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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 12, 1912)
m-mfirmpm'nrA-vf,, 7 12 The Commoner. VOLUME 12, NUMBER 27 "-"' JtV i Ik. ; fr i it . i" Mr. Bryan at Baltimore Lincoln (Nob.) Journal: Tho party camo to scoff Its old loador, but re mained to pray for his help In getting tho ofllcos. Tho men who had decided to food him to tho lions became frlghtonod ovor tho furoro ho had croatod and finally gavo In to his "impractical" but imperious leadership. Lincoln (Nob.) Journal: Mr. Bryan brought tho convention around to his own views by the skil ful use of tho llmo light. His per sonality and experience gave hira control of tho publicity machine, which he usod against tho conserva tives with deadly effect. Ho threw tho full glaro of tho newspaper head lines of tho nation now upon Parker, now upon Murphy, now upon Clark. In a couplo of days ho had tho load ers in a panic. But he would still have failed in his main purpose if it had not been for tho two-thirds rule. That proventod tho leaders from put ting Clark ovor early in tho proceed ings, as they had planned to do, and gavo Bryan a chance to bring up his roserves in tho shapo of telegrams from tho home states. Thoso tele grams, sheer weariness and tho per sisted talk that "Wilson can win" finally brought about a rosult that did not seem possiblo. fits ono-timo glory forovor will have dopartod from it. This is no time for dallianco with Wall street emissaries; no time for listening to tho whispered sugges tions of thoso who consider property rathor than men; no time for join ing right hands, or hands of any sort, with those who esteem tho people's government a thing for personal exploitation. Philadelphia North American: This newspaper always has rogarded William Jennings Bryan as an honest man, a pure patriot and a great American. H1b character and his conduct in public affairs, wo believe, always have rosted on right funda mental principles. Wo have sharply disagreed with Mr. Bryan regarding tho methods and the remedies which ho has proposed at various times for ovils, tho oxistonco of which we recognized, as ho did. But never havo wo doubted lite excellence of purpose, and novor havo wo belittled his sharo in the groat progressive advance. His course at Baltimore during tho last week has strengthened our boliof in his patriotic purposes. In his whole careor ho never did a more heroic act than when ho offered hira Bolf as a candidate for tomporary chairman of tho democratic conven tion. Alton B. Parkor had been recommended by tho national com mittee for that position. Judgo Parker was notoriously tho candi date of special privilege which then controlled, and which still controls, the majority of the democratic con vention. Ignoring tho consequences to his personal prestige and to IiIb own pos sible nomination. Mr. Brvan fornori Iho issue, so as to unmask immedi ately tho lino of battle and the re serves of the forces of special privi lege. And though ho met personal defeat for a minor post at tho hands Df a democratic convention, such as three times In sixteen years had hon ored him with the nomination for the presidency, it was in reality a voluntary and useful sacrifice for tho cause which ho holds higher than his own fortunes. Huntingdon (Tenn.) Democrat: What ever elso may bo said of Bryan, ho is not afraid. He has convictions and will not sacrifice thoso convictions for place or favor. Ho is always willing to meet an issue, and ho does it in tho open. Ho is wise in council and bravo in battle, and above all ho Is the friend of the common people. A man of that typo always makes enemies and finds strong opposition. Ho subjected himself to much ad verse criticism by opposing tho elec tion of Judge Parker as temporary chairman of the Baltimore conven tion. He did this because ho be lieved ho saw in those backing Parker tho friends of tho predatory interests, and he did not want this to be a convention by those interests. In his opinion if the democratic party is to succeed in November it must In some way distinguish itself from tho republican party, and if the same interests dominate both par ties whore are the distinguishing fea tures to come in. Those who criti cise him most severely are those seeking control and those who want to see tho party win without refer ence to principle, or to the methods UBed in securing tho victory. Ho told a truth when ho said that tho big interests are with the party that serves them. These selfish and oppressive interests will always find in Bryan an enemy that is unafraid, and one that will fight in victory or defeat. Fort Smith (Ark.) Southwest American: The persistent and con sistent followers of William J. Bryan for tho past sixteen years, men who havo never faltered in their fealty to him, and who have never doubted his sincerity, integrity . and honesty of purpose, havo had their faith in him renewed and strengthened by the Baltimore result. Not only that, thousands and thousands of voters in this country who have watched his great fight for political honesty and party trustworthiness have turned to him while the battle with the men of privilege and their repre sentatives raged about his head in that trying hour. He is tho biggest man and tho most trusted one in tho American nation today and through his great leadership and generalship the real democracy of tho nation is soon to come into its own a demo cratic president who will he truly democratic for Woodrow Wilson is to bo elected president next Novem ber beyond tho shadow of a fear or doubt. San Francisco Star: Mr. Bryan gratefully realizes, as many of tho rest of us do, that the people are In no mood to dally longer with those forces that make for a soulless plu tocracy. Ho realizes, as many others do, that in ono way or anothor peacefully, w6 trust a revolution is coming which will place the actual, as well as nominal, power of self government in tho hands ok Ameri can citizens; and ho knows, as do all savo tho partisan and selfishly blind, that tho democracy now. must bo true to .the masses or the light of Lincoln (Neb.) News: The demo cratic convention was not disgraced by colored delegates working under a system which greatly enhanced their power beyond that of delegates from other states, but it was ham pered by practically the same sys tem working for some of tho white delegates tho Tammany crowd About half of the population of Now York state is in New York City, the democratic part of which is con trolled by Tammany. Out in the state the democrats are overwhelm ingly opposed to Murphy and his henchmen; but by. virtue of his con trol of the machine Murphy could cast Now York's entire ninety votes as a unit in tho Baltimore conven tion. Tho blight of Murphylsm and Tammanyism is steadily decreasing tho democratic voto in New York City. But because ho has control of the party machinery In this city, which dominates tho party machin ery of tho state, this leader of a vampiro political society is able to mako himself the misrepresentative of thousands of democrats, and exerts a force in national politics which might easily prove to be a deciding influence. STANCHPIELD AND IIIS CLIENTS Lincoln (Neb.) News: John B. Stanchfield, the New York lawyer who, as a member of the New York delegation at Baltimore made a bit ter attack on Bryan, calliner him a publicity - seeking, money - grubbing marplot, is the attorney of record for August Belmont and Thomas F. Ryan in several of their big deals, according to the New York World. Ho was merely serving as tho tool' of these men and made tho reply to Bryan which they, themselves, dared not make. Tho attack on Bryan loses some of Its force when this Is known, for it could hardly be expected that an employe of tho Belmont-Ryan crowd who draws his large salary from them and because of the posi tion they have taken for themselves, would bo anything but opposed to a man who was exerting all of his mighty power to overthrow them and change the conditions which enable them to continue their un fair advantages over the people. Stanchfield's attack was not simply the personal belief of one delegate, as it appeared on the surface, but it was the biting back of the monster of special privilege which realized that it was brought to bay and was forced to fight a losing fight. Washington (D. C.) Times: "With William J. Bryan and his charge made in the convention today, the issue is proof or retraction. I shall expect him to meet that issue." Champ Clark. Mr. Ajax defied the lightning, but that was on a cool, clear day. The Baltimore sky just now looks like the inside of a brass kettle and most of the wise citizens are carrying um brellas. It sure looks like a shower that will test the weather proofness of Champ's political raincoat. Washington (D. C.) Times: The official undertaker for the demo cratic convention is having a very busy time. He was ordered to pre pare for one of the most elaborate political funerals ever seen in these parts. But when they started to screw on an elaborate name plate engraved "William Jennings Bryan " the undertaker found that the de ceased had a full head of hair. As a matter of fact, the man they thought they were going to bury wasn't even sick. New York Sun: Of Mr. Bryan it may fairly.be said that he was "the" big figure of tho convention. His spectacular actions may have caused bitterness here in Baltimore this week, but, on the whole, it is hardly to be doubted that they will help the ticket immensely at the election in November. For they put tho stamp of progresslvoness indelibly upon the actions of this convention Part of the debt of the conven tion s members and visitors to Mr Bryan the Sun has already acknowl edged. Another part it hereby con fesses, and that Is tho debt we are all under to him for keeping things lively during tho proceedings, for furnishing to thoso present the greatest political entertainment of recent times. And. the best thing wo can say of him just now is this: That in tho last few hours preceding tho nomination of Ttfr. Wilson, when various statesmen and orators were usurping the limelight; when repre sentatives of Alabama, and Missouri, and New York, and Massachusetts, and California and other states wero releasing their candidates and ex plaining their views and sotting themselves straight; when tho thought uppermost in tho minds of most of the people present was of tho Nebraskan and what he was thinking of it all, Mr. Bryan was content to sit quietly in his chair, with an enigmatic smile on his face, and let others mount the stage. He was the one man thero who did not have to remind the convention visitors and tho convention dele gates of his presence! New York World? Mr Prvn was tho hero of tho Baltimoro con vention. There can bo no doubt of that. Ho might havo done more, ho might havo dono less and he might have done some things differently, but he is the man who made the fight; ho is the man who shaped the issues; he is the man who controlled events. Whether in all things wisely, whether in all things unselfishly, whether in all things loyally devoted to Governor Wilson, it was his courage, his clearness of vision, his knowledge of tho forces with which he had to contend and his splendid mental and physical endurance that gained tho day. We pay this tribute to Mr. Bryan because it is deserved, and we find tho moro ploasure in it because for many years past there have boen occasions almost without number on which wo were compelled to dis agree with him and to oppose him. It has seemed at times that Mr; Bryan's purpose was not to strengthen himself. That suspicion attached to him at Baltimore and It delayed his triumph. Indeed, the glory of his achievement is doubled by tho fact that It was brought about at last as much by foes convinced as by friends who never doubted. Washington (D. C.) Times: Wil liam Jennings Bryan, powerful, re lentless, magnificent, is the towering obstruction to the attempts of cer tain great interests to steer tho democratic craft over tho course they had mapped out for it. They sought to hold out the idea this was the smooth, easy, and safe course to suc cess at the polls next November. Bryan believed their piloting headed the party to utter ruin, and meant a third party in this country. And back of Bryan stand millions or determined democratic voters who, like Bryan, believe tho demo cratic -party, like the republican, has come to tho parting of the ways. hf yn, and Jh0 mlllIns back at him, believe that there is just ono J t .Bave. the democratic party, thSSV8 t0 l0p off morselessly the selfish corrupt and corporate in- yhich have had so large a part In shaping the policies of both fhoTaX and republlcan Parties l THE LEADING FACTOR AT BALTIMORE J1pSb?rFh Post: 0n June 9i. last tho Post in commenting upon Mr Bryan's influence in democratic JucllJ. had this to say: "oTo of the leading factors in the democratic national convention, which is to con Swm. BalTtimr on June 25 win takS aa? ?ryan; M'-BiyanhS. rnn?L T7 ImPrtant part in the contest for delegates, assisting wherever possible, the progress ' candidates as against the consorv tives. As a result of this, his In fluence in tho nomination of a presl- 4' -s I V . it r ?t j J