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The Commoner.
"Ballot No. 46," and Other Things
J. C. McNoaluo In the Dallas (Texas) Demo
crat, writes the following: Ballot No. 46;
"Vlleon, 990; Clark, 84; Harmon, 12; absent, 2.
By this recorded vote, the national democratic
convention at Baltimore hande'd the proxy of
William J. Bryan to Woodrow Wilson, to be
hold by him during the next four years. I say
"proxy of William J. Bryan," because that was
the practical effect of the convention's action.
Wilson had won the votes of the delegates, but,
Bryan had won their hearts. To the old guard
ho was still the old commander, and to new
followers ho had become a political idol.
Tho convention had lasted from Juno 25 to
July 2. Tho proceedings had been full of excite
ment and much disorder. Precedents had been
stint terod and tho unusual in political history
made. One man, strong in character, Arm in
conviction, aggressive in action, uncompromising
in spirit, the recognized leader of progressiv
ism, had faced what appeared, at the beginning,
to bo overwhelming odds of an intrenched op
position, and, by dogged determination and a
supremo confidence in himself and the ultimate
triumph of right over might, had beaten down .
tho battlements of the reactionaries and rescued
hfs party from the blighting grasp of special
privilege. This, in brief, is the concrete out
come of the deliberations of the national demo
cratic convention at Baltimore.
"Will Woodrow Wilson be able to guide his
party successfully in the path blazed at Balti
more by Bryan? I feel that Wilson and
Marshall is a strong ticket, as presidential
tickets are ordinarily estimated, and that it is
going to bo successful at tho polls next Novem
ber But a greater duty has been assumed and
a greater burden taken up by the regenerated
democracy than has been its assumptions since
tho days of Samuel J.. Tilden. Progressivisra
in the administration of government has come
to stay at least, so far as" the democratic party
lak concerned. Bryan, as president, could make
successful, tho application of its principles and
policies, because he is a seasoned veteran in this
particular line of fighting, and has the confi
dence of tho American people; not only of a
majority of the voters in his own party, -but
also of a majority of the voters in all other
parties. - How far can Wilson command this
combined confidence? In view of what he has
shown during the past thirty days, in the matter
of firmness of .political character, I believe
Woodrow Wilson, with the Indorsement and sup
port of William J. Bryan, can come as near com
manding this combined confidence as can any
other man in the American union. And if ho
shall do so, he will give to this country an ad
ministration satisfactory to the people and
assure to the democratic party a long lease of
direction In national administrative affairs.
When that resolution (the Belmont-Ryan
resolution) was presented by Mr. Bryan, the
fact flashed upon every mind foe as well as
friend that he was not a trimmer or a com
promiser; that he was not a candidate for the
nomination; that he was sincere in all his pro
fessions; that he would rather be right than
bo president; that he would prefer to break the
power of Wall street and its allies in the
affairs of tho national democratic party in tho
administration of government than to receive
Q
0 CIRCULATE THE COMMONER
An old-time reader of Tho Commoner
writes: "Wherever Tho Commoner is
regularly read tho democratic vote in
creases. One of the most effective
methods of increasing Governor Wilson's
vote would be by tho circulation of The
Commoner (particularly among men
who have heretofore voted tho repnbli-
can ticket) in every state of the union.
I suggest that you mako a special rate
0 for campaign purposes and I am sure
0 there are many hard working democrats
who will take advantage of that rate to
put Tho Commoner regularly into tho
hands of their republican neighbors."
0 Tho Commoner will , be sent to any
one from now until the closq of the, 1012 ,
campaign for the sum of 25c, or four
subscriptions, .will , bo entered. until tho
s close ,of tho campaign for .$1.00.
' ) s 0- . ,i -
tho unanimous nomination at tho hands of tho
convention. Bryan,-in my estimation, at that
moment rose to a height never before attained
by any American publicist or politician. Glad
stone, In England, nor Bismarck, In Germany,
never showed more of the character of tho true
statesman on tho one hand, or the qualities of
the man of "blood and iron" on the other, than
did William J. Bryan in this emergency of the
fate of himself and his party. It was clear to
everybody present that he had staked all on
that one call of the roll of the states; that he
had burned every bridge behind him and that
the climax in his career as a democratic leader
had been reached. If he won, ho would bo
greater than if ho wero president. If ho lost
well, he would have to fight again, harder than
ever, with perhaps the old guard only follow
ing their old commander, and having as their
motto: "No question is ever settled until it is
settled right!"
But Bryan won in the climax! He is greater
today than if he had received the nomination
for president. There is an old saying in sport
ing circles, that "the only way to make a
gambler respect you is to win his money." This
sentiment might well be paraphrased, to the
effect that the only way to win the respect of
Wall street is to thrash the political arrogance
and insolence out of it. Wall street today re
spects William J. Bryan but- it does not love
him. He made Murphy and his "90 wax pup
pots" count for no more than any other ninety
individual democratic units in the convention.
Might did not prevail over right, at the finish.
The Texas delegation at Baltimore acquitted
itself creditably and conscientiously. It obeyed
its instructions and was accorded as "large a
measure of recognition as was any other dele
gation in tho convention. It did as much to
help Bryan and Wilson on to victory against their
opponents as did any other delegation. Regard
less of factional or personal political differences,
the democrats of Texas may well feel proud of
its representation in the Baltimore convention.
THE NEW PHASE
Editorial in Detroit News: William Jennings
Bryan achieved a record unique in our political
annals when he survived and thrived on sixteen
years of continuous defeat. It has always been
recognized that it requires a personality of un
usual strength, variety, attractiveness, force
and honesty to havo such an achievement to its
credit. But, as all the angles of the recent
months are gathered up and weighed, it appears
that Mr. Bryan has still a greater thing to his
credit he has survived the death of Bryanism.
And he emerges from the shell in which his
character and influence took their first forms,
with a personality, power and influence more
luminous than ever, though severed by tho very
forces of maturity from Bryanism in all its
forms.
It goes without saying that within three
weeks there has been a profound revision of
the estimate which a. large section of the coun
try placed on Mr. Bryan. As a supposedly per
ennial candidate he has been the butt of enough
jest to smother the doughtiest public character.
As an adjudged dog-in-the-party-manger he has
aroused such powerful hatreds as should utterly
have ruined another political career. As an
outspoken reformer on the liquor question and
others such as the shrewd politician usually
sidesteps, he has seemed to court oblivion time
and again. More epitaphs have been printed
over his alleged- political death than any man
of his time has had to endure. He has been
defeated in every form it is possible for defeat
to take and yet the fact is that he is today
a bigger man, a bigger and more national char
acter than at any time of his career.
All this is particularly noticeable in the
changed tone of the press of the country. Bryan
has advanced beyond the stage wherein he
served as the butt of the paragrapher's spleen
on a dull day. Powerful organs which formerly
affected to despise him, now speak of him in
their most respectful tone. The fight he made
at Baltimore, with its tremendous emphasis on
the moral issue, with its full degree of self
effacement so far as official advancement was
concerned, made a deep impression not only on
his -party but on the country at large, and when
ho emerged from that nine days' battle he
seemed to have gained stature.
- -And the change -seems to vbe.very -agreeable
to air sections nhd parties.' ' The' ryan-of old J
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 3
was a progresalYe, but an immature progres
sive, speaking' to a time that was not able to
receive what he had to say. He came in tho
ipring of the times, so to speak, and when all
the fruit was green and hard upon the trees
but come are tho latter times when progressive
ideas have ripened and matured. He most pub
licly of all proclaimed an embryonic progressive
ness. Tho country at that time was just emerg
ing from a period of stringency to one of pros
perity, and the voice of McKinley, with his sug
gestion of markets and increased commerce, was
a more potent voice than that which came out
of tho west with such unheard-of suggestions as
popular election of United States senators, cur
rency reform and the control of the courts. In
time, however, the country learned the hoilow
ness of mere material progress. Under cover of
"tho full dinner pail" was masked the great
trust and tariff movement which jeopardized the
fullness of that useful receptacle by greatly in
creasing tho cost of its contents. We began to
see that mere material prosperity was a blind,
a snare; that our affairs were in such shape that
shrewd men in control could throw us a sop or
stop our victuals at a given signal. Turning
from the full dinner pail, we turned our eyes
to the senate chamber, to Wall street, to the
courts, and then, acting on what we Saw, the
great progressive movement began in earnest.
Other .men arose, notably Theodore Roosevelt,
who combined with Bryan's idealism a practical
administrative ability which the people did not
credit Bryan with having. But whether he has
this ability or not, it is unavailing to evade the
fact that steadily and by insensible degrees, the
ideas which Bryan urged as a revolution, ideas
as green and callow as the young man who so
passionately proclaimed them, have come to be
the dominant notes of the decade's political
thought. This much is not too great praise for
Bryan's part in the education of the nation the
last sixteen years.
Capping this work, Bryan was the one man
whom his party had to carry these ideas against
great opposition to triumphant assertion in a
democratic national convention, and, regardless
of what exterior forces contributed to the result,
the glory of the victory rests chiefly with Wil
liam Jennings Bryan.
That is the reason for he changed note
throughout the country when the name of
Bryan is mentioned. He endured a terrible
test and came through unscathed. He simply
took his stand on the most elemental principle,
and stood there until his party came round to
him. He may never be president of the United
States he has probably given up definitely that
hope but when his services as a public man
have been fairly gauged he will take his place
in our history with those other men Clay and
Webster and Blaine who were great servants
of the nation, though the nation disappointed
their desire for the highest office.
GETTING AN IMPROVED VIEW
Editorial in Springfield (Mass.) Republican:
Senator Tillman is not among the old friends of
William J. Bryan who wholly misinterpreted his
policy in tho democratic national convention and
fell to hotly abusing him. The South Carolina
senator confesses that at the moment he thought
the commoner unnecessarily bitter, "but as soon
as I could analyze and unravel what he was do
ing and realized the great stake for which he
was playing I came to feel" more and more ad
miration for him.
"He certainly is a great leader and an un
equaled fighter, and the promising condition
in which the party now finds itself after tho
second fiercest battle in its history must be at
tributed to his wisdom, foresight and magnifi
cent courage. He comes out of this battle the
greatest American living and will go down in
history as a far greater man than if he had been
elected president. He did things which must
have been very painful to him but controled
alone by patriotism and love of principle, he
never faltered for an instant. He sternly
brushed aside both friend and foe in the pursuit
of right and justice for the people. He deserved
all the credit that any one man can get out of
this great victory."
Thomas M. Osborne said much the same thing
at the first Wilson rally held in Auburn, N. Y.:
There was ono man in Baltimore to whom
the democratic party owes a tremendous debt.
That man is William Jennings Bryan. I differed
with him in the distant past, but I want to say
to you that he is tho greatest democrat in
.America 4bday. -His .fight , at .Baltimore for cour
tage. andtshrewd political .action- is the finest thing
i we--have -ever-seenvin-ihevhistory' of American
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