.-;.,
FEBRUARY 2S, 19D8
The Commoner.
DEMOCRATIC LOVE FEASTS
The Kansas democratic state convention
met at Hutchison February 21. Following are
extracts from the Associated Press report:
The democratic state convention today
elected four delegates to the national conven
tion at Denver and each of the eight congres
sional districts elected two delegates, all of the
delegates being bound by iron-clad resolutions
to vote for William J. Bryan. The four dele-gates-at-large
are W. II. L. Pepperell, Charles
H. Sawyer, J. E. Andrews and W. A. Harris.
J. II. Atwood was elected national committee
man. The resolutions condemn asset currency
bills and demand federal guarantee of deposits
in national banks and state guarantee for state
banks; denounce the tariff as political graft;
oppose a ship subsidy; demand a primary law
that insures secrecy of the ballot; favor election
of all public officers, United States senators and
postmasters included, by direct vote of the peo
ple, and declare that corporations should not
be allowed to issue fictitious stocks and bonds.
A great demonstration lasting several min
utes attended the adoption of the resolution.
Grant Harrington of Hiawatha was selected
for temporary chairman of the convention.
The convention was held in the home opera
house which was crowded to its capacity. This
was the most largely attended democratic con
vention in Kansas in years.
W. H. Ryan, chairman of the state central
committee, in calling the convention to ordor
declared that Kansas has a limited democracy
that had cast 150,000 votes at the last election,
and said if the election were held now there
would be 50,000 votes added to this. He re
ferred to what he termed the "robber tariff"
and this remark elicited much applause.
Mr. Ryan introduced Grant Harrington as
temporary chairman. Mr. Harrington, in his
speech, said: "You can't win by sitting around
with long faces and saying, 'We can't win.' Why
if we had thought we could have won at the
last election, we would have elected Colonel
s Harris governor by 20,000 majority."
At the mention of tha name of former Sen
ator Harris, whose friends are booming' him for
re-election to the senate, there was much ap
plause. But the greatest demonstration came
when Mr. Harrington mentioned the name of
W. J. Bryan. "We want to broaden out," he
said. "If a man comes up to vote if he is
for Bryan it makes no difference what .his grand
father was or what his former political affilia
tions have been, let's welcome him."
A demonstration lasting several minutes
ensued, during which the name of the Nebraskan
was cheered to the echo. This was renewed a
few minutes later when resolutions binding
the convention to instruct its delegates to Den
ver to vote for the nomination of Mr. Bryan
for president were read.
THE RESOLUTIONS
The resolutions were introduced by Judge
W. P. Dillard of Fort Scott, and were adopted
unanimously with a whoop. They follow:
"Resolved, By the democrats of the state
of Kansas, in state convention assembled, that
the delegates, both delegates-at-large and dele
gates from the several congressional districts, to
be elected by this convention to the national
democratic convention to be held in the city of
Denver, Colo., on July 7, 1908, be and they
hereby are, and each of said delegates hereby
is instructed to vote for the nomination of the
Hon. William J. Bryan for the nomination for
president of the United States.
"Resolved, That each and every person
nominated as a delegate-at-large and each and
every person nominated to this convention as
district delegate by the several congressional
district caucuses, before his ratification and
election by this convention as such delegate, be
required to pledge himself to vote in said na
tional convention for the nomination of said
W. J. Bryan for president.
"Resolved, That the delegates to be elected
by this convention to said national convention
he and they are hereby directed and instructed
to cast the solid vote of the state of Kansas in
said national convention for the nomination of
said W. J. Bryan for president of the United
States, the desires or wishes of any individual
delegate or delegates to the contrary notwith
standing." Following the adoption of the resolution,
committees were appointed and the convention
took a recess until 2 o'clock.
At the congressional caucuses the follow
ing delegates and alternates to Denver woro sa
lected: r, T,.F,trst strict F- M- Poarl, Hiawatha; W.
O. Rigby, Shawnee; J. W. Walker. Atchison; P.
F. Begin, Mayetta.
Second district W. W. Rose. Kansas City;
Frank Cunningham, Fort Scott; James Agncw,
Anderson county; E. C. Clemmons, Miami.
Third district S. H. llemlerson, Columbus;
II. B. Goss, Sedan; G. W. Lincbaugh, Parsons;
Frank Comiskey, Crawford.
Fourth district Ed Thall, Eureka; M. F.
Truitt, Eskridgo; Charles Gantz, Osage; .1. M.
McGowan, Emporia.
Fifth district I-I. R. Fulton. Hanover; Dr.
J. B. Stewart, Clay county; William Groser, Sa
lina; S. J. Allen, Dickinson county.
Sixth N. B. McCormick, Smith county; J.
E. Ersch, Mitchell county, delegates; alternates
not named.
Seventh Not yet selected.
Eighth II. J. Rootzel, Sedgwick county,
and J. J. Sifty of Sumner, delegates; alternates
not named.
AT TOPE K A
An Associated Press dispatch from Topeka,
Kan., February 22, follows: "This is Bryan
day in Topeka, and thousands of democrats from
all over Kansas have gathered for the banquet
at the auditorium tonight, at which William J.
Bryan will be the principal speaker. Two special
trains brought democrats and spectators from
the convention at Hutchinson. Mr. Bryan and
party will arrive at G o'clock. They will bo
given an impromptu reception at the Hotel
Throop, the democratic headquarters, until 7:30,
the hour of the banquet. Accommodations have
been arranged for 1,000 guests at the banquet,
at which women are invited. No liquor will bo
served. Mr. Bryan will commence speaking at
10 o'clock."
OKLAHOMA DEMOCRATS
An Associated Press dispatch under date
of Muskogee, Okla., February 22, follows:
' The democratic state convention elected
eight delegates-at-large to the national conven
tion with half votes and eacli of the congres
sional districts chose two delegates and all the
delegates were instructed to vote for the nom
ination of William J. Bryan for president.
Tate Brady was elected national committee
man. The platform declares that all the groat re
forms that are under discussion, including direct
election of United States senators, income and
inheritance taxes, guaranty of bank deposits,
regulation of corporations and prohibition of
campaign contributions from corporations, were
initiated by Bryan. The republican party Is de
nounced as responsible for commerce and trade
monopolies and trust gambling, and imprison
ment of violators of the anti-trust law is de
manded. Delegates were chosen as follows:
At large Governor C. N. Haskell, Speaker
William H. Murray, Lee Cruce, Thomas Doyle,
J. G. Thompson, John Leahy, W. N. Maben,
Daniel Leary.
First district Robert E. Losier, J. B. A.
Robertson.
Second district C. L. Green, F. J. GIvens.
Third district George C. Crump, L. M.
Buffington.
Fourth district D. II. Linebaugh, Eugene
Day.
Fifth district Claude Miller, C. L. Greer.
AT SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS
An Associated Press dispatch under date
of Springfield, 111., February 21, follows:
Ten thousand people crowded the state
arsenal tonight and heard William J. Bryan dis
cuss the political issues of the day. The meet
ing was held under the auspices of the stae
federation of Bryan clubs which was organized
this afternoon in this city. James M. Graham
of Springfield called the meeting to order and
introduce Former Vice President Adlai E. Ste
venson of Bloomington as the presiding officer.
The trusts and the relation of the republi
can party toward them and the present financial
stringency and the gold standard and republi
can monetary policies were the principal sub
jects discussed by Mr. Bryan. Mr. Bryan ar
rived in the city this morning from Jackson
ville and was met at the Wabash station by
2,000 enthusiastic democrats and oscortod to
the St. Nicholas hotel, whero he held a recep
tion in the rotunda of the hotel. This after
noon the Illinois democratic editorial associa
tion met at the St. Nicholas hotel, with about
fifty editors in attendance and woro addressed
by Mr. Bryan. The association adopted reso
lutions endorsing Mr. Bryan for president and
endorsing a primary election law which Gover
nor Deneen signed today. The meeting of offi
cers and representatives of the Bryan clubs of
the state was held at a reception hall In the
afternoon and (he state federation of Bryan
clubs was organized.
A1MMIECIATES THE COMMONER'S EFFORT
A. G. Fansler, Hendricks, V. Va., writes:
"Find enclosed sixty cents postoffice money ordor
and certificate for which please extend my sub
scription from time paid for. PloaHo send mo
more ecrtmentes as J wish to do all I can for
the success of democratic anna in the coming
election. If every democrat does his full duly
from now until election day, we will not only
elect Mr. Bryan president, but a democratic con
gress as well. The Commoner Is doing a noble
work in this cause and it behooves every demo
crat to do all he can to increase its circulation
and especially among thinking and conservative
republicans. Judging from the muttorlngs and
wailing of some of the so called democratic
press of New York City (supporters of Wall
Street), Mr. Bryan is touching a vital spot by
his. able and earnest editorials. The ahovo
named papers exhaust themselves In Iojik edi
torials endeavoring to show or try to make their
readers believe that Mr. Bryan has been tho
cause of every democratic defeat since 1892.
They surely take their readers to be intellectual
imbeciles or so devoid of reason as to not know
enough to analyze election returns. The demo
cratic defeat of 1891 could not possibly bo
attributed to Mr. Bryan as he was an unknown
quantity at that time. And in 1890 any one
of sound judgment knows that had Mr. Cleve
land been nominated ho would have been defeat
ed as badly as Monroe defeated his antagonist.
In the elections following immediately tho
Spanish-American war, history fails to show a
single instance whore a party that waged a suc
cessful war was ever defeated. How about the
election of 1901 when the "safo and ano" ele
ment nominated Judge Parker of gold telegram
fame, and Hon. Henry G. Davis of my own
state, supported by the same papers that say
Mr. Bryan was the cause of all the defeats. Note
tho result. Parker went down In the worst
defeat the democratic party has suffered for
years. Any man of ordinary intelligence knows
Mr. Bryan did not cause this defeat. Therefore
I desire to repeat that these so called democratic
papers must class their readers of low intelli
gence to swallow biased editorials as truth. I
wish you the success you so justly deserve and
wish the party success all along the line."
WATCH YOURSELF GO BY
Just stand aside and watch yourself go by;
Think of yourself as "ho," instead of "I."
Note, closely as In other men you note,
The bag-kneed trousers and the seedy coat,
Pick flaws; find fault; forget the man is you.
And strive to make your estimate ring true,
Confront yourself and look you in tho eye
Just stand aside and watch yourself go by.
Interpret all your motives just as though
You looked on one whose aims you did not know.
Let undisguised contempt surge through you
when
You see you shirk, O commonest of men!
Despise your cowardice; condemn whato'er
You note of falseness in you anywhere.
Defend not one defect that shames your eye
Just stand aside and watch yourself go by.
And then, with eyes unveiled to what you
loathe
To sins that with sweet charity you'd clothe
Back to your self-walled tenement you'll go
With tolerance for all who dwell below.
The faults of others then will dwarf and shrink.
Love's chain grow stronger by one mighty link
When you, with "he" as substitute for "I,"
Have stood aside and watched yourself go by.
Strickland W. GlUIlan in Success.
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