MR. BRYAN'S SPEECH

At a smoker of the second year class of the Law School, given in the Living Room of the Union, last evening, Hon. William Jennings Bryan delivered a very forcible address on "Faith."

Before discussing his main topic, however, Mr. Bryan emphasized the importance of public speaking today. He said that he believed it to be the duty of every citizen to train himself to think clearly and to speak accurately on the questions of the day and that for this reason public speaking is of the utmost importance. There are two essentials for the effective public-speaker--information and earnestness. He must be thoroughly familiar with his subject and must believe firmly in what he says. Important aids to essentials are clearness of expression and brevity of statement, the one because all truth is self-evident, and needs only to be stated clearly to be convincing, and the other because short and pithy statements are more apt to be remembered. The final test of the effective speaker, is that he must impress his subject upon the audience and not his own personality.

The main part of his speech was devoted to the subject of "Faith." He showed that there is nothing so absolutely necessary for success as faith, for as one's faith is, so will be his success. A man should have complete faith in himself, and this must be well-grounded on knowledge.

The best definition of civilization, said Mr. Bryan, is the harmonious development of the human race physically, mentally and morally, and for this reason it was essential that every individual train himself in all of these qualities. No combination of all of these qualities is so well shown as in the character of Thomas Jefferson, the greatest constructive statesman in history, who, in comparison with Alexander Hamilton, shows the most striking cast of a conscientious politician who realized and had faith in the strength and wisdom of the people. This faith in our people and in our democratic form of government cannot be over estimated, and it is justified by a comparison between our government and that of Russia. The evidence of the righteousness of our democracy is its universal progress.

A last kind of faith, which cannot be over-emphasized, is faith in God. Man needs the restraining influence which is obtained in no other way than in a firm faith in a divine power. It was this powerful faith which led Christians to die as martyrs, and thus show themselves worthy of the great cause for which they died. Men who live for themselves live small lives, as history has often shown. To be effective and happy a man must have faith in himself, faith in mankind, faith in his government, and faith in God.

Before Mr. Bryan arrived, Dean Ames of the Law School and Mr. Samuel J. Elder, of Boston, spoke briefly. Dean Ames described the increased facilities which will be afforded in Langdell Hall, the new Law School building. Mr. Elder indicated the advantage a university affords in bringing men of different thoughts and feeling together from different sections of the country.