remains to be seen. The responsibility rests first upon Congress and afterwards upon that power which makes Congresses.

Whatever may be the wish of individuals or the interests of parties, we may rest assured that the final disposition of the Philippine question will conform to the deliberate, judgment of the voters; they constitute the court of last resort; from their decision there is no appeal.

What next? Investigation, discussion, action.

CHAPTER VI.

BRYAN'S MASTERFUL SPEECH.

DELIVERED IN MUSIC HALL, BALTIMOPE, JANUARY 20, 1900.

While men may differ as to the extent to which they can help or harm a nation, I believe that at all times the people are able to protect themselves from evil, and that an individual is only important as he can be the means in the hands of the people of protecting their own rights and advancing their own welfare. While to the leader comes the honor, the work is really done by the masses of the people. In politics, as in the army, the generals get the glory and the privates do the work. I feel that I owe it to those who for nearly four years have been bearing the burden in the heat of the day; I owe it to them to say that what I have done is but an atom compared with what they have done. I never lose an opportunity to give credit to that heroic band of Democrats who in 1896 rescued the Democratic party from the domination of plutocracy, and who for three years have stood as a solid wall against those who would lead the Democratic party back to the position it was occupying as a competitor of the Republican party for the favor of the moneyed interests of the United States. In 1896 the voters proved that they could control the policy of the party, and during the last three years they have shown that they can hold what they gained in 1896. In spite of newspapers, in spite of railroads, in spite of banks, and in spite of every influence supposed to be potent, the plain people in the Democratic party

have stood, and now stand, for the Chicago platform. When I say that I do not want you to understand that I say it with any feeling of hostility toward those who either stood with the party without accepting all the platform or those who left the party and voted for the Palmer and Buckner ticket, or left the party and voted the Republican ticket: I have never had it in my heart to say one harsh word against the man who, following his conscience and his judgment, either voted with the gold Democrats, or the Republicans; I have admired always-do now and ever shall-the man who makes his vote represent his conscience and his judgment.

I have said that there left us in 1896 two classes of people-those who knew what they were doing, and those who did not know what they were doing. We haven't much hope of getting back those who knew what they were doing——

A Voice-They are all Democrats now.

Mr. Bryan-No; not those who left us, knowing what they were doing; but we have hopes of getting back-and we are now getting back-those who left us without appreciating clearly the magnitude of the struggle in which we were engaged.

There were some who left us, not because they thought themselves out, but because they were attached to great corporate interests that jerked them out of the Democratic party, and those who left because they were more attached to the corporate interests than the principles of Democracy can never get back until that bond of union is severed between them and the corporate interests; and, for my part, I don't want them to come back until they are free.

A Voice-That's the way to talk.