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The Commoner.
Mr. Bryan in History
Editor Tlio Commoner: Of all tho centen
aries Unit have boon and are being observed
throneliout tho civilized world, of those whose
characters and services for tho good of
humanity liavo been writ largo upon tho scroll
of famo, there Is nono whoso life will bo found
to bo more inspiring or moro replete with in
struction at tho present hour, particularly for
tho millions of our countrymen who have stead
fastly followod tho matchless leadership of
America's great commoner through tho decado
and a half now of triumphant and still triumph
ing struggle, "to roform tho enormous abuses
growing out of consolidated, law-defying wealth,
avarico and legalized rapacity," than that of
John Bright.
Ono hundred years ago, 1811, John Bright,
tho great English Quaker, orator and statesman
was born.
Apart from tho proprioty at this time of pay
ing tribute to tho man to whom our country
owes an oblgation and debt of gratitude for
what ho did at tho time when this country was
in tho throes of a groat national calamity that
Is moasuroless the purposes of this article is
two: First, to call attention to tho striking
similarity between tho great struggle that was
waged in England in which John Bright took
so conspicuous a part and that which is now
being waged hero.
And, second, by carefully noting what follows
regarding John Bright, spoken at a great testi
monial meeting given him at Birmingham,
England, in 1883, certainly ono of tho most re
markablo tributes over paid to any man. Tho
millions of admiring and devoted followers of
democracy's great leader here will bo struck
with tho fidelity with which this portraiture
of his great English prototype portrays his
character and public services, and his incorrup
tible integrity, which is tho chief secret of tho
conildonco, admiration and enthusiastic loyalty
with which thoy have como to regard him.
On tho occasion above referred to, concerning
tho character and public services of Bright, tho
Birmingham Liberal association wrote:
"Wo need not recall tho vital questions which
have been raised and settled, tho beneficent
roforms which have been effected, and the
measure of progress which has been achieved
during tho period of your services. These are
written in tho history of our country; and, there,
also, Is Imporlshably recorded tho great share
which you have had in bringing them about.
There is no roform for which you have pleaded
that has not received support from your country
men, and recognition from tho legislature, these
"have been tho objections of your ceaseless en
deavors; to those you have been faithful in all
vicissitudes of political fortune, and under all
circumstances of personal trial, undismayed by
momentary failure, undeterred by persistent
obloquy. And, thanks in a great measure to
your advocacy, tho principles for which you
have contended, from your entrance into parlia
ment until now, are largely embodied in acts
of legislation.'
The National Liberal club sent an address
and it was signed by Mr. Gladstone.
The National Reform union (Manchester)
wrote:
"Your life has been an onsaraple, your career
an inspiration, your name a strong-hold of poli
tical faith. There have been times when the
groat party to which we all belong has been
endangered of losing sight of the end and aim
of its existence. Then your singleness of pur
pose shown forth like a beacon to keep us in
tho right course. When tho principles which
wo all profess have been temporarily obscured
by tho passion of party or by consideration of
so-called national expediency, your fidelity to
prlnclplo has raised us above the influences of
tho moment. If wo have ever felt uncertain
and doubtful as to a particular courso of politi
cal action, our confidence has been restored, or
our doubt made certainty by tho attitude you
have assumed, so strong has been our faith in
your political sagacity and the purity of your
motives. It would bo vain to attempt to enu
merate all tho great and beneficial movements
which you have led or taken a leading part in
promoting. With your name will ever be as
sociated the 'acquisition by your follow-country-
- .. . . t e c.aa Ir-nAn n frno nrP.RS.
men of tno oiessinga m "w "y,.;" . '
and an extended franchise. The cause of liberty
has ever found in you a ready and an uncom
promising champion; and you have often
striven, with a courage greater than that of tne
soldier, to stem tho tide of war, even when
it flowed with tho full passion of a nation.
Secure of popularity alike by the services you
have rendered to the people and by tho gift of
marvellous eloquence with which God has en
dowed you, the breath of popujar prejudice has
never shaken your resolution. Basing your own
conduct, in public as well as in private life, on
tho firm and immutable foundations of morality,
you have consistently endeavored to shape your
country's policy and secure her well being by
a strict application of tho same principles ifi
her national life." t
"Wo who have heard him so often," said a
speaker on the occasion, "can never forget tho
music of his voice, the simplicity and noble
strength of his English style, the admiration of
scholars, and intelligible to tho least cultivated
of the people. Wo have been charmed by the
felicity of his illustrations, drawn from the
best English sources, but by preference from
those ancient and venerable scriptures which
aro dearer than all other books besides, to the
hearts of the English people. Again and again
wo have felt the force of his massive common
sense, wo have been moved to tears by his
pathos, and we have been kindled to passion
by his glorious declamation. But, sir, the
hearts of a great population aro not to be won
by eloquence alone, no matter how splendid.
We aro here to acknowledge that Mr. Bright
has rendered immense and incontestable ser
vices to ourselves and to the whole country.
These services alone would have been sufficient
to secure for Mr. Bright lasting gratitude and
renown. But in addition to this he, beyond all
other men who took part in tho great struggle
for reform, achieved the political emancipation
of thousands of Englishmen in all our great
towns. (Applause.) But, sir, I venture to say
that tho affection and veneration which Mr.
Bright has inspired are not fully explained
either by his eloquence or by the magnificent
services that he has rendered to the country.
The man is greater than his eloquence; the man
is nobler than his services. (Loud cheers.) We
forget the genius of the orator, and the politi
cal achievements of the statesman in our
admiration of himself. (Applause) And the
reason of this is plain: in the heart of every one
of us there is an invincible conviction that the
true nobility and glory of human life come from
courageous fidelity to duty.'and in circumstances
of great peril Mr. Bright has always been loyal
to his conscience. Slander never turned him
aside (hear, hear) from what he believed to
be the path of righteousness, nor mockery, nor
insult, nor hatred. He never quailed before the
power of the great and when for a time fidelity
to conscience brought upon him storms of un
popularity, and he lost the confidence of the
?Gm le ,he loved and served. Mr- Bright remained
faithful still. (Cheers, renewed again and
again.) I believe that he has elevated the na
tional ideal of political morality (hoar, hear )
and the value of that service can not be meas
ured. His incorruptible integrity is the chief
secret of the confidence and enthusiastic loyalty
with which we have come to regard him.
(Cheers.) To a man like Mr. Bright, with
powers so great, with an influence in this nation
so immense, the review of his public life to
which he is called tonight must, have a certain
solemnity in it. We hope indeed, that for a
long while to come (hear, hear) his integrity,
his sagacity his knowledge of public affairs"
will long be continued to guide and to
strengthen the great liberal party. (Cheers)
"For ourselves, we are here to say that in
our judgment, ho has discharged his great truiS
with a noble courage, and with a stainless
honesty (loud cheers) and has served us and
tho nation well. (Loud cheering) AnS i
Mr. Bright the grateful blessinfs of the poor
are yours, for you have lessened their misedes
(Cheers.) The confidence of the great masnnf
-v.uu WUVill iJUiiLiuui wrongs. (CheorR
You have won the respect of the most worthy of
your opponents and you have won tho enthusias
tic devotion of your friends. In every land
where the English tongue is spoken you are
honored as the foremost champion in these
times of truth, of freedom, of justice and of
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 15
peace. (Hear, hear and cheers.) These, sir,
are glories which, surpass the most splendid re
wards of mere personal ambition. They, .
" 'Make the pageantries .of kings like Bhadows
seem
An unsubstantial drearm' "
(Loud cheers.)
This is what was said of John Bright. This
is what will be said of-William J. Bryan and
realized more and more as event upon event
demonstrates how unerring is the great, strong
and righteous hand that has been ordained to
lead; and when his work is done it will as
truly and justly be said of him as it was of
Bright and it will be one of the greatest
tributes that can be paid to his life's great work
that "he was one of the greatest moral forces
in American politics of his day."
At a testimonial meeting given in England to
William Lloyd Garrison, John Bright in speak
ing of Garrison's work said: "It is a triumph
which has pronounced the irreversible doom of
slavery."
Must it not now be said, thanks to William J.
Bryan more than to any other single living man
in these United States, that the irreversible
doom of legalized plunder and moral obliquity
in high places is finally and rapidly being sealed
by a great people. C. H. BULLIS.
Lancaster, N. Y.
THE REAIi DEFENDERS OF PROPERTY
Whenever any vested wrong is to be righted
or any long-standing abuse corrected, those who
profit by the wrong or the abuse are prompt to
pose as the defenders of property and to charge
the reformers with attacking property rights.
This is the historic attitude of those who oppose
remedial legislation. The insincerity of the
position taken is usually shown by the argu
ments employed by these self-styled champions
of property, and one of the best illustrations of
these arguments is to be found in the story of
Demetrius, the silversmith. It reads as follows:
"And the same time there arose no small stir
about that way. For a certain man named
Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silveir
shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto
the craftsmen; whom he called together with
the workmen of like occupation, and said, 'Sirs,
ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
Moreover, ye see and hear, that hot r.lone at
Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia, this
Paul liath persuaded and turned away much
people, saying that they be no gods, which are
made with hands. So that not only this our
craft is in danger to be set at naught; but also
that the temple of the- great goddess Diana
should be despised and her magnificance should
be destroyed whom all Asia and the world
worshippeth.' And when -they heard these say
ings they wore full of wraftt, saying, 'Great is
Diana of the Ephesians.''"'
The silversmith was profiting by the worship
of idols; the making of images was tjie source
of his income. He called together those who
were engaged in the same occupation and when
all were convinced that Paul's preaching would
bring them financial injury they joined in a
protest but they did not give their real reason
for opposing Christianity namely, that it
would cause them a money loss, but they pre
tended a fervent devotion to the goddess Diana.
So, today, the beneficiaries of bad laws and bad
governmental systems are defending their pe
cuniary interests with arguments that imply
great devotion to the public welfare. Having
satisfied themselves that the reforms demanded
by tho people will lessen their power to extort
from and to tyrannize over tho people, these
monopolists and their defenders shout, "Great
is property! Great are the rights of property!"
While the issue between the man and the dol
lar seems to be an acute one, yet in the last
analysis there can be no issue between human
rights and property rights, for nothing more
surely undermines property rights than a dis
regard for human rights, and nothing brings
HI a ,Becu?:ity t0 Property than a scrupulous
regard for the natural rights of each human
f, Bl we must always remember that
JS2ni sht? are Paramount. In fact,' every
l,,oS enGnds uPon the establishment of the
Jt ? n between the individual and dull,
inanimate property.
nnnfh0iUBe a,nd its foundation are indissoluble
connected, and we can not think of ono with-
hJmo ,;, So' ftuman rights and property
thfntr aJe ndissolubly connected. We can not
tho LHLhQ ?Q witaout the other and as in
fnSS it ding f a house we must think of the
Soffit n and oi the huso as a1 super
structure, so in thinking of society we must
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