'wmwl'r''t
The Commoner
JANUARY, 1917
13
of "How It Happened"'from the manager of the
western headquarters, it is bound to bo the story
of California. I take great pleasure in intro
ducing, to tell us that story, the Honorable James
D. Phelan, senator from California. (Applause.)
'THE AWAKENED WEST"
(By Honorable" James D. Phelan, Senator from
California.)
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Bryan and Gentlemen: I
did not know how to take the sentiment, "The
Awakening of the West" when it was interpreted
by the other sentiment inscribed on the menu,
"It is a kindness to lead the sober and a duty
to lead the drunk." Laughter.)
I recall that our historian, Hubert Howe Ban
croft, in describing the several periods in Cal
ifornia history, told of the exhuberance attend
ing the gold discovery and the revival of busi
ness after depression very much later, and that
middle period he designated as "inter-pocula."
Nobody knew what it meant, but I looked it up.
It meant between drinks! (Laughter.) And
why that subject should be interjected in this
program (Laughter) I can not quite understand;
but I was overwhelmed by the demonstration
given to our honored guest in San Francisco. I
remember approaching the great auditorium and
seeking admission as chairman of the meeting. I
went up to the door and stated my anxiety to get
in, to the the policeman on guard, but he said,
"Go 'way; if I open the door the people will fall
out!" (Prolonged laughter.)
So, wherever our distinguished guest has gone
in this country, no matter what may be his sen
timents on "inter-pocula" subjects (laughter),
strange to say, contrary to all expectations, he is
received by sober - yet tumultuous audiences!
(Laughter.)
I arrived in town today direct from the far
west, when I received this invitation to be hero
tonight, and under all the circumstances ac
cepted it as a matter of course. Some cynical
fellow said, MWell, California is enthusiastic and
expectant." I said, f'No, humble and receptive!"
(Laughter and applause.) The only thing that
has been tendered me has been this invitation
and I was glad to accept that. (Laughter.)
Time was when California was considered re
mote. William Cullen Bryan William Cullen
Bryant I had the names confused for a mo
ment in my mind (Laughter) when he. wished
to express the ultimate of distance said, "Where
rolls the Oregon and hears no sound save its own
dashing." And when Joaquin Miller desired to
express the same sentiment, he said "We are so
far away that a man might drop dead and God
wouldn't know it!" (Laughter.) But within
the recollection of living man no less a person
age than Daniel Webster said of the far west
that it could never be a part of this country, that
it would never accept laws from Washington,
and that he hoped that an independent empire
would be set up there which would maintain
amicable relations with the federal government.
And lo, "the rejected stone has become the chief
stone of the corner!" (Cheers and prolonged
applause.)
Indeed, California has become what was ex
clusively held for the east a pivotal state. And,
indeed, that is not a matter of surprise to us who
know of California and the west. California had
previously attained that dignity on two very im
portant occasions once, when she knocked for
admission in 1850 at the doors of the union with
a free constitution. At that time there ivere fif
teen slave states and fifteen free states. Her ad
mission, which was reluctantly granted, after the
thunders of debate in the senate and in the house,
as the thirty-first state gave the preponderance
to the states favoring the human freedom; (ap
plause) and, again, in the sixties, the. Union
armies were enabled to prosecute the war for the
Union by reason of the credit which the govern
ment received from the output of California gold,
then under its control and Jurisdiction.
And, now California, while far away, has, in
tftis year of grace, by a gathering, not of the
democrats alone, but of the good women and
good men who think alike, determined the bal
ance of power; has appeared dramatically on the
scene- and unexpectedly to give to the nation
a i residentand, my friends, such a President!
Prolonged applause.)
In the recent campaign, I have followed in the
thoTV made by Mr-Bryan, and I have gathered
e llarvest; but it was none the lesa his crop
An nwt00k h LauGUtor and applause.)
All over the west during all these long years hi
SSnSn' preJV?lnE fundamental democracy and
iw 1? TOath and " is his unselfish idea to
sow that those who come after him may reap.
?nnn? t V? 80Wn havo Germinated and they
S ?l,HelleY;', !? a very glat measure, for
J f1" "which gives success to him who
comes after. Mr. Bryan was as St. John howling
n the wilderness! (Applause.) But ho did not
lead us into the wilderness and leavo us there.
That has been charged to Theodoro Roosevelt
that he led his followers into the wilderness and
left them there! (Laughter and applause.) He
Mr. Bryan has brought us out! (Prolonged
applause.)
Speaking of Mr. Roosevelt, I recall that it was
he who wrote, "The Winning of tho West";
(laughter and applause) and I would like to con
sult that authority, but I do not think it Is up to
date! (Laughter.) Thero must bo another and
important chapter to add. But obviously the
logic and the strategy of the campaign on their
part was to reconcile the republicans with tho
progressives, and if they had put up a man of ap
proved progres8iveism, as, for instance, the gov
ernor of California, which was proposed indeed
and rejected by Colonel Roosevelt, there might
net have been so close a contest; there might
have beon a different showing of results. But
they threw that chance away. That chance has
been embraced by democracy. We are not bour
bons, never learning and never forgetting. Wo
have reached that stage of enlightenment where
we are always ready to sit down with those who
can help us. We have given them the doctrine
that they sought under other leadership, and
they embraced it, and that is tho real secret of
"The Awakening of the West."
Tho west, you must remember, has always
leaned toward liberal and progressive ideas. In
deed, I believe the west hrs preserved the ideals
of our institutions. (Applause.) Those who com
pose the west are men who were hungry for the
horizon, who have been filtered through tho con
tinent, and who have carried with them in their
pilgrimage those primitive Ideas of democracy
which we find in the teachings of Thomas Jeffer
son. And so we can picture in tho west today
the ideal conditions that existed in Colonial days
along this effete eastern seaboard. (Laughter
and applause.) The scene has shifted the
scepter has passed. So, having those ideals,
having given to the country progressivelsm, hav
ing established the initiative, the referendum and
popular election by the people of senators, and
other measures giving freedom the new free
dom to business and opportunity, it is not sur
prising that when tho appeal was made by one
who was entitled to make It, there should have
been a response. And, hence, the west has sim
ply voiced what has always been from the be
ginning its strong tendency towards a purer and
a better democracy.. (Applause.)
I know that we have much to hear tonight, and
I think it is sufficient to Indicate that "Tho
Awakening of the West" is not really expressed
in that sentiment "Awakening." The west has
always been awake! (Laughter.) It has
been wise-awake! (Laughter.) But it has
been misled at times by pseudo progressivelsm,
and now it has, as it were, seen with a clearer
and a better light; and I believe there is a per
manency in the movement, because it Js based on
the approval of sound doctrines and principles
and legislation; and so long as this democratic
party, which is so splendidly represented tonight,
continues to pursue that same course, there is
no reason why the west should not pursue the
same course. (Applause.)
I can not refrain from saying that It is a union
not only of ideas, but a union of sections if we
must speak of sections. The south is united
with tho west. (Prolonged cheers and ap
plause.) I can imagine those dark hours on the night
of November seventh, when you wavered be
tween fear and hope, when you did not know
the fortunes of the hour, when you looked out
upon the horizon and you saw that the south
was safe; and then you saw - great army
marching over the distant hills carrying the
banner of the western -states, California the
more conspicuous because she was the more
dramatic. (Laughter.) I can see you observ
ing that growing army, never expecting to view
so formidable a host, not knowing to which side
it was about to turn; but then when its banner
borcjlie namo of "Wllson"f?9ot?ivlncd fha't it
was marching against tho ramparts of reaction
and against tho parapot of prlvllogo! You saw
tho end of tho alllanco, of which wo havo heard
so much, bctweon "Corrupt business and cor
rupt politics." And thon you realized that vic
tory was perched upon our bannor, and that it
was also your banner, Just as around tho walk
or Jericho tho army of Joshua marched until
the walls foil. And you heard what strain? You
heard tho southorn yell commingling with the
western cheer; you heard, "Down South ia
Dixie' commingling with, "I lovo y5u, Cal
ifornia!" And then you felt suro that In that
union of tho south and wont thoro was a now
power which would nationalize both tho south
and the west, which would bo a force which
would forever destroy mere sectionalism, and
which would bo educational which would lib
eralize, as It were, as all reforms wh'ch have
come from that region havo helped to liberalize
and to tako within their Influence, tho more
staid and conservative communities. (Ap
plause.) And so tho mothor oast, which has
given us tho west, rejoices In her children, and
Bho shall share tho glory because the men of
the west are tho children of the caBt. . (Pro
longed applause.)
The Toastmaster, Commissioner Newman; In
introducing tho next speaker, I would llko to
call your attention to the two or three lines in
small black type under his name. It roads as
follows: "I shall be satisfied if, whon tho last
settlement Is made that my namo may bo re
corded among those who lovod and servod their
fellow man." I do not think that It Is necessary to
remind anyono who knows Warren Worth
Bailey that If that Is his wish ho will realize it.
Mr. Bailey of Pennsylvania.
(At this point a largo oil painting of Mr.
Bryan was unveiled In the banquet room, amid
prolonged cheers and applause, tho banqueters
all standing.)
"THE THIRTY PEACH TREATIES"
(By Hon. Warren Worth Bailey, Momber of
the Houso of Representatives from Pennsyl
vania.) Mr. Toastmaster, Mr. Bryan and Friends: At
least I was not under any misapprehension re
garding tho applauso (laughter and applause),
but I could not join In it without perhaps being
misinterpreted (laughter); but surely I would
have been glad to have joined In the applauso
which greeted the unveiling of the picture be
fore us.
I suppose, Mr. Toastmaster, that I enjoy just
one distinction In this life, namely, that for
twenty years I havo been the friend, tho faith
ful friend, I believe, of our distinguished guest
of honor. (Applause.) Through good and III
report I have been with him- I am with him
today. I havo been with 11 Immuring the dark
est of all the days. Nor have I ever for ono mo
ment lost faith in this great leader. (Applauso.)
And I believe that he has proven himself a great
leader, ono who has gone perlTaps a little ahead,
but one whom the great common people have
been proud to follow In spite of the mlsrepre
sentatio'mVcN .
I suppose that I should have begun by say
ing, "I come to bury Caesar, not to pralsd hlra!"
(Laughter.) Because, Mr. Bryan, how many
times, how many, how many, how many time
has he been dead, and buried beyond the hope
of resurrection! But lo and behold!1 (Laughter
and applause.)
On the night of the election in 1904 I started
at midnight to write an cdHor'al for my paper
about the logic of that fateful event. I did not
write the editorial, but I wrote "For President
in 1908, William 'Jennings Bryan," and I wrote
a note at the top of It, "Keep that -standing at
the head of the Johnstown Democrat until the
night of the election in 1908. And It stood
there. (Laughter and applause.) Now, I might
speak about the logic of 1910, of 1920, but I
am not going to do it, because I believe the logic
of that Is apparent to every man of discernment
in the United States! (Prolonged applause and
cheers.)
I wish I might have a moment to devote to "
the toast which was assigned to me, about which
I knew nothing until I came into the room. I
would like to -speak of the great power that
William Jennings Bryan has been in! having ac-
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