a
-
The Commoner
APRIL, 1915
21
Somebody finally brought forward a
chair and he was ablo to rise from
his knees to a more comfortable po
sition. He signed more than 1,500
cards before his wrist becamo too
tired to do anything more. Then Mrs.
Bryan, who accompanied him to this
city, insisted that he desist.
"When the crowds found where
Mrs. Bryan sat, hundreds pressed up
on her to countersign their cards. She
was able to put her signature on a
few until the police -cleared a way
through the press and drove the mul
titudes back.
"This was the dramatic conclusion
of what was probably the largest and
most enthusiastic temperance rally
ever held in this country and prob
ably in the world the inaugural
gathering of the newly-formed Na
tional Total Abstinence Union an
organization formed by the Federal
Council of Churches in America
non-sectarian, non-political and pure
ly personal. This organization will
attack the temperance problem in the
old way by getting people to sign the
pledge and will not take any action
in legislative matters, holding to the
doctrine that by decreasing the de
mand the liquor business will be grad
ually killed without governmental ac
tion. Shed Packed to Its Limits
"Secretary Bryan was selected to
give the movement its start, because
of his long and consistent record as
an opponent of rum drinking. Phi
adelphia was chosen as the place to
start the nation-wide movement, be
cause this city is just concluding the
most remarkable religious revival of
its history the Billy Sunday cam
paign. The Sunday Tabernacle was
designated as the meeting place be
cause it can seat 18,000 persons and
supply standing room for 2,000 more,
and also because of its associations.
"The results last night justified all
three selections. The sizo of the
crowd was astounding. Fully 35,000
persons tried to get into the building,
but only 20,000 could be packed in
side. It had been arranged to hold
overflow meetings on the side, but the
crowds evidently wanted to hear Bry
an or nobody, as the disappointed
ones went away when refused admis
sion. "It was distinctly a Billy Sunday
crowd, every mention of the evangel
ist's name bringing forth tumultous
applause, Billy's hymns were sung by
his own choir, but Billy was not there.
In the last minutehe sent a personal
note to Secretary Bryan, saying he
was too tired to attend.
Ma Sunday Speaks
"Ma Sunday was there, h'owever,
and she spoke a few words to the
crowd, telling them that she might
have gotten Billy there if she had in
sisted. Hundreds in the audience
called upon her to go home and get
him, but she 'smilingly refused.
"Secretary Bryan was the only
speaker who talked at length. Sev
eral other addresses were made, but
they were brief and the whole crowd
was waiting to hear him. He deliv-
ered a stirring sermon on the cost of
alcoholic drink in physical and moral
strength and in money, begging and
pleading with the audience to forsake
the habit.
"A striking feature of the meeting
was the cheering. In various parts
of the hall were stationed delegations
from various colleges and high
schools, each of whom gave their yells
from time to time. Boys from the
Central high school, seated directly
in front of the platform, took the
palm for cheering. They also had a
song which ran :
"William, William Jennings Bryan,
"We'll take to grape juice yet.
' "This caught the secretary's fancy
and he had them sing it over for his
benefit. 'The Brewer's Big Horses'
also was never sung with more fire
and noise than last night.
Ovation for Secretary
"The time for the meeting last
night was seven o'clock, but by 6.15
the tabernacle wat, jammed to the
doors and they were beginning to
turn away the crowds. To keep the
crowd busy until the meeting started,
H. C. Lincoln, the choir leader, start
ed everybody singing the Billy Sun
day hymns. This was kept up for a
half hour.
"Then suddenly Secretary Bryan
appeared at the back of the platform,
accompanied by Mrs. Bryan and ex
Congressman Logue. This was a sig
nal for a mighty outburst of applause
which lasted for fully five minutes.
One after another the colleges gave
their yells Penn, Swarthmore, Ha
vorford, Jeff, Medico-Chi, Hahnemann
and the Central high school."
THE MORAL NOTE IN POLITICS
That picture at Philadelphia of
Mr. Bryan on his knees at a "Billy"
Sunday meeting, autographing total
abstinence pledges as fast as he could
for the signers who thronged forward
may strike some people as rather
below the dignity of the secretary of
state.
But the picture Is significant. In it
we catch the easy clew to Mr. Bryan's
influence over a large section of
American voters, m all his political
campaigns he has managed to sound
the moral note. No-matter how re
mote the issue might seem from or
dinary ethics, he sounded it. And
that is the note to which the public
most readily responds.
Wo catch there the clew not only
to Mr. Bryan's influence, but also to
Mr. Roosevelt's. No matter how
much technical politics there might
have been in it in essence, the pro
gressive movement was for the rank
and file essentially a moral revolt.
It was the note of moral indignation
that roused and led it on. And when
that indignation subsided, no political
issues availed to hold the rank and
file's allegiance.
Much the same thing may be said
of President Wilson. His experience,
his abilities, his steadfastness in pur
suit of objects clearly perceived
these are natural elements of his
strength. But the greatest clement,
as far as the public is concerned, is
the moral note which recurs from
time to time in all his utterances.
From now on the moral note prom
ises to grow more and more import
ant in our politics. The old idea of
public affairs as a cold' business
transaction is rapidly being tempered
with newer ideas of public respon
sibility and wide humanity. The hu
man element is coming into its own.
The tendency is to answer more and
more emphatically the age-long ques
tion: "Am I my brother's keeper?"
This does not mean that politics
will become sermoncsque. It does
not mean that what one side assumes
to be the exclusively moral view of
any question will necessarily triumph
over views no less sincerely held by
thousands of other citizens. It does
not mean that the morality of an
issue always will be absolutely clear.
There still will remain division on
moral questions more or less respon
sive to temperamental or acquired
differences of people.
But it does mean that the day of
the mere politician of the national
leader who bases nis ciaim to xeauer
Bhip on his skill as a strategist and
his opportunism as a statesman is
about ended. Henceforth the man
who expects to impress himself on the
great American public must ground
his appeal on wide sympathy, on lofty
aims and moral earnestnes. New
York World.
THE PRESS AND THE RIGHT
The press is the greatest moral
force in the United States.
Yet, when Secretary of State Wil
liam J. Bryan declined to servo booze
to his ofllcial guests, what had the
press to say, knowing what it knows?
Has it mentioned him with honor
as a high cxamplar of a great moral
purpose?
Far from it.
Ho has been ridiculed, cartooned,
lambasted and pursued with tho small
malice of cheap wit. Tho average
reader might naturally suppose that
sobriety was a disgraceful thing in
this country. He would think that
tho only one admired by tho nation
was a bottle-slinger, anxious to fill
himself, as well as his friends, with
alcohol to the neck.
One looks in vain almost to find a
singlo word of approval of Bryan's
course. He says ho is Immune to ridi
cule. Perhaps so, but more likely he
suffers In silence as do many other
victims of injustice.
To judge by the attitude of tho
newspapers, Bryan's example offers
little encouragement' to others who
have the courage of their convictions
and arc willing to stand up and b
counted when their principles arc at
stake.
Tho. press usually pioneers every
big movement. Docs it intend to be
laggard in expressing tolerance, sym
pathy, truth and sobriety? South
Denver (Colo.) Eye and Bulletin.
TO HIS CREDIT
Secretary of State Bryan took a
night off last Monday and went to
Philadelphia, only a short run from
Washington, to make a total abstin
enco speech in tho big auditorium
Just vacated by Billy Sunday. For
this ho has been ridiculed by those
who can see nothing good in what ho
does, and try to induce the people to
beliovo that ho is little short of a
mountobank.
But Mr. Bryan's work in Philadel
phia was worthy any honorablo gen
tleman. It is related that at the close
of his address and ho can make one
nearly 12,000 mon camo forward
to sign the pledge. He himself toiled
for hours indorsing with his personal
signature tho written promises pre
sented to him.
Is that kind of service a subject for
merry quips? If even a tenth part of
tho pledgors keep their pledges for a
year, they and society will have bene
fited In no insignificant degree. Tins
little crusade was to Mr. Bryan's
everlasting credit. Boston Post.
A GREAT MORAL EXAMPLE
As the best evidence of a great mor
al example, the newspapers record
the fact that following a recent pro
hibition speech made by Secretary of
State William J. Bryan in Philadel
phia, 10,000 men of all ages signed a
total abstlnenco pledge.
Wo need moro Bryans. South
Denycr (Colo.) Eye and Bulletin.
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