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OCTOBER 23, 190
The Commoner.
9
MR. BRYAN'S OMAHA SPEECH
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Al Omaha, Nebraska, on OCt6b'er 17 Mr. "Bry
an spoko as follows:
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is
certainly gratifying to have this splendid audi-
cnce here tonight after eighteen years of service
in your state. The highest reward that those in
public life can have is the approval of those with
whom and for whom they work, and I desire to
oxpress as emphatically as words can express it
my gratitude for this mdst cordial reception.
(Applause). I want to thank these singers,
the Omaha Maennerchor, for contributing their
part to the success of this gathering, and in
doing so I want to express my delight that all
over this land those who are knovn as German
Americans are giving their support to the demo
cratic ticket. (Applause.) We have'no stronger
element in our population than that contributed
by the Fatherland, and I esteem it an honor and
a compliment that so many of the German papers
and German-American voters are giving support
to our platform and our ticket. I appreciate also
the compliment that is paid me by this boy, Don
ald Bryan Smith, to whom his parents gave my
name, not in the hour of our hope, but in the hour
of defeat, testifying therefor that it was not vic
tory that attached them to me, but the things for
which I fought and fell. (Applause.)
A voice: "What is the matter with Bryan? He's
all right!" (Applause).
Help of Congress
I have a number of namesakes scattered
throughout the country, and I count it one of the
pleasures reserved for the latter days of my life
to read of the successes and the achievements
of those whoso names are linked with me. And
on this occasion the boy presents to you my fav
orite piece of band music. I heard it first eleven
years ago, when the president's band played it
for me in the city of Mexico, and from that time
to this l have enjoyed its strains, and I can say
that it will be a good piece to play on the 4th of
March on Pennsylvania, avenue. (Applause). The
title of the piece is 'La Paloma,' and it means
Tho Dove,' and surely this is a fitting campaign
for us to choose it as one of our battle tunes, for
the dove at last has made his abode in the demo
cratic party (great applause), and it may be, too,
a republican symbol inviting them to join us in
the ark democratic. (Applause).
My friends on this occasion, I hardly know
just how I should shape ray speech, for I want to x
rojolco the hearts of the democrats, without tread
ing upon the toes of the republicans who qon
tribute by their presence to the success of this
occasion. (Applause). And yet, I am sure that I
will seem more acceptable to the republicans in
a natural position than in an unnatural one (ap
plause) and my natural position is defending the
democracy (applause) and I think that at this
time a derense of democratic principles is more
acceptable to republicans than I have ever knowu
it to be before. (Applause).
Good Words for Hitchcock
Before taking up the question that I want to
discuss, I want to say a word about candidates. I
want in tho first place to urge upon you the im
portance of electing a democrat to congress In
this district. (Applause. Cries of "We will do it,
and "Hurrah for Hitchcock.") I am anxious the
democrats will be elected in all the districts that
are represented in this audience, whether they be
Nebraska districts or Iowa districts or districts In
other states. But as this is the home of our can
didate, and the largest county of his district, I
want to say a word in behalf of Congressman
Hitchcock. (Applause). He nas served you faith
fully and he deserves election (Applause). Among
the men sent from the west none has measured up
more fully to tho stature of -a public servant than
your own distinguished congressman. (Applause).
None from the east or south have more truly
voiced tho sentiments of the masses or fought
more courageously for everything tnat was right
and against everything that was wrong. He has
earned a re-election at your hand and With the
experience that he has already had, he will go
back to do a larger service even than he has done
before.
But, my friends, I have another reason for urg
ing his re-election. I can truthfully say that. I am
more interested In his election than he'ls him
self, more interested than his closest persona
friends in this district, for I believe that I will
be in Washington myself after March (great ap
plause), and I want a democratic congress to
work -with me. A president can enforce;the law.
he can distribute patronage, but he cannot en.act
laws without the aid' of congress. ' ' -
I am not an aspirant for tho presidency bo
causo of tho honor that attaches to tho office.
(Applause). I am not an aspirant for tho presi
dency" because it will givo mo a chance to ap
point men to office. (Applause). Ihero is but ono
thing that makes the office attractive to me, and
that is that in that office I may help to enact tho
laws that this country needs. (Applause). Tho
president can recommend, but congress must
initiate laws. If I were there as president with
a republican house and senate, I could do nothing
in tho way of securing legislation for two years,
but if I am there with a democratic house, I
can do something towards securing legislation.
(Applause). In fact I am convinced that I can do
much, if I have a congress to help mo, for if tho
people elect a democratic president and a demo
cratic house, there will be a verdict, signed and
sealed, in behalf of tho reforms set forth in our
platform, and I have faith in tho moral force of
the verdict of the people.
Help of Congress
Give mo a congress that is pledged to that
platform and I shall send measure after measure
in conformity to our platform, and when the houso
passes those measures, I shall demand of the sen
ate that they shall obey the people of tho United
Statos (great applause), and who will say that tho
senate will refuse? To be sure, the senate is apt
to bo republican for the next two years. Tho num
ber of our gains in the senate will depend upon
the size of our victdry, but if wo can gain a vic
tory, wo will make some gains in tho senate and
then with our democratic strength thus increased
we shall find republican senators whose terms ex
pire two years hence, and they will be willing 'to
listen to what the people say. (Applause.)
Even Jn Nebraska our senators are not so
tall but they can put their ears to the grpund jf
necessary. (Applause.) If the.. democrats of the
senate and house wero willing to belp a republi
can president when he advocated measures of re
form, who will say that there wllj be no rppubll
can to help a democratic president when he urges
reforms.
I repeat, that. I want you to leave nothing
undone to secure the election of Mr. Hitchcock
in this district (Great applause). And, to those
from other districts I present this same message,
"Go bade to your district and do what you can
to elect a democratic congress."
A word, too, in regard to our state ticket.
These men who have been nominatod are men
who for these long years have helped in the fight
we have made for reform. These men have been
my co-laborers, they have fought for you and they
deserve your support. I bespeak for them your
votes and then the Influence that you ran bring
in their behalf. We want Mr. Shallenberger for
governor (applause) of this state (applause) and
we want a democratic legislature to hold up his
hands and help him to carry out the pledges of
our platform, and one of the pledges that will
be carried out if we have this state ticket elected
and a democratic legislature is the pledge to pass
a bill that will make it possible for you to go to
sleep at night, if you have deposited your money,
without dreaming of a failure of a bank. (Ap
plause). Bank Guaranty
And as this subject is presented in bolh our
national and our state platforms, I shall begin
the discussion of the issues with a word upon
the subject. In our national platform we demand
legislation that will guarantee the depositor. Tho
republican national convention not only ignored
this question, but the republican candidate 'has
seen fit to take a position hostile to it. In this
state democrats also demand this, and in this
state the republican convention refused the de
mand, although those who were in the convention
must have known that a large majority of the
republicans of the state are in favor of this legis
lation. If you want this legislation in state or nation
you must get it through the democrats, for if the
republicans will not promise it to you, before elec
tion, they will not give it to you after election.
P If3 they will defy what they know to bo tho
sentiment, even when they want votes, are they
likely to yield to it when the necessity for votes
has passed? It seems hardly necessary to discuss
a question so simple and so easily understood as
this Why, my friends, nearly everybody can un
derstand this question. I do not mean to fay that
everybody 'can, but nearly everybody. I draw the
line here;1 whenever a man reaches that period of
intellectual development whoro ho can clearly '
comprdhond that when ho puts his money in a
bank ho ought to bo able to get it out again,
then ho Is ablo to understand tho subject. (Great
Applause.) If you agreo with mo that a man
ought to havb a deposit mado secure, then thoro
are only two questions remaining. Ono is, nro his
deposits now securo? If not, who ought to mako
them secure? Aro they now sufficiently securo? '
(Cries of no, no, no.) Lot mo givo you the ovi-
donee in proof of tho assertion that thoy are not
sufficiently secure. Tho postmaster gonoral says
that wo send millions of dallars to Europo every
yoaT to be deposited in tho govornmont Savings
banks of' tho old country becnuso thoso who sond
money abroad are not willing to trust our banks
In this country. I say to you that wo ought to
mako ou banks so safe that this money will bo
kept at homo and used In business and not driven
across an ocean to find a safo depository. (Ap
plause.) y
t
Money In Hiding
Another evidence: Thoro is at all times a con
siderable amount of money In hiding nnd v in
hoarding, and at tho approach of a business de
pression, Just at tho timo when tho people need
money, moro molioy rushes into hiding. It ought
not to be nnd it will not bo when our banks are
mado secure, for no man will hide money under
a carpet or in a stove or a stocking or in tho
ground except as a matter of necessity to protect
it from loss (Applause.) If tho pooplo feel se
curo, they would rather havo their money in tho
bank, and our plan will bring their money Into tho
bank and through tho bank it will go Into tho
channels of trade.
Do you still believe that the hanks are safo
enough?JGo to a national banker who is oppdscd
to any' additional prdtectJou to the depositor and
ask him if his bank is safo and he will tell you it
is. You tell lilm it is not, and ho will repeat
that It is. Tell him that ho knows it is not and
givo him the proof of it. Tell him that ho can
not borrow one dollar of Uncle Sam's money -oh
tho security ''that' bo, gives to tho depositor. (Ap- ,
plautfe.) Go to any national bank in this city, or
in any other city, and you will find that whon
that bank gets a deposit of government money,
it puts up specific security, nnd whenever tho state,
tho county, the city, the village, deposit money,
in the, banks,', each and all domand security, and
if these banks are not safe enough for a deposit
of the money of tho United States, or if tho state
or the' county or tho city or tho village requires
security, they aro not safe enough to take tho de
posit of a farmer ,or laborer or a merchant. (Ap
plause.) . ,
Who to Give 8ecur!ty
Who shall .give the secuiity? I would never
have" thought of that question if It had not been
suggested after I made a speech In Baltimore. I
discussed this question In Baltimore, as I havo
discussed it everywhere. , I have the advantage
over Judge Taft. T can present all of my platform
everywhere, but ho has to prcsont his by install
ments'' In different parts of tho country. (Great ap
plause.) He talks about one thing in ono part of
the country, and about another thing in another t
part of the country. He spoke here, didn't he?
(Voices: ITe tried to.) Did he discuss the subject
of bank deposits in Omaha-. (Voices, No, no, no,.)
He did not discuss it anywhere in the west, except
once in St. Paul, Minn. He was doubtless warned
that he was on dangerous ground when he dis
cussed that subject in Nebraska and lie, dots not
go on dangerous ground if warned in advance.
(Great Applause.) I discussed this subject in
Baltimore, and a few days' afterward my atten
tion was called to an advertisement in a Balti
more paper. It quoted what I said, that a man
could insure his life or his house or his buggy or
hi3 barn, but he could not insure his money. Tho
advertisement said that Mr. Bryan was mlstakeii;
that a man could insure his money. It said that
the Bank Guaranty company would insure his
money in a bank. You see, a man deposits his
money Jn a bank and then he goes and hires
somebody to insure that he can get it out again..
(Applause.) I do not think that Is fair .
My friends, if a banker tells you that peo
ple deposit in his bank because of their - faith
in him, you tell him he is mistaken. Tell him
they deposit in his bank because of their faith
In it, not in him. (Applause). If he wants to get
his pride punctured and bayp his self-esteem colr ,
lapse, let lilm withdraw from, the bank and. .start
an establishment next door and hang qiit ' big .
sign inviting deposits, and then let him wait un-
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