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The Commoner.
MARCH 8, 1912
Mr. Bryan's Meetings in the West
Referring to Mr. Bryan's visit in Idaho tho
Boise Capital says: The Pinney theater was
far too small for tho great crowd which
clamored at all its doors this afternoon to hear
William Jennings Bryan deliver his address
of tho day upon national questions, urging tho
members of his party to work for the interests
of a progressive man to lead tho party in the
coming campaign. With force and eloquence
his wonderful voice rang clear throughout tho
building, he laid bare tho records of Taft and
Roosevelt showing tho pledges which they had
failed to keep and severely flaying Governor
Harmon, who is seeking the democratic nomi
nation, because of his opposition to the recall.
Mr. Bryan held his listeners spell-hound as he
appealed to them with groat earnestness to
study the conditions of tho country and see
the bright ray of hope for the final triumph
of tho democratic party in the next campaign.
The stage of the theater was appropriately
decorated for the occasion and was filled with
leading democrats from various parts of the
state.
Governor James H. Hawley introduced the
great commoner to the vast audience, in a brief
address, wherein he eulogized him as a great
constructive statesman. He spoke as follows:
"Ladies and Gentlemen: Nearly seventeen
years ago our distinguished guest first honored
Boise with a visit. Although then in tho first
flush of early manhood ho had already firmly
established hip reputation as a public speaker,
and, during the two years' previous service in
the national legislature, had assured all who
had observed his course of his ability as a con
structive statesman. The memorable address that
he made on that visit made such a favorable im
pression on our citizens that when in tho suc
ceeding year he was nominated for the presi
dency, irrespective of politics, he received our
almost unanimous support. Since that time his
name has been a household word not only in
every part of this state, but of the entire nation,
and his influence has extended until today he
is the most powerful private citizen in tho
world. Ever in the front line of advanced
political thought, honest in his convictions and
always ready to share such convictions with the
public, he has, although thrice defeated for the
presidency, still retained his firm hold on tho
affections of the American people and his great
influence has extended to even the most remote
sections of our common country. I consider it
an honor and a privilege to introduce him to this
great audience. As a member of the political
party of which he has been the undoubted
leader for so many years, I am glad that he is
again with us. As a citizen of Idaho, it is a
pleasure to again greet him and welcome him
to the commonwealth where all the people re
gardless of political opinions, honor and respect
him. As chief executive of the state, I welcome
him to fair Idaho and assure him that all our
people feel honored by his presence here today
and -only regret the shortness of his visit.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is mjr pleasure to
introduce to you the great commoner, the fore
most citizen of the United States, Honorable
William J. Bryan."
The Capital prints the following epigrams
from Mr. Bryan's speech:
The era of the brotherhood of man is not
coming. It is hero now.
There are two parties one that Is opposed
to the people and one that is for the people.
Roosevelt admitted that he consented to the
steel combine to savo the industrial United
States. That is an admission that one corpora
tion can wreck 90,000,000 of people.
I wonder why wo were so prompt to recog
nize the republic of Panama and yet are so
Blow to recognize the republic of China?
Tho direct election of United States senators
means that the people will take the control of
the senate out of the hands of predatory wealth.
If a law prohibiting contributions by corpora
tions to campaigns had been in effect in 1896,
there would have been a much less fund for the
republicans or more men in the penitentiaries.
I believe the time has come to turn the spot
light on the White house and compel the presi
dent, when he makes an appointment, to name
those who recommended that appointment.
I am for any man for the democratic nominee
for president who is in favor of tho progressive
ideas and for those ideas for which wo have
fought. ..
I am in favor of the publicity by law of tho
names of tho owners of newspapers. Do you
know that some of the most influential news
papers are owned by predatory wealth?
I believe in a law that will compel publicity
of tho contributions to presidential candidates.
We have publicity on tho Steel trust, now let
us havo publicity on tho Monoy trust.
There has not been a campaign in which I
was a candidate that I would not havo been
elected but for the money trust.
When will we havo the example again of a
president brought in on the recommendation of
one man and going out through tho opposition
of the samo man?
There is nothing good that Roosevelt promises
that a democrat can not give; nothing bad he
promises that Taft will not give us if given a
chance.
I am opposed to a third term, alternately or
consecutively.
I am opposed to any man heading tho demo
cratic ticket who speaks for retreat and who
would fight from tho rear.
Nearly everybody Is for the initiative and tho
referendum, and about the only man who has
not accepted it is Governor Harmon.
What is the recall? Dragging a man away
from the public crib before he is ready to leave.
I honor Governor Wilson for his admitting
he was wrong in opposing tho initiative and the
referendum, and now acknowledges that It is
right and favoring it.
I am satisfied I am not the strongest man, and
I will go out and fight for a progressive demo
crat as sincerely and as earnestly as over I
fought for myself, and I hope more successfully.
A WELCOME TO BRYAN
Editorial in Boise (Idaho) Capital-News:
Boise today is welcoming a wonderful citizen.
It matters not whether wo be political friends
or political foes of Mb, we must acknowledge his
wonderful power as a citizen and as a construc
tive politician.
No other man tho country has ever known
could survive defeat as he has survived It, and
still be acknowledged a greater man in such
defeat than he was before perhaps, a greater
man In his defeat than ho would have been in
his success.
Run over the list of defeated men for political
preferment and how many are there who have
survived to be great in their defeat?
William Jennings Bryan is a great man a
great common citizen. We do not always agreo
with him; we have believed he has been wrong
many times, but we acknowledge he has not
bjeen wrong so many times as we have been,
and when we can say of a man that Is oftener
right than we' ourselves are, then we pay our
highest tribute to him.
We wish he could be a little more compromis
ing, because we believe if he were he could
accomplish more for the people. But in this we
may be wrong again. It might be that the result
would be greater accomplished for himself, but
less for the people. If he sees it that way and
still holds out for the accomplishment of tho
greater good for the people, then he is a greater
man than the following of our desires in this
respect would make him.
At any rate, "William Jennings Bryan is a
model citizen, and as such we can all afford to
extend a welcome to him to our city.
MR. BRYAN IN WYOMING
Tiie Cheyenne Wyoming State Leader prints
the following description of Mr. Bryan's visit
to Wyoming: Hon. W. J. Bryan, three times a
nominee for the democratic party for president
of tho United States, and the man who stands
out prominently as one of two or three whom
no man can say is dishonest or a grafter, is the
guest of Cheyenne. And to'say the people are
glad to see his familiar face and hear his silver
toned voice, is placing it mildly.
Bryan is the same admirable character as
ever. Age does not seem to wear on him, and
his entrancing faculties shine as brightly now
as ever in his whole brilliant career. His is a
strange history. The greatest ambition of his
life has been to be president of the United
States. In this he has signally failed, and the
day is passed when he may ever hope -for such
distinction. But, as was said of Daniel Webster,
Henry Clay, and one or two other characters in
American history, Bryan is too great a man for
tho presidency a character peculiarly adapted
for a work singular to itself that of moulding
public sentiment in a manner which is beyond
tho pales of tho White house. And when history
is written, it will point to William Jennings
Bryan as tho loading and moving spirit of this
age in all that makes for tho betterment of tho
human raco, politically, spiritually and morally.
Ho arrived in Cheycnno at 8:35 In tho oven
Ing, and was mot at the train by a host of
people aside from tho regularly constituted ro
coption committee. As ho alighted from tho
train, tho depot platform was full of pooplo
anxious to get a glimpse of his faco, which is
perhaps tlie most familiar countenance In pub
lic life in tho United States today.
Tho committee at once escorted him to tho
Plains hotel, where ho rested until tho hour
of the banquet, with tho exception of greeting
friends and leading men of tho democratic
party In Wyoming, who called at the hotel to
seo him.
In the morning ho is duo for an address at
tho First Presbyterian church in this city. Tho
services will commence promptly at 10:45 a.
m., and it is expected that long before this time
tho church will bo filled to its capacity, and
many turned away.
Tho nature of this address is not known. Rev.
HUls himself docs not know. All ho knows
about it is that Mr. Bryan very kindly said
"yes" when ho asked him to speak at tho
church. But Mr. Mills, however, has the faculty
of doing things right, and it is a foregono
conclusion that everything in tho way of a
church service long to bo remombercd will tako
place in his church tomorrow.
Mr. Bryan is one of the greatest living pulpit
orators, as well as political orator, and his
church addresses are among his best efforts.
At the banquet were prominent citizens from
almost every section of Wyoming, from Now
castlo to Jackson's Hole, and from Cody to Pino
Bluffs. 110 guests sat down at tho tables in
the dining room at the Plains. After the din
ner had been disposed of, Hon. John E. Osborne,
tho toastmaster,. introduced Governor Caroy,
who presented Mr. Bryan to tho audience.
Governor Carey spoke of Mr. Bryan as a man
who, while he had not achieved the presidency,
had nevertheless made a profound impression
upon the progressive political thought of tho
United States. Ho compared Mr. Bryan to John
C. Calhoun, the greatest constructive statesman
produced by the south before tho Civil war, to
Henry Clay, Alexander Hamilton, and Daniel
Webster, all of them leaders in the political and
economic thought of their times. Ho said that
while none of those men had attained to tho
presidency of the United States, they had per
haps achieved positions in history and left repu
tations far more enviable than had they realized
their ambitions.
Tho governor, in introducing Mr. Bryan, de
clared that he and Theodore Roosevelt, ono
democrat and tho other a republican, had had
the greatest influence upon legislation than any
other men of their generation.
Mr. Bryan said, in part: "I am not a strangor
to Wyoming. I commenced coming hero back
before 1890, and this was one of the first
states that indicated through its delegates a
sufficient confidence In mo to support me for
the nomination as democratic candidate for tho
presidency of the United States.
"When I make a religious speech I am always
accused of talking politics, and when I make a
democratic speech I am invariably accused of
talking religion. There is a reason, for there
Is so little difference between a democratic
speech and a religious address that a progres
sive republican can not tell the difference.
"I believe in co-operation wherever it is pos
sible between the democrats and progressive re
publicans. Twenty years ago I was advocating
co-operation between the populists and the
democrats in Nebraska and I used a scriptural
reference to illustrate my point. I said that If
tho democrats were casting out devils and tho
populists were casting out devils, we couldn't
be very far apart, though wo invoked different
names when we cast tho devils out. You carifc
imagine my surprise next morning when I read
in the republican paper that I had said If tho
democrats and the populists were casting out
devils, It must bo tho work of devils!
"I havo known reformers who found it diffi
cult to act with other reformers because they In
sisted upon having action first upon that re
form which they thought most important, and
this honest difference of opinion among reform
ers as to which is the important question often
delays reform. I have known some reformers,
too, who, when they found what .they regarded
as a cure-all and the people would not at onco
accept it, have been anxious that conditions
might get worse. They have even been willing
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