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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
tho rest of the delegates. I stated to you that
thoy wero all men who could get to Chicago, and
you could look aftor tho matter hero. Both
of you, however, proposed that tho matter he
closed then, to which I agreed."
Mr. Banks says in his letter that when he
reached Chicago ho learned some ono had in
formed tho Mississippi delegates that "you had
given mo a lot of monoy for them as well as
lor myself." He adds that "I am returning
you herewith the monoy, and you can do as you
eco fit.
"In turning from the support of your candi
date It may bo urged that I havo violated in
structions," tho letter says. "I shall say nothing
of the conditions under which the convention
issued instructions unless lator developments
require it, but no member of the delegations
from Mississippi will say with justice to his con
science that I was elected on the strength of,
or alliance with any particular candidate."
Tho report of the Taft headquarters in the
form of a remark from McKinley was brief and
oracular. Mr. McKinley said:
"I hope every ropublican will read the Banks
letter with extreme care and then draw his own
conclusions. Its disclosures are illuminating.
Its issuance from the Roosevelt headquarters is
significant."
It was more than intimated that this was
morely tho forerunner of more specific ma
terial to be issued from the Taft headquarters.
The national committee continued to decide
contests in favor of Taft, throwing out Roose
velt delegates-at-large from Texas and district
delogates from that state. Also Washington
delegatos-at-large and six district delegates.
Altogether the committee heard 254 and of this
number gave 19 to Roosevelt and 235 to Taft.
Great indignation was expressed by Roosevelt
men and fist fights in the committee room wero
narrowly averted.
Mr. Roosevelt arrived in Chicago on the regu
lar train Saturday afternoon, June 15th. He
was given an enthusiastic reception and ad
dressed a great gathering, charging tho national
committee with stealing delegates and declaring
that the theft would not give them victory.
Roosevelt forces picked Senator Borah as
their candidate for temporary chairman. Elihu
Root will be the Taft candidate.
It was announced that the light in the con
vention would begin when tho temporary roll
call was offered by the national committee. The
Roosevelt men, it was said, would object to the
seating of 60 "stolen delegates," and then the
fight would begin. The Roosevelt men would
contend that the 60 delegates whose right was
contested were not entitled to vote on their own
or on other contests.
Advocates of woman suffrago held a meeting
Sunday evening. They were addressed by
Judge Ben Lindsey of Denver and Gifford
Pinchot,
F. H. Cook, a delegate from Louisiana made
an affidavit which was published by tho Taft
The Commoner.
manager Congressman McKinley, charging that
a man by the name of Thompson from Colorado
offered him $1,000 if he would desert Taft and
bup po rt oosovelt. Roosevelt men say that thoy
novop Heard of either Cook or Thompson and
U Following ' is 'Associated Press dispatch:
Chicago, June 16. William Jennings Bryan
was a center of attraction in tho pre-convention
Bceno today, and though appearing at the head
quarters of leaders of another party as a news
paper reporter, was given a demonstration by
tho throng of visitors and delegates.
Mr. Bryan had a personal chat with Theodore
Roosevelt lato in the day, after he had inter
viewed Senator Dixon, the Roosevelt campaign
director, and Managing Director McKinley of
tho Taft bureau. As he entered the hotel lobby,
elbowing his way through the crowd, somebody
shouted: "Hurrah for Bryan," and the Ne
braskan was given a demonstrative welcome.
He was cheered for several minutes and con-,
tinuous cries of "Speech! Speech!" came from
all parts of tho lobby. Mr. Bryan waved his
hand to the crowd and remarked to those near
him that ho had come "merely as a newspaper
reporter" and not seeking the presidential
nomination from a republican convention.
"I came to see your steam roller," said Mr.
Bryan as he shook hands with 'Congressman Mc
Kinley. "Is it anywhere in sight?"
"No, we have laid it aside," said Mr. McKin
ley, "but would be glad to lend it to you if
you would like to have it at Baltimore."
"Oh, no; we democrats do not need it," Mr.
Bryan laughingly responded. "We are going
to hold a model convention."
The Nebraska delegation met and adopted
resolutions denouncing Victor Rosewater for
misrepresenting the Nebraska republicans.
The night before tho convention Mr. Roose
velt held a great mass meeting. Thousands of
people were jammed into the huge auditorium
and he was given an enthusiastic welcome. An
Associated Press dispatch referring to this says:
Colonel Roosevelt was constantly interrupted
in his speech with storms of applause. He fre
quently departed from his prepared speech for
an extemporaneous thrust, which brought the
people to their feet with shouts and waving
flags handed them on entering the hall.
"I made my fight fair and square in the open
and I won," ho said, "I don't intend that my
opponents shall cheat me out of it."
The colonel gave a new definition of the com
mittee. "Tho national committee," he ex
claimed; "who are they? About fifty people
with the ratio of honesty ranging from about
fourteen to twenty and the remainder 'sure
thing' men."
Colonel Roosevelt began to call the roll of
some of his most prominent opponents. At the
first name he mentioned a groan came from the
crowd. With the next name the groan became
a roar. To preserve peace the colonel gave up
his roll call. He said his chief opponents on
tho national committee were men who had been
repudiated in their own state.
"It is bad enough," he complained, "to have
the victory stolen by the bosses that are living,
but it is an added outrage to have it stolon by
tho bosses that are among the unburied dead."
When Colonel Roosevelt said that any action
of the convention, if brought about by the dele
gates fraudulently seated, would not be bind
ing on the party, there came the wildest out
burst of the evening. The crowd leaped up with
a uhout and refused to be quieted, despite the
colonel's attempts to continue.
"If they ask for tho sword," said he, when
at last he could make himself heard, "they shall
have it."
Colonel Roosevelt made it plain in a sentence
which he interjected that the decisive test in
the convention probably would be made on tho
vote for temporary chairman.
"It is perfectly possible," said he, "that under
parliamentary ruling the ono way to, vote upon
these fraudulent delegates on the roll will bo by
voting for the temporary chairman. Any man
who under these circumstances accepts tho
nomination of the national committee for tem
porary chairman becomes the representative of
the people who have been guilty of these in
famous fraudB."
He appealed to "every delegate elected for
Mr. Taft who is an honest man" to stand with
his supporters in organizing tho convention.
William J. Bryan sat in tho reporters' row
in the orchestra pit. Ho was cheered loudly
when he appeared, but refused even to make
a bow.
"I am a newspaper man tonight," ho explained,"
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 24
EXTRACTS FROM ROOSEVELT'S SPEECH
"As far as Mr. Talt and I are personally con
cerned it little matters what the fate of either
may be. But with Mr. Taft's acquiescence or
by his direction, and in his interest, his follow
ers have raised an issue which is all important
to this country. It is not a partisan issue; it
is a great moral issue."
"Were Lincoln alive today he would add that
it is also the same principle which is now at
stake when we fight on behalf of the many
against the oppressor in modern industry,
whether the abuse of special privilege be by a
man whose wealth is great or is little, whether
by the multi-millionaire owner of railways and
mines and factories who forgets his duties to
those who earns his bread while earning their
own, or by tho owner of the foul little sweat
shop who coins dollars from the excessive and
underpaid labor of haggard women."
"When in February last I made up my mind
that it was my duty to enter this fight, it was
after long and careful deliberation. I had be
come convinced that Mr. Taft had definitely and
completely abandoned the cause of the people
and had surrendered himself wholly to the bid
dings of the professional political bosses and of
the great privileged interests standing beyind
them."
"It is bad enough to have the victory stolen
by the bosses that are living, but it is an added
outrage to have it stolen by the bosses that are
among the unburied dead."
Colonel Roosevelt said that any action of the
convention, if brought about by the delegates
"fraudulently seated," would not be binding
on the party.
"The question involved in the action of the
national committee is of vastly more impor
tance than my nomination or the nomination of
any man. The whole system of the corrupt al
liance between crooked business and crooked
politics is at stake in the making up of this
temporary roll, it has been made up crookedly
by the majority of the national committee with
the purpose of perpetuating the rule of the
corrupt political boss, even when the people
have declared against it."
"We who war against privilege pay heed to
no outworn system of philosophy. We demand
of our leaders today understanding of and
sympathy with the living and vital needs of
those in the community whose needs are great
est. We are against privilege in every form.
We believe in striking down every bulwark
of privilege. Above all we are against the evil
alliance of special privilege in business with
special business in politics. We believe in giv
ing the people a free hand to work in efficient
fashion for true justice. To the big man and
to the little man, in all the relations of life, we
pledge justice and fair dealing."
MR. BRYAN IN THE LOBBIES
A Chicago dispatch to the Lincoln (Neb.)
Journal, says: William J. Bryan, who told
them in Colorado that he was going t oChicago
to stampede the convention, did stampede tho
jammed lobby of the Congress hotel yesterday
morning. "Bryan, Bpeech!" a man near the
door yelled when Bryan entered from the Uni
versity club where he is quartered. "On a
chair;" "compromise candidate?" "Roose
velt and Bryan."
"No, no," scowled the commoner. "I'm here
after the news," and began pushing his way to
ward the door.
"You're the biggest attraction we've had
here," was Manager McKinley's greeting to
Bryan when he struck the republican commit
tee's headquarters.
"I come to get pointers," cam back Bryan.
"I don't expect to be able to use them all,
thought."
"This is going to be a model convention,"
was McKinley's complacent rejoiner, "it's all
settled now."
"Come into my back shop," said Senator
Dixon.
"Certainly," replied Bryan. "This is the first
time I ever was in the back shop of a republi
can convention."
Mr. Bryan visited the Cummins' headquarters
and asked for La Follette's, which is in another
hotel. He is to occupy a seat in the press sec
tion, r-
COX OF OHIO
The Ohio democracy made a ten-strike when
it nominated Congressman Cox for governor.
He wi 11 make a strong candidate and an excel
lent official. His record in the house of repre
sentatives gives assurance that his strength in
the party by tho administration he will give. Hia
platform is sound, too.
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