rJS
DECEMBER , 1911
nor Wilson's executive committee, Col. Ewing,
before the campaign opened, declared it would
bo possible to have 100,000 persons contribute
to a popular fund for use In paying the legiti
mate expenses. His enthusiasm brought forth
only smiles, and he was told that he was too
optimistic. However, he was placed in charge of
the press contribution bureau and told to go
tho limit.
Immediately he enlisted the services of some
' 3,200 democratic newspapers, daily and weekly,
large and small, in the work of. collecting a
popular campaign fund. The success of his
plan is attested by the 91,000 contributors and
the fact that the democratic national committee
has on hand a fund which will go a long way
toward maintaining a permanent establishment
for the national committee.
Treasurer Rolla Wells has enrolled the name
of every subscriber to the fund in a great book
in his office. This book, which weighs upward
of 300 pounds, not only contains the name of
each subscriber, but his address and the amount
contributed by him as well. Four years hence,
the managers say, it will furnish a valuable basis
upon which the democratic finance committee
may begin its work for funds.
Mr. Wells said in receiving the campaign fund
of more than $1,000,000, from so many different
sources, that only a total of about $500 remains
unidentified. The contributors who made up
this amount failed to send in their names and
could not he traced.
Mr. Bryan in Florida
Mr. and Mrs. Bryan were given a cordial re
ception in Florida, where they went to make
their winter home. Tho Miami (Fla.) "Me
tropolis" prints the following report: With the
Second regimental band playing "Dixie," the na
tional air of the southland, and amid flying
colors and the plaudits of the populace, Hon.
William Jennings Bryan, premier statesman of
the nation, and Mrs. Bryan, to whose untiring
efforts more than those of any other, her hus
band has risen to that pinnacle of fame which
is now accorded, him, arrived, in Miami to make
this city their future winter home, thereby be
coming Florida's most distinguished citizens and
conferring upon the city of Miami and the state
of Florida an honor which could not be equalled
by the arrival of any other American citizens
with the intent of making this their home.
Some little time before the train pulled in,
the station -grounds were thronged with a vast
concourse of people estimated at being close to
1,000. When the whistle was heard the band
struck up and as the train backed into the sta
tion there arose one mighty cheer of welcome
to the commoner and Mrs. Bryan. Mr. Bryan
acknowledged th"e cheers of the people with a
smiling nod, shaking hands with several who
pushed their way forward.
The crdwd was so' dense that several minutes
elapsed before the members of the reception
committee could elbow their way to the dis
tinguished arrivals, but with Judge George A.
Worley Interposing himself between Mr. , and
Mrs. Bryan and the struggling crowd, they were
finally escorted to the automobile of Mr. H. G.
Ralston, which bad been profusely decorated
with the national colors. The original plan was
to have' all the speaking at the residence, but
as it was quite evident that the people at the
train expected Mr. Bryan to make a few re
marks, Judge Worley arose and In a brief ad
dress welcomed Mr. and Mrs. Bryan to the city,
speaking on behalf of Mayor Watson. In his aJ
dress Judge Worley said:
"In the absence of the mayor of our city I
have been requested to tender to you, Mr.
Bryan, and to you, Mrs. Bryan, the key to the
city of Miami," said Judge Worley. "When the
mayor asked me to perform this very pleasing
service I said to him, 'God bless you, mayor, I
made a speech once about fifteen years ago and
at that time I threw away the key to the city
and threw the doors o'pen wide to all people
of all classes.'
"We are gathered here to welcome and do
honor to the foremost citizen of the land Hon
orable William Jennings Bryan who comes to
ho one of us, and this is the proudest moment
of my lifo when I stand here and say to you,
Mr. and Mrs. Bryan, that you have come to the
city with people with the biggest hearts, the
warmest dispositions and the fullest purses."
Judge Worley closed his remarks by intro
ducing Mr. Bryyan who spoke briefly, as follows:
'We certainly appreciate the cordiality of this
The Commoner.
?? h' End Wue are as Elnd t0 b0 here as you
are to have us herepossibly more so.
as IpiT , nCcded t0 come utli this year
as much as after most presidential campaigns,
JrJ: ,er,?lly 8nows llp north an tho demo
S?mf flndJt4S0u cold that they seek a warraor
climate. But this year all climes arc congonial.
i,-!!1 ihave tted thia country as far as my eyes
nave been able so to do, and have found It good.
We are here to test it for a winter, and if it
suns us as well as we expect it will we will
come every winter. There are all kinds of
climates for all kinds of people and wo are
going to find out if this is tho kind of climate
for us.
"I appreciate the very kind words that have
been spoken by your acting mayor and which
were so cordially indorsed by you, but I am
sorry that you made that referenco in relation
to my heart, for were not my heart very, very
much larger than my purse it could not hold
the affections of six and one-half millions of
people. But what I have in my purse I have
brought down here with me, in fact, I left some
of it here when I visited Miami a year ago.
"We have come down hero for a rest, that
strength could be gathered for the work to be
done in the north, and it is Indeed a pleasure
to know that we are 30 well received by tho
people of Miami. You have my heartfelt grati
tude for the kind words spoken by your acting
mayor which have been so heartily indorsed by
you who have come here to meet and greet us.
"We are going to live in Miami this winter,
and we are going to like Miami, for wo know
that if your city does not suit us it will not bo
the fault of Miami but will bo our fault.
"We are very glad to see you."
The crowd then made way for the passage of
the automobile, and tho Ralstdn car with Mr.
and Mrs. Bryan, Mr. H. Dale Miller and Mr.
J. L. Billingsley, followed by many other auto
mobiles and people on bicycles nnd on foot, was
driven down Avenue B to Twelfth street, then
on Twelfth to Avenue D and then across the
bridge to the Bryan residence at Twentieth and
Brickell avenue, the procession passing between
lines of people who cheered the conqueror of the
political battlefield, the national colors being
displayed at many places along the route.
Just a stop was made at tho Bryan residence,
and then the procession turned and proceeded to
the temporary home of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan on
the bay front, across the river from the Royal
Palm hotel. Hero the party alighted, Mr. and
Mrs. Bryan being met on the porch by the re
ception committee of tho Woman's club com
posed of Mrs. S. Bobo Dean, Mrs. C. H. Ward,
Mrs. T. V. Moore, Mrs. IT. G. Ralston, Mrs. IT.
P. Branning. and her sister, Mrs. Milligan, of
Daytonia, Mrs. A. E. Frederick and Mrs.
Brickell.
After the first few greetings, Mrs. Dean, chair
man of the committee, presented to Mrs. Bryan
a huge bouquet of chrysanthemums, saying:
"In behalf of the Woman's club of Miami, I
wish to present to you this bonquet. We want
you to love our sunshine, our flowers, and us."
Following the presentation of tho chrysanthe
mums, Mr. J. L. Billingsley, speaking on behalf
of the Woman's club said:
"It becomes my pleasant duty to welcome
you to the city of Miami on behalf of tho Wo
man's club of Miami, and especially you, Mrs.
Bryan, as the strong helpmeet of tho man who
for more than twenty years has fought the battlo
of the plain people. Wo appreciate tho fact that
the success of that battle was largely due to
you Mrs. Bryan, and to your great fortitude.
"During all these years you have had an
exalted ambition, Mr. Bryan, but at the crucial
hour at the Baltimore convention you laid am
bition on the altar of your country, and we
therefore applaud the man who can place prin
cinlo above ambition.
"We hope your days In Miami will be many
anMrI)leBininesley was cheered by the people
while' Mr. Bryan smiled upon them and then,
Mipre was a brief pause which was presently
broken S? Mr. Bryan turning to his wife with
thirthlnrk you had better reply."
wpititinff for a moment, Mrs. Bryan spoke
bu briefly but in her short remarks she let It
he clearly known that she appreciated the wel
come accorded her and her illustrious husband
fhnrouirhly and genuinely as he.
aS"T expel to become one of the housewives of
?i ,m at Bryan, who followed with the
Miamivhflt she hoped the people of Miami will
remark that she nopea i i gald
emS future those who might have certain
domestic leasehold troubles anent a smoking
5
stove or the lato arrival of tho butchor's boy.
"I have tried to gjvo Mr. Bryan time to do
things in tho world, discharging tho pronalc
duties of tho household," she said In conclusion
amid tho cheors of tho throng gathered about
tho rosldenco.
In reply to tho suggestion of Mrs. Bryan that
he ought to "now say something," Mr. Bryan
said:
"I think Mr. Billingsley touched on a very
Important and vital thing when ho said that
a man can not do much in public llfo unless
there is some one at home to look after affaire
there, and this Mrs. Bryan has dono. Sho some
times used to toll mo that If our children turned
out all right tho credit would bo hors, but that
otherwlBo I would bo to blame. Mrs. Bryan
saved the home while I was out trying to savo
tho country," laughingly stated Mr. Bryan.
"We have come to Miami to begin lifo, I am
starting all over again, and am now roally go
ing to try to bo of somo small sorvlco about
the house," he continued. Then turning to tho
committee from tho Woman's club, Mr. Bryan
said:
"Mrs. Bryan and I bellevo in clubs. Mrs.
Bryan has belonged to a club for years, helped
to organize one twontv-flvo years ago, but pos
sibly I ought not to glvo tho number of yoars.
She has been a power In club work, as I havo
tried to be in the political llfo. It la kind of
you ladles to welcomo her to your midst and
to tho city."
A HEARTY WELCOME
Editorial In tho Miami (Fla.) Metropolis:
Miami's welcomo to Mr. and Mrs. William Jen
nings Bryan, who arrived in this city to mako
their winter homo, was one of slncoro ploasure.
For outside of tho conviction that tho rosldenco
of the great commoner hero, will moan much
in tho way of advertising the attractions of this
section of Florida his choice of Miami abovo all
that the south can offer tells tho story without
need of further comment outside of this Bomc
what commercial, if patriotic, understanding of
the value of Mr. Bryan's residence bore, is an
other feeling that no other man in tho United
States could evoko.
The peoplo love William Jennings Brynn.
They know that he is "on the square" nnd al
most surpassing their great admiration for his
powerful mind, his indomitable courage and his
unswerving loyalty to his principles of truth and
honor is that Indefinable feeling of confidence
in his judgment nnd his friendship.
Perhaps that is tho whole thing. Tho peoplo
of Miami welcome Mr. Bryan as a friend. They
want to see him enter Into the affairs of our
young city as if ho had been among its founders
sixteen years ago. They want to feel that, In
addition to finding hero a delightful place to so
journ, a place filled with all that can bo given
in the way of happy moments, tho "peerless
leader" will count Dado county his homo and
the problems it is facing his own, to help solvo.
So, tho wolcomo given "America's greatest
citizen" in Miami today is cordial In tho fullost
sense of the word It is from tho heart.
A GOOD DECISION
An important antl-treating decision has been
rendered by the supremo court of tho state
of Washington. A writer In tho Chicago Record
Herald says: "By this decision the right of tho
city of Tacoma to enforce an antl-treating ordi
nance has been sustained. The court holds that
since tho city has the power to regulate saloons
t' ordinance, though It works a partial prohi
bition, is valid. Answering the familiar argu
ment that treating is an act of hospitality which
has always been exercised by a free peoplo and
a right of the purchaser of liquor not to bo pro
hibited, tho court says: 'In our opinion it is of
no weight whatever in support of a practice
which becomes recognized as a source of evil and
a menace to public morality and good order.
Just as the right to engage in tho liquor traffic
Is not an inherent right In any citizen, neither
is it an inherent right in any citizen to treat
another in a licensed saloon which Is under tho
control of tho police power being exercised by
a municipality, as In this case. Whatover tho
right of the citizen may be elsewhere, he has
no inhorent right even to buy liquor at such a
place.' All students of the saloon question know
that treating leads to excessive drinking. From
time to time antl-treating associations have been
founded, but they have not flourished. If public
opinion is back of the Tacoma ordinance, it will
prove effective. The results of the attempt to
enforce it, whatever tbey may be, will be In
structlve to many communities."
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