M
6
imown, and are taJrtng up C& Mea of flficon
years ago. The democracy could gat the votes
of tho independent republican 11 It dti the
right thin??. It can not nominate a candidate
close to Wall street and the money power and
expect tho Bcven million Bryan votera to sup
port a man who refuued to you for that leader.
The victories won Jn Ohio in 1003 and 1910
by the party were not the work of any man, but
came through taking advantage of the mistakes
of the republican!!, he asserted. The defeat of
Parker in 1901 was referred to and the same
result predicted In 1912 if the party turned its
back on principles aa it did then. Amid great
cheering Senator Dore cried, "Don't nominate a
man who was against us in 1896."
Carman Stale-, of Columbus, styled Bryan
"as the Invincible man of destiny," and said
that one might as well endeavor to eliminate
Washington from the revolution and Lincoln
from the civil war aa the Nebraskan from the
progressive movement of the past sixteen years.
"The democrats don't want a man," said he,
"whose claim is that the predatory interests will
pour out their millions for him. They won't
barter their birthright. And they will not per
mit the corporations to foist on them an old
man who has been employed by them so long
that his every hair has grown white in their
service."
Bert Bartlow brought the message from.
Hamilton that his Indorsement of the move
ment wan backed by Charles E. Mason, candi
date for state treasurer in 1905, Mayor Thad
Straub and David Pearce, members of the con
stitutional convention. The bitter days of 1904
were recalled and the party was abjured to make
no such mistake again.
Benton Chllders, of Worthington, said that
the real question In '96 was not free silver, but
whether the country was to be exploited In the
Interests of monopoly or run for the people,
and the question had not altered. The query
was, "Who shall the harvesters be?" In his
address he mentioned Bryan's name and got
cheers abundant. Wilson was likewise hailed
with applause, and so was Folk and Foss, but
the man who got most of the cheerB of the minor
candidates was Champ Clark. John C. L. Paugh,
f Columbus, asserted that the party would not
follow the man who betrayed It in 1896.
Former Mayor James Rice, of Canton, whose
presence was accidental, took the floor to laud
Bryan and Wilson as true leaders, and was
warmly greeted. In eloquently turned periods
ho went after Governor Harmon, whose right
to a nomination for president he challenged,
because of his past record, and whose ability
be doubted, saying: "He ought, before tackling
tho management of a cabinet and a congress,
show as governor that he is big enough and
brave enough to cope with a little band of legis
lative whiffets."
He hazarded the guess that unless the stand
ard bearer is truly a representative of progress
ke and not tho party would be defeated. As
for himself, he was going to stand for democ
racy if he had to follow the standard of another
party.
UNDKRWOOD HAS HIS WAY
Tho press dispatches say that Representative
Oscar Underwood "showed his force to be still
unswerving and engineered the movement by
which tho Bryan men were defeated," in the
house democratic caucus where an effort was
made to have democratic caucuses hereafter
open to tho public and the press. Instead the
caucus adopted a rule providing that while the
caucus of the future will not be open a Journal
will bo kept for publication and a record vote
will be taken on demand of one-fifth of those
present.
The Commoner.
YOttraTE 12, NUMBER :JM;
Before the Democratic National Committee
FALLING IN LINE
Plutocracy Is falling In lino. The fir3t sup
porter of Governor Harmon quoted in the New
York World poll Is W. F. Harrity of Pennsyl
T&nla. Ho will be remembered as the Pennsyl
vania committeeman In 1896 who refused to
resign and yet declined to assist the 'ticket He
was removed tho next year by the state' convention.
000
0 WILL YOU JOIN IN THE EFFORT
0 TO INCREASE THE COMMONER'S CIR- ffi
6 CULATION FOR 1012?
TAKE IT UP AT ONCE WITH YOUR
NEIGHBOR. ' 5
0
0000
The democratic national committee met at
Washington on the morning of January 8th.
Following are extracts from the Associated
Press report:
Washington, Jan. 8. WHIIam J. Bryan made
his fight in the democratic national committee
toda7 and lost He made Colonel James M.
Guffey, member of the committee from Pennsyl
vania, the issue, and the committee declined to
unseat Colonel Guffey by a vote of thirty to
eighteen. Mr. Bryan once appealed from a de
cision of Chairman Mack and was defeated,
thirty-three to thirteen. The committee ses
sion was marked by extreme bitterness of feel
ing. Once the lie was passed and blows seemed
Imminent Mr. Bryan from first to last was
the central figure In the proceedings and fcthe
fight he precipitated at the very moment the
committee was called to order lasted through
out the day.
So much time was devoted to the contested
seats in the committee that the more Important
matters of choosing a convention city, fixing the
time of the gathering and adapting a form of
call to Include the "permissive primary" plan
of selecting delegates, went over until tomorrow.
The committee began its sitting with open
doors, but as soon as Mr. Bryan began his fight
they were closed and remained so throughout
the day. It Is said there was no mincing of
vords by any of the speakers, but at the end
of the day apologies were offered and when
adjournment was taken until tomorrow, all of
the members seemed outwardly to be on the
best of terms.
Colonel Gnffey hurled the lie at Representa
tive A. Mitchell Palmer of Pennsylvania, who
was contesting for the seat. Later Colonel
Guffey declared his temper momentarily had
got the better of him and he was sorry. Mr.
Palmer said that although he had been thrown
out of the committee it would not affect his
loyalty to his party in any way and he would
continue to labor untiringly for it.
Mr. Palmer had previously asserted that if it
were not for Colonel Guffey's gray hairs the
issue between them would have a more personal
aspect.
Mr. Bryan arraying himself against some of
his friends of old, Including National Chairman
Norman E. Mack and Senator William J. Stone
of Missouri, fought desperately to the last and
had the committee in a turmoil of excitement.
He had been greeted with cheers when he en
tered the room bearing the proxy of Nebraska
in his hands.
Mr, Bryan Inveighed bitterly against Colonel
Guffey, and is said to have been unsparing in
his arraignment of the Pennsylvania member.
Representative Palmer had accused Colonei
Guffey of consorting with the republi
can "machine" in Pennsylvania and of disloyalty
to his party. Mr. Bryan repeated all of this
and more. At the end It is said he had no
apologies to offer and undoubtedly he will carry
on his fight against Colonel Guffey.
At one time during his impassioned appeal to
the committee to rid Itself of "Guffey and Guffey
Ism" Mr. Bryan went so far as to threaten an
appeal to the people" if the committee should
decide against him. The threat had no effect
Mr. Bryan said that thrice he had been a candi
date for the presidency and that 600,000 voters
had stood back of him. They were all demo
crats, he asserted, and it was to the democracy
that he would make his appeal.
"If this committee does not do the right
ri !ht'thlne .?eClared' "the people wil1 d the
Immediately the report spread that Mr. Bryan
had threatened the organization of a third party
This came on top of the conference between Mr
Bryan and Senator La Follette late yesterday
and was given credence in some quarters Mr
w"i; howe71fr' ,laId emphasis upon the fact
that it was the democrats to whom he would
carry his appeal and the third party talk dted
away for the time being. ed
Mr Brian's first fight came with the calling
of Alabama on the roll of states. AvacanS
from Alabama had been filled by the democratic
state committee. Mr. Bryan moved I that X
selection of the state committee be confirmed
National Committeeman Brown of Vermont
made the point of order that no such action was
fhuS71 'hat,,lndep the rule laid down b?
the last national convention the national com-
Committee leaders had pleaded with Mr
Bryan during the morring not to make an issue
of the Guffey matter at this time; that Colonel
Guffey clearly had a majority of the committee
in his favor and that the fight would avail
nothing.
Mr. Bryan would not listen to this suggestion.
Chairman Mack, Thomas Taggart, John T.
McGraw, Roger Sullivan and several others
then held hurried consultation and agreed upon
the program which meant defeat of the Nebras
kan. '
Chairman Mack sustained the point of order
and Mr. Bryan at once appealed from the de
cision of the chair. He saw in this ruling de
feat of the protest against Colonel Guffey and.
asserted that the committee had a perfect right
to pass upon the eligibility of its members. Mr.
Bryan seemed to realize from the first that he
was beaten, but he went Into the fray nn-.
daunted. Mr. Mack was sustained, thirty-three
to thirteen.
The vote by states was as follows:
Ayes: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Con
necticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, In
diana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minne
sota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hamp
shire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota,
Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Vermont, Virginia,
Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska
and Hawaii.
Nays: Colorado, Deleware, Louisiana, Ne
braska, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island,
South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin,
District of Columbia and New Mexico.
Then the Guffey-Palmer case was taken up.
The committee had hoped to dispose of it in an
hour. It required nearly three. Senator Stone
made one of the principal speeches for Colonel
Guffey. He made an apepal for harmony.
Chairman Mack had done likewise in calling
the committee to order.
A resolutions committee was appointed, with
Clark Howell of Georgia as chairman to frame
a call for delegates and thus to deal with the
primary question. Other members of the com
mittee are John T. McCray of West Virginia,
Homer S. Cummlngs of Connecticut, Thomas H.
Brown of Vermont, and W. T. Brady of Okla
homa. It is said the committee has approved
of primaries In the states with primary laws
and will leave to the various state committees
whether primaries shall be held in other juris
dictions. Such a resolution has been offered by
Senator Chamberlain of Oregon. Each state
would have to take care of its own primary ex
penses. There will be nothing mandatory in the
primary resolution.
When Mr. Bryan, holding the Nebraska proxy
reached the committee room, he was greeted
with applause. Each time he moved from one
seat to another to greet a friend, the applause
was renewed. No other member of the com
mittee was given a demonstration.
Although there are "boomers" in town for
ij?K tte avwed Presidential candidates, the
members of the committee seemed reticent in
discussing the situation. There seemed to be
?n SnnSate democrats might well afford
to wait until after the republicans have made
their nomination in Chicago. It was argned tha!
If Mr. Taft was renominated, it might ha t
pedient for the members to choose an outndl
out progressive. If Colonel Roosevelt were
crcnoliv 7 SaId tt mIeht be good dmo.
?? o,t0,name a man more "conserva-
ihan the former president.
With the Alabama case disposed of the com
mittee took up the Guffey-Palmer contest with
a time limit of one hour on the argument? Mr
Bryan made a speech declaring ait the' com!
mittee had a perfect right to review the action
wi?te comnJIttees and to determine the SteS
bility of members. He cited precedents Tin i IK
bodies, notably the Lorimer case in the UnteS
States senate. The senate he said ,Lu itG?
rfl- - ass &
a convention city. selection or
- Senator Stone of Missouri, a life-Ion fri
of Mr Bryan, spoke in behalf o Guffey Mrd
Stone held a proxy. His opposition toMr Prvn
was regarded as significant. ryan
R. F. L. Mountcastle of TennaqRP
clared entitled to his seat with SSg ? onef d?"
lng vote His place on tbj committS "bid bin
contested by John G Vertrpp beon
counsel toform Bec8 VuSgta
Ballinger-Pinchot investigation. uinsop In th
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