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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1916)
The Commoner VOL. 16, NO. 7 10 Ideal which now have been adopted for Its plat form. It was as lino as his Indianapolis speech In 1900 In which ho outlined tho principles for which our ropubllc stood and struck tho blow at Imperialism which has fixed our policy In that respect. Defeated three times for tho presidency, declared by many of his detractors as "down and out," no privato citizen in all tho world has such Influence, and it Is all for tho greater glory and honor of our country and tho good of mankind. With Woodrow Wilson and Thomas Marshall au tho candidate on tho record of achievement they havo made, and with tho democratic prom ises guaranteed by such men as Win. J. Bryan, wo bellevo tho democratic party will again win success because deserving again of such in dorsement. Chattanooga News. BRYAN Tho Way in which Mr. Bryan "camp back" at St. Louis is oxtromely gratifying tp his friends, whom ho counts by tho millions. This -great American has long been tho sub ject of abuse, which during the past year has been especially keen. Many democrats have gono so far as to question his party loyalty and havo suspected on his part a personal feeling against tho President which would even make him anx ious to aid, directly or indirectly, in the election of a republican successor. Ho was so out of favor as to bo defeated, by a close vote, in Nebraska for delegate-at-largo to tho national convention. Speculation was rife as to what ho would do at St. Louis. He was pictured far and wide as a marplot, who would bring discord into tho con vention and probable defeat to tho ticket. At first it was alleged that ho would oppdse tho renomlnatlon of President Wilson, then that ho would scok to frustrate tho President's wishes as to platform and try to forco into it some dec larations out of harmony with administration pollcios. Some evon went so far as to talk about his heading a third or fourth ticket, in opposi tion to tho President. Woll, what happened? Mr, Bryan went to St. Louis as a privato citizen and newspaper man. Ho modestly took a seat in the press section, but eyory day ho received an ovation. Ho did npt 4 oppose tho President in a single wish, nor show tho slightest sign of sulking. On tho contrary, , ho Joined enthusiastically with his fellow demo crats In facilitating tho work of the convention and in preparing for a successful campaign. From start to finish hid Interest and loyalty were manifest. Ho heartily applauded tho telling points in tho address of Governor Glynn as tem porary chairman, and his Bupport continued to tho end. In obedience to the insist6nt wish of , tho convention he made a great speech, in which ho unreservedly indorsed President Wilson for re-election. And since tho completion of the work at St. Louis ho has given hearty indorse ment to tho platform. In our Judgment, Mr. Bryan mado u mistake in resigning from the cabinet, and we think ho was seriously wrong in opposing tho enlarged program of military and naval preparedness. Nor do we doubt that he has made other mis takes. But his sincerity and courage, his loyalty to ideals and his devotion to duty, command ad miration. He is one of the groatest Americans. It Is gratifying to note tho. hold which ho still has upon the affections oi ,his party, and to ob serve this new and oraphatic demonstration of his patriotism and domocracy. Dover, Dela ware, Dolawarean. BRYAN AT ST. LOUIS All of tho unction of tho democratic oratory for the nonco fell leagues behind similar occa sions and there was no spectacular outburst of Jackson political philosophy that raised tho dome of the convention hall till old Bill Bryan's plain citizen's Chautauqua was dropped in tho dull and spiritless convention. Tho Big Boss at Washington had pulled tho strings and every thing went smooth as butter but there was no pep to the meeting. Bryan's friends prepared a little scenario. Bill wanted it distinctly under stood ho was no political pariah. Bill did show 'em. Ho canonized Woodrow all right, but his devanchlc eulogy of his recent pal of state wasn't ft cipher to tho real part of the speech on the "Power of Christ," which will go down in his tory as fc classic. With a master touch ho por trayed the Shepherd of shepherds beforo Pilate the safety of whose political Job made It imper ative tcf surrender Jesus to jealous and hyper critical 'eccleaiasts who found the ignorant and bloody-thirsty mob a convenient way to anni hilate the Prince of Peace whose presence on earth wks a menace to their Bigotry and ecclesi- astical security. As for Pilate, & "washed Ms hands" of tho wicked conspiracy and said "Hi blood be upon you." In Bryan's simple but beautiful word picture of that scene of scenes there is a grandeur of appeal and a noble and lofty sentiment for world peace and brotherhood of man, that can not fail to stir the depths of every soul that aches for the millions whoso hopes are blighted and whose hearts are torn with the bitter sorrows of this accursed man mado war. . We were never crazy over Bryan's politics and his inexplicable attitude toward sheep husbandry in tho United States. This our readers know full well. However, since wo traveled in "tho Valley of tho Shadow" our heart has softened toward this great man, and If wo can be half tho Chris tian that he is, we aro sure that it will be "well with our soul." American Sheep Breeder. OVATION GIVEN BRYAN AT ST. LOUIS RE CALLS SOME ALABAMA HISTORY Tho great ovation given Mr. Bryan at St. Louis recalls some recent incidents in the Ala bama campaign for delegates to the national convention. Tho local option leaders and their newspapers assailed Mr. Bryan and Ms friends, declaring Mr. Bryan had formulated a plan, to embarrass Mr. Wilson at St. Louis by tho introduction by himself or through friends of the prohibition question in tho convention, and also to oppose Mr. Wilson's plans of preparedness, thus threat ening a breach in the party. Tho Journal could not violate any confidence by quoting Mr. Bryan on. the question of prohi bition and preparedness, and on the question of allowing Mr. Wilson to frame his own platform, but it repeatedly said that Mr. Bryan would be opposed to bringing the prohibition question be foro the convention, was opposed to putting it in tho platform and that he would insist on allow ing Mr. Wilson to frame his own platform. But his enemies in Alabama, as elsewhere, preferred to believe, or affected to believe; that Mr. Bryan would seek to thus embarrass Mr. Wilson and some of them even went as far as to say that lie would lead a revolt against Mr. Wil son in tho convention. Mr. Bryan had confided to his friends in ad vance of the St. Louis convention that he wanted Mr. Wilson to frame his own platform, that he would positively make no objection to it, con tending with much openness and sincerity that Mr. Wilson ought to be given that privilege as ho was the one to be consulted and the one to run upon the platform; and in The Commoner and in many interviews in tho press, friendly and unfriendly, Mr. Bryan stated, that ho would oppose any effort to put prohibition in the St. Louis platform, and it was evident to his friends and to those not blinded by a partisan hate and bitterness inexcusable, that Mr. Bryan's lovo for his party would cause him to subordinate any particular view he may have had about pre paredness to the views of Mr. Wilson. The ovation given Mr. Bryan at St. Louis, where a few men one or two from Alabama wont to crucify him, not expecting, but hoping ho would display a lack of loyalty to his party and not be true to his public avowals in advance of the convention, was the highest possible trib ute to the Nebraskan, and shows that he not only still has a strong following within the party the strongest of any leader save Mr. Wilson but he has the love and confidence of the party that has thrice honored him with the presiden tial nomination. The action of Mr. Bryan at St. Louis has not ,nAJu,sti,fled the confidence-of his friends, jus tified their fatih in him, but it has made non sense of the sneers and prophecies of his en emies. Ho has attempted neither to rulo nor ruin SfiS ?G ""self in a manner to commend himself to the love, respect and esteem of the party regardless of differences of opinion h Jl S!S y hi8,speec and selfish actions been able to render real service to his party and has notably contributed to that harmony so necessary and that means success in Novem Deri His course at St. Louis, a course previously outlined in these columns, has cemented tl gether in the interest of Mr. Wilson thousands of democrats who believe in him and trust his judgment and follow his leadership. Ho did more at St. Louis to brine Tmrmn and knit the disaffected element! firmly to gether than all the newspapers an ail the Fran Glasses and Emmet O'Neals and-Fornev Johnstons, and their newspaper allies through out the country, which delight to assail him and who have been, united In. an effort for twenty years to destroy him as a factor in the party It is possible that feis enemies who can havo no conception or appreciation of a conviction independently formed and consciously main tained, can not understand Mr. Bryan; but tho great mass of democrats understand him, and .are proud of him, proud of his courage', his manhood, his honesty, his achievements in tho party and in tho great moral uplift of tho masses. Ho has never failed tho party in its hour of needi He has been a powerful and influential factor In the achievement of important party results in its conventions and In its campaigns. All honor to Mr. Bryan, tho man who though not .a delegate to the convention, was paid a higher tribute and higher honors by that con vention than to any one who may have worn the badgo of a delegate. And he will return home from the desk of the reporter in the . convention, to which many had. boasted they had thus consigned him to ob livion, with his fair political escutcheon un tarnished, and with a- character as a statesman and a patriot beyond dispute, and with that love, esteem and confidence of his" party that might well bo envied by his traducera. Every loyal democrat, every democrat who sincerely desires the election of .Mr. Wilson, must yield, however reluctantly,, the distinction to Mr. Bryan of having aplaco in the hearts of his .fellow democrats of the nation :as none other, and that he is as described :by; Senator James who: introduced Bryan to tho convention, "as one of the leading citizens t of, the world and America's greatest democrat." Montgomery, Alabama, Journal. BRYAN AND" WILSON It was a fine thing for the democrats at St. Louis to invite Mr. Bryan to address them. Even finer was the manner and the. method of his re sponse. If in tact, loyalty and generosity his re marks left nothing to be desired, the favor with which they were received by the representatives of a great party was alike .creditable to them. Whatever may have been ilia 'motive of Mr. Bryan in retiring from the cabinet, there can now be no doubt of his sincerity. At that time his protestations of friendship for the President were openly questioned. On all sides there were critics who predicted rivalry if not open hostil ity on the former secretary, part. Only a week ago, in ' the progressiva convention, a speaker referred to him as a possible successor of Mr. Roosevelt as the leader of a new radical move ment.; Time may not have Justified the fears which caused Mr. Bryan to abandon high "office, but it has shown that he was honest, and assuming that he was mistaken, that he has the courage to admit his error. This year, as four years ago, he will be one of Mr. Wilson's most powerful in dividual supporters. New York World. BRYAN AT ST. LOUIS They said he would rock the boat, but he pulled a steady oar. They said he would-demand a platform which Would embarrass President Wilson, but his only platform request was that it contain nothing not approyed by the President. They said he would sulk. in his reportorial seat, but. his smile was the brightest in all the vast convention multitude, and the contagion of it encompassed every face when the great con vention closed. They said he would not speak approval of tho platform, and the nominees, even if he should get the chance, and some of them said he would never get a chance. But not a voice of protest ' was raised when Chairman Ollie James intro duced Mr. Bryan as "America's greatest demo crat." And under the spell of his matchless oratory the convention went wild with Joy when the great commoner lauded the president as the world's best champion of honorable peace, and appealed to all democrats and progressive party men for earnest support of the convention nom inees and Its progressive platform. The gods were good in giving a Bryan to the world. They were better still in giving him to the democracy of Nebraska. God bless and pros per him in his masterful efforts to humanize hu manity, not only in his own loved common wealth, not only in the dearest of nations, but In all the world where dreams of .liberty visit the children of men! Columbus (Neb. Telegram. fl "v 'V ,1 i'- 4