'AUGUST 0, i9 12
The Commoner
3
Listen to the Voice of Nebraska Democracy!
Those over-zealous Clark editors who have been calling Mr. Bryan a traitor will pleaso publish the indorsement given Mr. Bryan by
the democratic state convention of Nebraska and explain to their readers why a delegate to a national convention should bo criticised
for carrying out the sentiments of his constituents.
Mr: Metcalfe's Speech at the Nebraska
Democratic Convention
Following is tho address delivered by Richard
L. Metcalfe at tho democratic state convention
for Nebraska at Grand Island, in defense of the
Bryan resolution:
It is true, as one gentleman has said, Mr.
Bryan needs no indorsement at tho hands of
this convention. The things he did at Baltimore
place him beyond the pale of tho sort of criticism
urged against him here. Bryan is not on trial.
This convention and the democratic party of
Nebraska are on trial; and you are to say in this
very tent, and within this very hour, whether
you' want your party to be progressive or reac
tionary, whether you want it to stand for popu
lar government or for government by the few.
One of the speakers has complained that Mr.
Bryan shook hands with the leader of Tammany
and that on one occasion he said "Great is Tam
many." Mr. Bryan in politics must work with
the tools at hand. You democrats have per
mitted such organizations as Tammany to grow
and thrive within your party councils and so
long as you have failed to purge your party
of them you are estopped from complaining that
a party leader has associated with the men and
the organizations you have permitted and pro
vided for your party use.
"Who will be satisfied with the passage of
this resolution?" asks one of the speakers. I'll
tell you who will be satisfied. Men and women
everywhere who know a man when they see him
and admire the- highest sort of courage and the
best form of patriotic effort shown under tho
most discouraging circumstances they will be
satisfied with, the passage of this resolution.
Those who honestly object to this resolution
and are not governed purely by malice are un
able to understand the things going on about
them today. When the representative of the
north and the representative of the south
clashed in the United States senate in ante-bellum
days they called it a fist fight. They learned
better later, just as they know now that that
conflict was among the epoch making incidents
all pointing tho way to a great crisis in our
country's affairs. We are face to face with such
a crisis at this time. On the one hand we find
growing unrest among the people. We find a
breaking down of party ties, an increasing dis
respect for party platforms. We find the social
ist party offering what many of us believe to
be an impossible theory. We find the republi
can party all but wrecked by a pliant submis
sion to special interests; and we find leaders in
the democratic party a party whoso declared
principles are in harmony with the foundation
of this government as the fathers laid it we
find these leaders seeking to lead that party
away from its principles, seeking to wreck it
on the same rock that has shattered the repub
lican ship. At this very moment when a large
portion of tho republican party is going demo
cratic these leaders are seeking to make the
democratic party go republican.
- BRYAN AT BALTIMORE
What did Mr.. Bryan accomplish at Baltimore?
If that convention' had adjourned, as it opened,
with the reactionary program in full swing
there would have been no convention hall in the
land big enough, to hold the forces that would
gather under the banner of the new progress
sive party. Make no mistake Theodore Roose
velt is to be a f oeman worthy of your steel.
He hag had, a personal popularity unlike that of
any other public man in all the world's history
and with all of his inconsistencies it is admitted
that he, has done much to advance the cause of
the progressive principle. You niust meet him
yet u'ppn' the .field of battle. Ha'd it not been
for Bryan's fight and Bryan's victory your
struggle with the new progressive party would
have been utterly "hopeless; for' there are men,
thou ghtful and experienced democrats -and re
'publicans "alike, who believe that In spite of
Bryan's victory at Baltimore, in spite of any
thing that might have happened at Chicago
democratic and republican party aliko is at heart
reactionary and that nothing in tho way of real
reform may bo expected at tho hands of either
of them. There are men who honestly bellevo
that it would have been better for this country
had Bryan lost tho battle at Baltimore, for then
whatever course ho might have taken thero
would have been that political realignment that
is bound to come if any genuine roform is
brought about In our public affairs. In this con
nection I want to read to you an editorial that
appeared in a recent issue of tho Saturday
Evening Post, a really independent paper. How
ever sternly it may strike my party or my posi
tion I feel within my heart that every word of
this editorial is true. Hero it is:
"Colonel Bryan says four-fifths of tho demo
cratic party is progressive. No doubt ho is right;
but tho conservative fifth would, have controlled
proceedings at Baltimore except for tho remark
able fight made personally by tho Nobraskan.
It was a great fight and a famous victory. It
probably postpones for some timo that com
pletely now and rational party alignmont which
began at Chicago. Tho democratic party, how
ever, is still tho party of Ryan, Murphy Parker,
Taggart. They lost by a hair at Baltimore.
Next time they may win.
"The party name has no permanent mean
ing. That it stands for progress in this na
tional campaign is hardly more than a happy
accident. Four years hence tho determining
accident or incident may bo loss happy;
while In New York, for example, national demo
cratic victory simply renews and strengthens
Tammany's lease of power.
"If a reactionary or pliablo candidate had
been named at Baltimore ho might have won
this year; but his nomination would have accel
erated that disruption of tho present organiza
tions which is bound to come. Governor Wilson
gets the nomination under especially favorable
circumstances. Of all names before tho conven
tion, his was least acceptable to the tory contin
gent, and it opposed him to the last. Not only
his own inclinations, but the circumstances of
his nomination, pledge him to an out-and-out
progressive administration. Wo have no doubt
he will do his best to give such an administra
tion if elected. But we are still anxious to see
party alignment on a basis of fixed principles
and party names that havo meaning."
INTERRUPTED BY- OMAHA MAN
You aro doing what you can hero tonight to
prove the correctness of tho claim that the
priceless principles in your party's creed aro
for mere dress parade. You aro doing what you
can to prove the truth of this editorial.
(Here some member from tho Omaha delega
tion shouted that Roosevelt and Bryan should
travel together.)
"Thank you for reminding mo of that" re
torted Mr. Metcalfe. "That reminds me that
there appeared in this morning's World-Herald
an editorial saying that Governor Wilson's
managers had decided to pit Mr. Bryan
against Mr. Roosevelt. The World-Herald con
gratulated them upon this fine decision and
then concluded with this paragraph:"
"Meanwhile Woodrow Wilson having by one
splendid stroke of policy taken care of both
Mr. Roosevelt and .Mr. Bryan, will be free to
go on with his campaign, sedately and with
dignity, as he had planned. He's a wise man,
that Woodrow Wilson, and everybody ought to
vote for him. Nearly everybody will."
In other words your party organs and your
party leaders are quite willing to use Bryan
against Roosevelt whose popularity with the
people you can not match and whose indictments
against special interest government you can not
meet; you are- quite willing thaj this man should
go o.ut an.d fight your, battles for you against a
ipan you dare pot ifaqer uponf Abe field? Bryan,
you admit, is the only man who can cope with
RooBovelt yet you would dorido him and Insult
him at Baltimore and you would covor him with
insults hero. What a happy combination, from
your viewpoint as well expressed In this World
Herald editorial, of using Bryan to fight your
battles with Roosevelt, and thus disposing of
both of thoso troublesome gontlomcn with on
skilfull move. Do you think you can play this
sort of a game long without exposing It to tho
men who admire Bryan because of tho faithful
battles ho has made for popular government?
Do you imagine, even at thlB moment that thoy
do not see through tho thin voll that tho party
leaders who would elevate and honor tho Bel
monts and tho Ryans while thoy hato such men
as Bryan throw over their ingenius plans?
You havo nothing but words of consuro for
Bryan but you havo no consuro for your demo
cratic organizations n Now York whore Mur
phy rules. Taggart tried to resign from tho na
tional committco in Indiana and you ceased your
attacks on Bryan long onough to persuado Tag
gart to recall his resignation. Thoro aro known
reprcHcntativs of special Interests holding
powerful places throughout your party and you
aro so busy denouncing Bryan that you have no
time to protest against this practice of using the
livery of heaven for tho service of satan.
You say that If wo pass this resolution It will
be a reflection upon Champ Clark and that it
will "fill Champ Clark's cup to tho full." Champ
Clark Is a great and a good man. I am sorry for
any man when ho meets tho great disappoint
ment that must havo been his when ho failed to
realize upon his life's ambition. But we are not
interested in any individual. So far as this
great issuo is concerned Champ Clark is a closed
incident. He had his opportunity when ho was
invited by Bryan to take his stand with the pro
gressives on tho temporary chairmanship. It is
not so much what he did as what he failed to do.
MANAGERS MADE BAD GUESS
. As a practical proposition Mr. Clark's man
agers guessed that Murphy was a biggor roan
than Bryan. As a practical proposition Gover
nor Wilson's managers guessed that Bryan was
a bigger man than Murphy and tho Wilson
managers guessed right tho very first time.
Mr. Clark lost the nomination upon a false
move or, If you please, upon a failure to make
the right move and ho has no one to blame but
tho gentlemen who managed his campaign, some
of whom aro just as intimate with tho special
interests in every day life as they wore upon tho
floor of that convention hall.
But Mr. Clark is, after all, of no concern In
this fight. It matters not who happened to be
hurt by what Bryan did at Baltimore. It mat
ters not even what the instructions to Bryan
were at the primaries. Ho was chosen a dele
gate because It was known that ho would fight
tho system wherever and however he found it.
Had it been known in advance what the lineup
at Baltimore would bo Mr. Clark could not have
secured an indorsement in this state.
You men are to say now whether Bryan did
right. So far as Bryan Is concerned, personally,
your action Is of no moment. Wo all know
where ho stands. Tho question is where do. you
stand? Where does the democratic party stand?
By this action at Baltimore ho gave you tho one
possible hope you would havo had for victory
and had he been defeated not one of you would
have given a penny for the democratic party's
chance.
Whatever you may say of him here is of no
importance to him personally. Ho has. made his
mistakes but tho people understand him. He
has fixed his place in history and you are bay
ing at the moon vhen you try to injure him by
vicious assaults and your thinly veiled Innuendo.
Gentlemen hero have spoken about harmony.
Again I say to you that they have no understand
ing of the crisis confronting our country. Men
may easily harmonize upon a personal difference.
Petty quarrels may be speedily disposed of. But
the real question under, discussion tonight cam
not be compromised. There can be no har
mony upon it unless all stand upon one side or
upon the other, for one great line runs through
It. all and that line, separates those who believe
in popular,. pverje,nfcif$om, psd-who. bolle.ve
What is the matter with tho democratic
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