Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1896 — BRYAN IN BALTIMORE. [ARTICLE]

BRYAN IN BALTIMORE.

THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE CHEERED BY BIG CROWDS. Largest Political Gathering Ever Known in the City of Monuments— At Washington Thousands Come to Hear Severe Criticisms of Carlisle. Again in the East. William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic candidate for the presidency, spoke in Baltimere Saturday night to two of the largest crowds ever present at a political meeting in that city. The first speech was made in the open air, and .conservative estimates place the number who heard it at 30,000. The second was held in Musie Hall, the largest auditorium in Baltimore, and the house was packed until women fainted and many had to be Temoved before the speaking could proceed. At the conclusion of his speech at Music Hall Mr. Bryan returned to Washtagton. “Our opponents,” said Mr. Bryan, “tell ns that legislation is of no importance; that the law can accomplish nothing. The law is an important matter. Law can do much, to change the condition of things that surround us. Th<? law that secures a man in the ehjoyment of his property encourages him to labor in order to acquire property; but the law that allows a few men to monopolize the business of the ‘‘country and drive the hungry members of society out of business discourages industry and enterprise aud simply encourages greed and avarice.” Reverting to the money question, the speaker asserted that the present importations of gold were for effect. “Now I have never set myself up,” said he, “as a great financier, but 1 have reasoned out this money question with the best light I have, and I have concluded that when I recognize the principle of human nature, when I recognize that each individual would be influenced as a rule by that which is good for him, I come to a conclusion which in my judgment is far more correct than can be arrived at by anybody who believes that the financiers of Wail street are philanthropists, who spend their lives sacrificing themselves for the benefit of other people. I have found that those men who have controlled our financial policy have made the best bargains with the Government that they .could. I think that in one instance lam justified in being personal. The most prominent financier in the United States is J. Pierpont Morgan (Hisses.) The Government made a contract with him, by which it sold to him for bonds [which were worth at the time 119 in the market. There was such a good chance ■for profit that I am inclined to think and believe that the money he made had more to do with his saving the Government than the patriotism that was in his heart.”

The speaker then took up the second issue of $100,000,000 bonds, and lie recounted Mr. Morgan’s course regarding them. “I don't know what you think about it,” he added, “but I believe a secretary of the treasury whose sympathies were with the masses of the people would have scorned tp associate with that man. “My friends, I am not an anarchist. There is not beneatli the flag a truer [friend of government or a greater lover of [law and order than the nominee of the [Chicago convention. < Applause, long continued.) I love government so well that. I want to make it so good that there will [not be one citizen in all the land who will not be willing to die for his government. (Applause.) I love law and order so much [that I want the law enforced against tho greatest enemies that law and ordey have jin this country; not, my friends, the little [men, but the great ones, Who think that they are greater than the government itself.” (Applause.) In conclusion, Mr. Bryan said: “If we (Win this fight now, then the reform begins at once; if we are defeated in this campaign, there is nothing before the people but four years more of hard times and greater agitation, and then the victory will come.”

Demonstration in Washington. A heavy wind and rain storm seriously interfered with the arrangements which |iad been made by the local committees for a grand reception to Candidate Bryan pt the Old Capitol baseball park in Washington, but there was no lack of .enthusiasm. When Mr. Bryan appeared on the platform he was received with such a demonstration as is rarely accorded a public speaker. For fully five minutes the .cheering continued, Mr. Bryan standing bareheaded and evidently much gratified at receiving such unmistakable evidence of approval of himself and his cause. For pom6 time before his arrival dark rain and wind-laden clouds from the west gave certain promise of a downpour, and he had not spoken more than forty minutes when the rain came down in tortrents, drenching every one exposed to it. [Still the great crowd kept their places and ■cheered and called to the speaker to go on. The scene was a remarkable one. After waiting some time, however, Mr. Bryan left the platform and drove to his hotel. Almost every sentence in the speaker’s brief address was wildly cheered, and the (crowd was especially vociferous when Mr. (Bryan declared himself in favor of home (rule and opposed to life tenure in public office. 1 Mr. Bryan said:

“We favor appointments based upon merit, fixed terms of office and such an 'administration of the civil service laws as will afford equal opportunities to all citizens of ascertained fitness, except as lotherwise provided by the constitution of the United States. My friends, we are in favor of the= civil service refprms that ,mean something, and not a civil service •law that permits the I‘resident to susipend the civil service law until he can [get his friends into office and permits another President to extend the service just tas he is going out to keep his friends in. (Applause.) We beiieve in appointments based upon merit, and such a method of appointment as will open the offices to those of ascertained fitness. (Applause.) “We are in favor of fixed terms of office in the civil department of the government. We want it so that when a man goes in he will know how long he is going to stay and when he is going out. We do not want to build up an officeIholding class and fill our offices for life. A man when he gets his appointment will then have no more concern about his country, except to draw his salary when (it is due. (Great applause.) We believe that the life tenure, which relieves a man [from all other further care, is destructive ■to the highest forms of citizenship and should not be tolerated in a country like ours. (Applause.) “Now, my friends, I want.to cail your .attention to one other subject. Our opponents are doing as much for us in this I campaign as we are able to do for ourselves. (Applause.) And of all the public jlocuments issued the most important one is a letter just given to the public written by the Secretary of the Treasury, [from which I desire to quote one sentence. “ ‘lt is the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury and all other public officials to (execute in good faith the policy declared I by Congress”—and mark these words: I i*But whenever he shall be satisfied that ' p silver dollar cannot be kept equal in Ijitrehasing power with a gold dollar, exby receiving It in exchange for a gold

dollar, when such exchange is demanded, it will be his doty to adopt that coarse.' “I want you to mark those words, because in those words the Secretary of the Treasury tells you that when the Secretary is satisfied that it is necessary, that he will commence redeeming silver dollars in gold. (Great applause.) I call your attention to it, my friends, because I want to emphasize the deception that has been practiced by this administration on the money question.

“When this administration advised the repeal of the Sherman law you were told that the repeal of the Sherman law would remedy the difficulty, and as soon as the Sherman law was repealed the same authority which promised relief as soon as that law was repealed came to Congress with a demand that the greenbacks and treasury notes must be retired by the issue of gold bonds in order to stop the drain on the treasury’s gold, and now the Secretary of the Treasury informs you that even if the greenbacks and the treasury notes were all retired it would be his duty whenever, in his opinion it became necessary, to redeem silver dollars in gold and start another endless chain that would drain the treasury. (Great applause.) “According to the doctrine laid down in Mr. Carlisle’s letter you cannot stop the drain of gold from the treasury until you retire all the silver dollars and silver certificates, and leave nothing but gold as the money in this country. I am glad that this declaration has been made. I am glad that our opponents are step by step revealing to the public their heartless, merciless, criminal policy. (Great applause.) I denounce the policy as more cruel and heartless than political dominations of a foreign power.. I would resist such a financial policy with, ns much earnestness as I would resist the progress of an invading army coming to attack our homes. (Great applause.) “Those who are expecting foreign nations, dominated bj* the creditor classes, who profit by a rising dollar, to join with us in stopping the rise in the dollar are doomed to disappointment, and it is difficult to see how any person can expect silver to be restored to its rightful place by foreign aid when we have waited for twenty years only to find our opponents more hostile than ever. They covertly threaten that they will use the notes which they hold to control our financial policy. If relief is to come to the American people it must come from the American people themselves, and on this day, when we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Washington’s farewell address, we may resolve to achieve our financial independence without the aid of any other nation.” (Great applause.)