort or merit on your part. But the affec tions that are formed between man and man, strengthening day by day, and knitting the past more closely together as the years go by, the3o are permanent these are more significant. "I want to say to you, my friends, that we appreciate the cordial friendships that have been growing up between us and our associates In this community during the last two decades, and it is generous and gracious on your part to come at this time to Increase that gladness of this day: I do not know what the future may have In store for us; a kind -Providence conceals from us the book of fate. Wa learn each day what each day Is to bring forth and we must be prepared for what ever comes, but I will say this to you, that I apreciate thfe generous good will and the affection that so many of the American people have shown more than I could appreciate any office that could come to me. I would rather have the lovo of those who know me than any other thing on earth (long applause and cheering, the band play ing 'Dixie' and several cheers and tigers being given by the crowd.) "I am not going to make you a political speech. I kind of wish I could go through this campaign without making any political speeches hero at homo (applause) because I hate to say anything that could cause the least bit of antag onism in this community, but it may bo necessary after a while (laughter) for mq to say just a fow words that would indicate my'politlcal leanings (laughter and applause). It may bo necessary for mo to discuss platform utterances and to dis cuss principles, and I want to ask forbcaranco of republican friends if I do not always express my self in the language that they would use if they were speaking on the same subject. "But I want to assure you now, "before the campaign opens and before I have to make a po litical speech, I want to assure you now that whatever I may say on the subjects that divide us, whatever argumonts I may advanco in support of those policies which to me seem best for the country, I want you always to know, and never to forget, that I believe that the things that bind us together as citizens are more Important and more numerous than our political differences. I want you to know that howover earnest I may bo In the presentation of my political Ideas, I recognize at all times the equal right of every other citizen to hold opinions, and as I respect you no less for candidly stating your views, I hope you will think nono the less of mo if I candidly state my views when occasion calls for a statement. I like to believe that every American citizen prefers the triumph of that which he may believe to be right if he is in fact mistaken. And, my friends, build ing on this basis, we can be both earnest and char itable, for if Wo love our country more than wo love our party, if we desire the triumph of justice more than the triumph of erroneous opinions wo are prepared for either victory or defeat, for if we win, we know that the victory can only be per manent If it is a deserved victory and if it re sults in tho advancement of the common weal, and we know that if defeat comes it can only be temporary if we are in fact right and those who win are wrong, and thus believing in the omnipo tence of truth, we are propared to meet each oth er upon an honest footing, discuss our differences honestly, but submissively to the will of tho peo ple, and pray that whichever party wins, the country 's good will be preserved. "My father was a devout man. He did not leave so much in the way of money, and I am not sure but it was better for me that he did not, for I believe that great wealth is more often a curse than a blessing to the young who inherit it. A prospective fortune large enough to remove one from the necessity of toil Is more apt to par- alyzo one's energies than to bo a source of Inspi ration to him. But whllo my father did not leavo mo a fortune, he loft mo something that has been worth more to mo than air tho money of any mllllonatro could have boon. lie taught me to bo Hevo that every righteous principle would triumph. Ho told mo when a boy that I could afford to be in tho minority, but that I could not afford to bo wrong on any question; that If I was In the mi nority and right, I would some time bo In tho ma jority, and that if I was in tho majority and wrong I would some tlmo bo In the minority. I say to you, my friends, that that advice given mo by my fathor has boon worth more to mo than any amount of monoy could havo been, and I bellovo that it Is a principle that wo should Imbed In tho minds and hoarts of all, confident of the triumph of righteous cause. If ovlls como, lot us havo con fidence in tho intelligence and the Integrity and tho patriotism of tho people. I am an optimist. I bollove tho world Is growing better. I hellevo that tho great movements for tho uplifting of society are going forward with roslstloss forco. Wo can not stop tho triumph of tho truth. We may accol erato It; we may retard It; wo cannot stop It. "But If I wore to talk too long on principles llko those I might be tempted to apply them to condi tions and to the Issues, and that Is not my purpoao this morning. A great honor has fallen to ua. Tho voters of a great party havo made mo tholr standard bearer. I need not toll you that I did not buy this nomination. I need not toll you that I had no way of coercing people. Why, my friends, I have no way of coercing the peoplo who llvo about mo no way of coercing the peoplo of Nor mal or of Lincoln or of Lancaster or of Nebraska, much loss tho people of tho United States. It Is not for mo to say whether they have acted wise ly at Denver or not; I am glad that tho responsi bility Is tlioira, not mine. Tills I know; I appra. elate it because it has been a free will offering presented by some six million of my countrymen. We aro going to do tho best wo can to present to tho public the issues of this campaign. Wo arc going to meet you as wo can, and then wo aro going to believo that whatever the result is on election day, and it Is going to bo good, and if it is for us, wo will feel that wo aro going to bo per mitted to put Into practice tho principles which will bo presented; and if it Is against us, wo will know that wo can learn by tho mannor in which our opponents apply their principles whether they were right in advocating them or wo right in opposing them. "You have come out at the beginning of tho campaign. Come out just as often as you will. And there Is one thing about It; the pleasure of success will be moderated by the fact that It will take us from you, and the sorrow of defeat will bo softened by the fact that it will leave us with you. MR BRYAN TO LABORING MEN On the evening of July 17 a delegation from tho Lincoln, Neb., Central Labor Union visited Mr.. Bryan atFairview. Mr. T. C. Kelsey delivered an addrefir, reading tho Resolutions adopted by the Central Labor Union and pledg ing support to Mr. Bryan. After the presenta tion of tho resolutions Mr. Bryan addressed tho delegation as follows: i'l am very grateful to you for this gen erous expression of confidence and this" pledge of your support. The resolution is the more pleasant to mo because it comes from you, among whom I have lived for now a little more than twenty years. Among the testimonials that have been given by neighbors and friends, there are none that I prize more highly than this volun tary -proffer of your support this expression of your confidence and of your good will. "It is truo that our platform endorses a number of remedial measures, and I am in hearty sympathy with the platform endorse ments. There is not a line in that platforms declaration in favor of the laboring men that does not havo my most cordial approval. "This is not the timo or tho place to elab orate uppn thoso planks. There is one plank there that I was veryr anxious, to have In tho platform; it was in tho platform of eight years ago; the plank that proposes. a, new cabinet posi tion, a department of labor, with a secretary at its head. I have for many years believed that the great body of our population known as wageearners pught to bo represented in tho counsels of the chief executive. I have long be lieved that you ought to havo a representative' of the toilers in tho shops and factories, a rep resentative sitting at the president's table, shar ing in his deliberations, and speaking forth there on those questions in which labor has an espe cial interest. And I am very much gratified that that plank is there, and that the party has made this promise, if entrusted with power, to givo to labor that high honor to which it is entitled. "I think, too, that it is very important that we should have an amendment to the anti-trust law, that will draw a distinction between thoso who associate themselves together for mutual benefit a lino between those and thoso who as sociate themselves together in an Industrial cor poration for the purpose of monopolizing somo article of commerce. There is a distinction so broad between these two classes of organizations that it seems to me everyone ought to be able to see it, and that distinction ought to bo drawn by law. I am glad that that is in the platform. "I am glad that there is a provision in there in regard to a trial by jury In cases of indirect contempt. It is now something like thirteen years ago, I. believe, since I first had occasion to discuss that subject. It was after I went out of congress and before I was nom inated for tho presidency tho first timo. A bill was before the senate, and as I recollect tho history of it, It was about llko this. It was re ported back from the committee of tho senate, and in the form in which it was reported tho judge could permit a Jury. When I read that report I at onco criticised it and said that tho bill should not provide merely that the judge might permit a jury, but a jury should bo de manded as a matter of right by the accused, and my recollection is that Senator Allen of this state Introduced an amendment to that effect and it was adopted, and that went through tho senate by so unanimous a vote that no ono called for the roll. It is now more than twelve years since that time, and yet tho Influences which have been opposed to this legislation havo. been so strong that up to this time that measure of justice has been defeated. I am very glad that in our platform there Is a provision de manding a trial by Jury in cases of indirect contempt. "I am glad, too, that wo are able to agreo upon an injunction plank that was satisfactory to the leaders of the laboring men and the mem bers of the resolutions committee. I was much gratified, and I think the form in which tho party's position is stated upon that subject ought to bo satisfactory to all. You will find that thero is no attempt to interfere with tho t44 (Continued on P.ago 9) n 1 v; 'V fl ! r1 ,1 -i . jfua m I A. if fi