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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1914)
"i-; J fw?? v- The Commoner VOL. 14, NO. 4 12 .'rt rv (.. If ;'i i r i ff, The Bryan Birthday Dinner The annual Bryan birthday dinner, under the (inspires of tlio Lincoln Bryan club, was held at Lincoln, March 10. Following are extracts from the report of tho Lincoln (Neb.) Journal: "Six hundred or more Nebraskans sat around really bountiful banquet tables last night in celebration of tho birthday of tho common wealth's groatest citizen, the sixth event of its kind under tho auspices of tho Lincoln Bryan club, and tho fifty-fourth birthday to which tho guest of honor is willing to acknowledge. "It was a non-partisan celebration, with ad miring republicans and progressives very much in tho minority. Tho greater number of tho banqueters were Lincoln citizens, but the per centage of faithful and enthusiastic democrats from distant parts of tho state was marked. There were men who have been seen in every such celebration since it became an annual function. "Tho guest of honor was not present, the first time in tho history of tho annual celebrations that ho has been unable to appear in answer to tho summons. Tho audience may, in conse quence, have been somewhat smaller. On some occasions the Lincoln auditorium has been un comfortably filled. Last night there was just about elbow room. NOTABLE SUBSTITUTES "Tho Bryan club officers, unable to coax tho loader from his secretary's desk, did the next best thing, and persuaded democratic orators of national repute to journey half way across tho continent to pay eloquent tribute to the demo cratic president of tho United States, and the cabinet member from Nebraska who made him president. "Senator J. T. Robinson, governor of Arkansas, just before ho was given the right to wear a senator's toga, a sturdy supporter of the admin istration, came with a defense of the Mexican policy of President Wilson and Secretary Bryan, his chosen subject being, "Watchful Waiting." Governor James M. Cox of Ohio, fresh from a series of triumphs as executive of a great state, brought a messago of unstinted praise of Bryan and Wilson and-to explain tho progressive pace of his state. His toast was, 'Progress in Gov ernment.' Joseph W. Folk, terror of boodlers in St. Louis, then governor of Missouri, and now counsel for the interstate com nerco commission, came to sum up for Nebraska the achievements of tho administration and, to outline under the title, 'The New Democracy,' what is yet to be done. , WOMEN TAKE A PART "More distinctly than ever before at Bryan birthday banquets the ladios of Nebraska played a 'part, Possibly one banqueter out of five was jv lady. They have sat in tho gallery on other occasions of the kind. This year an effort was made to get tho ladies to attend on equal terms with the wielders of the ballot. They answered readily and in force. '.'Each speaker took occasion to mention tho presence of tho ladies. Governor Morehead re called their participation from the galleries on former occasions, and was glad to see them 'feeding with the brutes on tho main floor this time. Senator Robinson congratulated them and praised them without stint. Governor Cox gave tho women of America credit for pushing through congress child labor regulation laws. "The chief speaker of tho evening, Former Governor Folk of Missouri, too, noticed the sprinkling of women in the audience, and re membering Governor Morehead's remarks about former attendance in galleries only, said that their presence was evidence of tho advance in political thought in the nation. His reference to tho subject was marked by a quietness in tho audience that was not noticed at any othor time, one of those infrequent perfect quiet mo ments that sometimes sweeps over a great audience at a critical point in a speech. "Mr. Folk reviewed the old theory of the rights of women, and the laws on statute books of some states even within a generation re marked upon the fact that in nine states women are 'actually' permitted to vote, and continued: n beliove the right to vote should be based on intelligence and not on sex. With that as the standard the franchise would be transferred in many families I have known. If women arS human as they claim to be, if they are people as they are supposed to be, wo can not deny TJIJ3 PROGRAM President Lincoln Bryan Club and Toast- master Mr. E. F. Snavely, Lincoln Invocation Rev. 11. H. Harmon, Lincoln "Flag Without a Stain" Adelphian Quartet, Nebraska "A Democrat" . .Governor John H. Morehead, Nebraska "Watchful Waiting'-' . . Senator Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas "Progress in Government" Governor James M. Cox, Ohio "The New Democracy" Hon. Joseph W. Folk, Missouri them the right to vote. I am not among those who fer- to see the extension of the franchise to the other sex or their influence in politics.' "Mr. Bryan did the next best thing to being present., He sent a message of greeting which was read just before the close of the program. "Tho managers of arrangements found room enough on the stage to seat the guests there in an unusual manner. Tables were in form of a triangle, the base to the front for the speakers of the evening. Lesser lights grouped them selves along the sides. At the chief table were the four speakers, E. F. Snavely, toastmaster and president of the club, and Rev. H. H. Har mon. "Music was furnished by the Adelphian male quartet. These men back in 1892 were students at Doane college. They sang in Mr. Bryan's early campaigns. They are now scattered over the state but came together especially for the occasion. In one of their numbers a pretty effect was secured by a young lady, Miss Tinkle paugh of Lincoln, draped in the national colors, who stepped in front of the singers and held aloft the stars and stripes. "This birthday banquet was different than any of the others in one very conspicuous mat ter other than the absence of the guest of honor. Tho toastlist was purposely kept smaller than customary, and the speeches were shorter. Where on former occasions of the same kind the audience has remained from 7 o'clock in the evening until 2 o'clock the next morning, last night's celebration terminated shortly alter 10 o'clock. Warned by former sad experiences of toastmasters whom the audience did not want to listen to in long introductions, Mr. Snavely was pointed and brief. He spoke but very brief ly in the first instance and with even more brevity in introducing the speakers. "Former Governor Folk was the chief speaker of the evening. His effort was more extended than any of the others. Governor Morehead contended himself with a short manuscript picturing the greatness of Nebraska and of her foremost citizen. This address he read. Gover nor Cox was the most eloquent of the four, and nfwa brrded U th,e hu,morous more than the others. Mr. Folk spoke with a husky accent, but his voice penetrated to every part of the hall. He plead the cause of new democracy using the fme ItZJ'l T'ty significanc. ut at the same time giving a large measure of credit to the democratic party for the advancement of the principles which he set forth as signs of the progress of the new order of things It 1 t Plea for religion in politics, for lXstyVPub lie and corporate life such as society demands of the individual. It was a picture of the old order of things, such as he met and routed n St. Louis with the new order as exempted iSfti'SSoiT inistratIon and In the " s 'dotfSfl th vferf busy earning it that they had no time to collect Other men In this country have made fifty mi w8'1? ,they have been so sy collecting it w u.,o luiguuBii to earn it. ii PROM MR. BRYAN Mr. Bryan, unable to be present at ih w quet sent the following telegram whicTx was" read by Toastmaster Snavely Washington, D. C, Mar. 16, 1914 Mr F n Snavely, President Lincoln Bryan Club. My Dear Mr. Snavely: I regret exceedingly that official duties prevent my attendance March 19 upon the dinner with which niy Nebraska friends are accustomed to celebrate the anniversary of my birth. Those dinners have always been very happy occasions to me, and the opportunity which they afford for renewing acquaintance with a multitude of loyal co-laborers is increas ingly appreciated. Please present to those assembled a loving greeting from Mrs. Bryan and myself. On the last anniversary we exulted over the great vic tory our party had won throughout the nation, and yet our joy was restrained by a sense of re sponsibility for the proper use bf the authority conferred. Today we look over a year rich in achievements. President Wilson. has more than realized our highest hopes by the splendid record he has made. Under his wise and courageous leadership the party has already rendered signal service to the country and strengthened its claim upon public confidence. We recall the past twelve months with satisfaction and view the future with assurance. If I may be pardoned for referring to the part with which the president has honored me, I am glad to report progress. It has been my privi lege to sign the document -which concluded the twenty years contest for the popular election of senators and added to the constitution the amendment making this change. The signing of treaties is the most pleasant of my tasks. No peace plan has ever before received such im mediate and wide-spread approval as that which was last year offered to all the nations. The governments which have already accepted the principle represent more than three-fourths of the population of the world. Thirteen treaties have been signed, four more have t)een author ized and some eight governments are now con sidering the details. It seems probable that within one year from the day when the peace proposal was authorized by the president fully one-half the people of the globe will be linked to us by treaties which will provide for a year's investigation before war can be declared by either of the contracting parties. But I can not in the brief space of a letter set forth all the reforms accomplished by this ad ministration, and the presence of your distin guished guests makes it unnecessary1 to do so. Governor Folk, Governor Cox, Senator Robinson and Governor Morehead are able to tell you what has been done thus far and to interpret the party's pledges as applied to the future. Gov ernor Folk has for years been a leader among the progressive democrats of the nation; Gover nor Cox, although in executive office but little more than a year, has already earned a place in the front ranks of reformers, and Senator Robin son is a pillar of strength to our party in that body. You are familiar with the good record made by your own governor. I am grateful to these gentlemen for attending the dinner and envy you the opportunity you have of hearing them. In view of the triumph of the principles and policies for which the democracy of Nebraska has contended for so many years I beg to offer, as my contribution to your intellectual feast, a very appropriate sentiment expressed in most felicitous language by James Russel Lowell: "Get but the truth once uttered, and it is like a star new born, that drops into its place, and which, once circling in its placid round, not all the tumult of the earth can shake." Very truly yours, WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN. THE TOASTMASTBR'S ADDRESS Tn the beginning Mr. E. F. Snavely, the toast master, said: "On behalf of the Lincoln Bryan club, I desire to thank the members of the club and the mem bers of committees for the assistance in carry mi?, ,uTtheara for this occasion. 3ui i f th5. fll!st ime the ladies have been in vited to sit at the banquet board and we are SKIS n. g,ratlfied at their presence here to n!5 1 V i18Ais a,n informal meeting of neighbors o i?f eds t0 do honor to a fellow citizen and w! i i0f service- For six years we have cele S?i 1 1 l8 annversary and though we cannot ?ww?i! If t0?igIlt we can feel assured An i H"B celebrat1ion is no less pleasing to him. And we can on this occasion take note of what JS,?nn i ?-worers have "accomplished in SS5nnatl0?- For tllis lB a year of dem- nvS ,v Ayear ago we celebrated victory. ifyJ? celebrate more we celebrate achieve ment. A year ago we were glad that the peopl MHJw -J '-... .i I Jt. -A j .ftV. M tAlCt -. A i