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The Commoner.
APRIL 25, 1913
JfBPWWWT "y " T"
Mr. Bryan in Philadelphia
The following is from tho Philadelphia
Public Ledger of Monday, April 4th: William
Jennings Bryan, secretary of state, thrilled and
entertained several thousand men, women and
children in this city yesterday. The Commoner
came here from Washington to take part in the
closing exercises marking the 40th anniversary
of the Bethlehem Presbyterian church, Broad
and Diamond streets. Although many years
have passed since he leaped into fame with his
"Cross of Gold and Crown of Thorns" address,
his charming personality and wonderful mag
netism served to attract large crowds to the
church and later in the Second Regiment
armory.
Scores of persons were turned away from the
church because it was not large enough to take
care of all who were eager to hear the three
time standard bearer of the democratic party.
Admittance to the church was by card only, and
the edifice was filled to overflowing long before
Secretary Bryan appeared in the pulpit. Many
of those who could not get in rushed over to
the armory and got in line to enter as soon as
the doors of the big structure were opened. He
was scheduled to make his address at 4 o'clock,
but long before that at least 2,000 persons -were
congregated in front of the building. The
gathering looked like an election night erowd in
Chestnut street, and when the main door was
thrown open there was a rush for seats.
In the meantime members of the congregation
had been admitted to the building by special
cards. Those who were fortunate enough to
have them had to force their way through a
crowd standing five abreast and extending for
300 feet on the north and south sides of the
main entrance. According to the committee in
charge, there were 4,500 folding chairs placed
on the ground floor, and 1,000 more seats were
in the upper gallery. Half an hour before Sec
retary Bryan was introduced all the chairs had
been taken, and hundreds were standing in the
side and rear aisles. A few minutes before he
began his address the doors were ordered closed
in the faces of a throng of men and women who
jostled and pushed each other in a desperate
attempt to get inside. Several parties of well
dressed women came to the armory in automo
biles as the door was closed. They saw it was
no use to try and force their way through the
dense multitude and returned to their cars and
drove away. In the crush handsome street cos
tumes were torn, .pretty new spring hats were
crushed and toes troa upon.
From the time the secretary of state arrived
in -Broad street station shortly after 2 o'clock
from Washington he was the center of much
attention. He was met at Chester by the Rev.
John R. Sutherland, associate -secretary of tho
Presbyterian board of ministerial relief. A large
touring car was waiting at the station for the
visitor, and immediately after his arrival he
was whisked to the church.
BUY AN "REVIEWS LIFE IN HIS ADDRESS AT
BETHLEHEM CHURCH
The Rev. Dr. John R. Davies, pastor of
Bethlehem church, conducted the service and
Introduced Doctor Sutherland, associate secre
tary of the Presbyterian board of ministerial re
lief and sustentatlon, to whom the church was
Indebted for Secretary Bryan's visit. The f riend
ahip between Secretary Bryan and Doctor
Sutherland began many years ago in Jackson
ville, 111., where Mr. Bryan, then a young lawyer,
became a member of the First Presbyterian
church of Jacksonville, of which Doctor Suther
land was paBtor. In introducing Secretary
Bryan, Doctor Sutherland referred to the Ne
braskan as "the highest embodiment of Chris
tian manhood." He added that there were two
men who stood out pre-eminently in this respect
William E. Gladstone and William Jennings
Bryan.
Secretary Bryan took for his theme "The
iValue of a Sunday School," and for nearly an
hour he spoke in behalf of religious training of
the young. In this connection he drew largely
upon his 'own experience, telling how the ab
horrence of profanity, strong drink and gamb
ling that was early Inculcated by his parents
remained with and strongly influenced his con
duct throughout his career.
In hiB introductory remarks ho referred to tho
fact that Sunday was a much needed day of
rest for a secretary of stato. "If any one claims
that the holding of public ofllce is merely a
nominal duty I can assure him that the office I
hold is no sinecure," he remarked. "I have
never been so busy in my life not even in a
political campaign as I have been since the
fourth of March."
"A speech is good in proportion as it fits Int,o
the occasion," continued Mr. Bryan, "and pro
priety suggests that I speak oT those things that
are paramount in Sunday school work. The
thought I wish to bring to you is that religious
work must be done in youth. I wonder if any
one here would say that a child must not bo
called upon to decide religious questions until
it has grown to maturity? I have heard paronts
say that it Is not right to bias a child's opinion
in these matters, and that it should be per
mitted to decide for itself in its own good time.
Let me suggest that tho porson who holds such
opinions concerning a child's religious training
is either himself deceived or is seeking to de
ceive some one else.
"In our schooldays wo learned that nature
abhors a vacuum, and surely there can be no
vacuum in the human heart. Tho heart that
is not filled with religion is filled with irreligion.
The young man who at twenty-one does not be
lieve in God has already denied God. The young
man at twenty-one who does not care for the
Bible has already decided not to allow that book
to influence his life. The young man who at
twenty-one has decided that Christ is not divine
has already classed Him with mere man. Tho
Impressions that shape our lives are the im
pressions received in youth, and it is foolish
for parents to believe that a young man or
woman will naturally follow the path of righte
ousness if they have made no effort to assist
them in their premature years.
"As I look back over my life I must confess
that I have added little In the way of things that
are moral and fundamentally controlling since
I reached man's estate. And when I say this
of myself I assume it to be true of those to whom
I speak.
"I commenced attending school at tho ago
of ten. Before that time my mother gavo mo
instructions at home. Among other things, my
mother impressed upon' me such a dislike for
swearing that after I began attending school I
would always withdraw when boys with whom I
was conversing becamo profane. I havo never
overcomo my dislike of profanity, and today I
never hear a man swear without wanting to get
as far away from him as possible. This feeling
I owe to instruction I received when I was less
than ten years old. It is one of tho impres
sions my mother made upon my young life.
"My father also had a hand in my moral
training. My father hated gambling, and ho
made no nice distinctions about it, whether it
was in a parlor or in a largo gambling establish
ment; whether it was for a small prize or for
money of various amounts. He believed that
gambling rotted the moral fibre of tho man, and
before I was fifteen he stamped upon my mind
a detestation of gambling which has influenced
me to this day. It is ray opinion that gambling
is more demoralizing than drink. I believe that
tho confirmed gambler is harder to cure than the
confirmed drunkard. That impression, which
my father contributed to my character-building,
has affected my attitude upon many public ques
tions as well as my attitude toward men in pri
vate life.
"The third impression was made upon me by
both of my parents, when they combined in
teaching me total abstinence. I do not know
the day on which I first signed tho pledge, but
I guess it was the day when I first signed my
name. I believe in signing the pledge; I am
ready to sign one any time or- anywhere if I
can get a human being to sign It with me. When
men tell me it is humiliating to sign a pledgo
to abstain from drinking liquor, I say it Is no
more humiliating than tho vow taken at tho
marriage altar. I believe in tho pledge because
it strengthens the man himself and because the
example it sets strengthens others.
"I am afraid that we as Christians do not pay
enough attention to the example we set for
others. The great Apostle said, 'If eating meat
makes my brother offend, I will not eat meat
He was willing to forego the pleasure he took
from eating meat, if his example had a bad
effect upon others. So a man's love for his
brother must be small indeed if he allows his
fondness for a glass to jeopardize the moral
health of that brother.
"My lifo has been spent In public life, and
my oxporionco Is that if there is ono place whero
a man should not drink it Is in public life. No
where are temptations greater, and for thin
reason a man must carefully hold himself in
hand. After having boon in public lifo one
quarter of a century I can testify thoro has nover
boon ono day when I found that it would havo
been advantageous to mo to drink. And I never
found that I lost standing ovon among thoso who
did drink. I havo never hoard ono criticism
mado of my position as a total abstainer.
"In this respect I shall continuo as I havo
been going. I'll not chnngo, oven in my high
ofllce, whero some persons think that in tho In
terests of diplomacy this or that should bo dono
which does not exactly square with their con
scientious scruples. American diplomacy Is not
tho kind in which you havo to make a man
drunk In order to doal with him."
Secretary Bryan then spoke of his connection
with tho Sunday school, and its Influence upon
his career. He said ho becamo a member of tho
church at tho age of 11.
"Did I understand tho creed of tho church I
joined?" ho continued. "I not only did not
understand It then, but I'vo never had tho time
to study it since. I believe in a creod. It Is as
necessary to havo a croed In a church as it Is
to have a platform for a political party. And
you know, I am somothing of a sticklor for
platforms."
At this Juncture Mr. Bryan spoke of his oaTly
membership In tho Cumberland Presbyterian
church, and how ho later became a membor of
tho Presbylerlan church when ho went to
Jacksonville, 111.
"I recently did a little figuring," ho continued,
"and I found tho ratio between tho time I was
in tho Cumberland church and tho time I was
In tho Presbyterian church was 10 to 1. There
fore, my double standard of Preabytorlaulsrn
was firmly fixed."
This Httlo sally provoked laughter.
Secretary Bryan then told how, although ho
was an elder In tho Presbyterian church, his
wife had been a Methodist; how they frequently
attended a Methodist church, and how their
threo children wore, respectively, members of
tho Protestant Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal
and tho Congregational church. -
"We have four grandchildren, " ho said,
"through whom wo hope to becomo connected
with other branches of tho church. So far as
creeds are concerned, I am not apt to bo tena
cious or combative. But i arn concerned about
tho fundamentals upon which our Christian
church rests. In college, I passed through tho
period of inquiry and skepticism that I suppose
Is common to all college men, and it was well
for mo that during thoso years I attended Sun
day school and heard things there that helped
me in my struggles during the week. I havo
never quit attending Sunday school. I am now
fifty-three and I enjoy Sunday school as much
as I ever did.
"I believe that as we advance intellectually in
lifo we should also advance morally. Every day
ought to find us morally stronger than tho day
before. And wd need tho Sunday school for its
help and inspiration. Let mo urge upon mem
bers of tho church not only to .attend Sunday
school, but to teach in the Sunday school. I
am certain that my teaching in tho Sunday
school has helped me much more than those I
havo tried to teach.
"We should all bo busy In tho church. Effort
strengthens men and women in religion. In tho
church, as among children, Satan finds somo
mischief for idle hands to- do. It is the idlo
Christian who is in danger. The Christian who
has learned what Christ was while upon earth,
If he will try to imitate Him, will have no time
to worry over fine-spun theories that annoy soma
church people. And I havo no timo for tho
minister who preaches on the things ho does
not believe when the world is waiting to hear
what ho does believe.
"In conclusion, let rao again say that you can
not neglect the period of youth. These children
aro given to us as a sacred trust. They watch
us and imitate us in things we do not want them
to imitate. Woo to the child who is reared in a
home whero the conversation is profane or re
ligion Is sneered at or where the table talk Is
of 'dollars and dress and food tor the exclusion
of all that Is uplifting and good. The parent
ought not only to send the child to Sunday
school; ho ought to take the child to Sunday
school. When we give proper attention to th
religious and moral training of our children we
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