Where one or two or three persons are willing to start on a trip from
town to town, and, with the co-operation of their friends, can secure
a large covered wagon and two horses with a supply of condensed food,
we would commend this as the most economical and efficient method
of campaigning as it affords not only means of transportation, but
supplies a dwelling house to the occupants, and at the same time,
by the proper application of paint to the covered wagon, the wagon
itself and the horses may become living missionaries, continuous and
convincing speeches in themselves, by their presence protesting against
the continuation of existing political barbarism. If at the top of the
cover is painted in large letters, the words, "Bryan wagon," every
child, every woman in the farthest country district, every passerby,
whatever be his race, religion or education, will know instantly that
this wagon, now passing through the country, is one of the army of
wagons being used in the work preparatory to the decisive battle of
modern times to be fought in 1900. A few well-chosen sentences painted
on the wagon and American flags at the top, will make it serve as the
best possible advertisement for meetings.
MAKE YOUR ENEMIES ADVERTISE YOU.
The moment this wagon arrives in town every gossip, every old woman,
every street gamin, every enemy of Democracy is converted at once into
an advertising medium for the propaganda of our cause. The wagon, the
horses, the dried beef, the apples, the whole wheat, the literature and
everything that the wagon contains become subjects for conversation
in the village. The Bryan wagon is the center of interest and the
Volunteers who live in it are objects of curiosity. By meeting time the
people are prepared to listen with open eyes and open mouths, drinking
in every word of the speaker's message.
Its work done, the wagon moves on to the next town but the sight of it
is a powerful aid to the memory of every inhabitant of the village.
Each will recall time and time again the character of the speakers
and the words and prophecies that they uttered, so that when the next
speaker, traveling on his shoe leather or maybe in a palace car wearing
silk hat and patent leather shoes, arrives and tells the people how
they can free themselves from the money power, they will remember the
wagon and the men who lived and traveled in it and spoke from it.
It is well to have the wagon so constructed that, when the time for
meeting arrives, by removing the top it can be used as a speaker's
platform and the announcements made from the front seat as it is driven
from corner to corner.
FORWARD, MARCH.
Let a thousand such wagons be started out at once and kept on the road
for four years visiting every country school district every village
from Maine to New Mexico and from Texas to Oregon, each carrying an
abundant supply of literature.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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