More Sparring Between Darrow and Bryan

Mr. Darrow—Do you consider that every religion on earth competes with the Christian religion?

Mr. Bryan—I think everybody who does not believe in the Christian religion believes so—

Mr. Darrow—I am asking what you think?

Mr. Bryan—I do not regard them as competitive because I do not think they have the same source as we have.

Mr. Darrow—You are wrong in saying "competitive"?

Mr. Bryan—I would not say competitive, but the religious unbelievers.

Mr. Darrow—Unbelievers of what?

Mr. Bryan—In the Christian religion.

Mr. Darrow—What about the religion of Buddha?

Mr. Bryan—I can tell you something about that, if you want to know. Confucious or Buddha?

Mr. Darrow—What about the religion of Confucious or Buddha?

Mr. Bryan—Well, I can tell you something about that, if you would like to know.

Mr. Darrow—Did you ever investigate them?

Mr. Bryan—Somewhat.

Mr. Darrow—Do you regard them as competitive?

Mr. Bryan—No, I think they are very inferior. Would you like for me to tell you what I know about it?

Mr. Darrow—No.

Mr. Bryan—Well, I shall insist on giving it to you.

Mr. Darrow—You won't talk about free silver, will you?

Mr. Bryan—Not at all.

Gen. Stewart—I object to him—counsel going any further with this examination and cross-examining his own witness. He is your own witness.

Mr. Darrow—Well, now, general, you understand we are making up a record, and I assume that every lawyer knows perfectly well that we have a right to cross-examine a hostile witness. Is there any doubt about that?

Gen. Stewart—Under the law in Tennessee if you put a witness on and he proves to be hostile to you, the law provides the method by which you may cross-examine him. You will have to make an affidavit that you are surprised at his statement, and you may do that.

Mr. Bryan—Is there any way by which a witness can make an affidavit? That the attorney is also hostile?

Mr. Darrow—I am not hostile to you. I am hostile to your views, and I suppose that runs with me, too.

Mr. Bryan—But I think when the gentleman asked me about Confucius I ought to be allowed to answer his question.

Mr. Darrow—Oh, tell it, Mr. Bryan, I won't object to it.

Mr. Bryan—I had occasion to study Confucianism when I went to China. I got all I could find about what Confucius said, and then I bought a book that told us what Menches said about what Confucius said, and I found that there were several direct and strong contrasts between the teachings of Jesus and the teaching of Confucius. In the first place, one of his followers asked if there was any word that would express all that was necessary to know in the relations of life, and he said, "Isn't reciprocity such a word?" I know of no better illustration of the difference between Christianity and Confucianism than the contrast that is brought out there. Reciprocity is a calculating selfishness. If a person does something for you, you do something for him and keep it even. That is the basis of the philosophy of Confucius. Christ's doctrine was not reciprocity. We were told to help people not in proportion as they had helped us—not in proportion as they might have helped us, but in proportion to their needs, and there is all the difference in the world between a religion that teaches you just to keep even with other people and the religion that teaches you to spend yourself for other people and to help them as they need help.

Mr. Darrow—There is no doubt about that; I haven't asked you that.

Mr. Bryan—That is one of the differences between the two.