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AUGUST, 1920
I take great pleasure in placing in nomi-
... p wtlllnm JAh'ninpn ."RrvnVi '
the name m ,,".-.- ------- --,--.
...... 1tn Thfrfonnth Tin'Mnrnl n:i.t
SfSonvention, asaemllle.dtlxr his homo town,
ipiim the tumult broke, loose and tho dele-
rates exercised their lungs for about fifteen
minutes. .,"-'
a HE PRELIMINARY DEBATE
The preliminary debate t centered around a
resolution offered by W. - G.a Caldejwood of
Minnesota. The resolution follows :N
Be It Resolved, by the., prohibition national
(onvention assembled in 'Lincoln, Nebraska,
this twenty-first day of "July, 120, confronted
u the silence of both parties as shown by their
platforms on this greatest issue of the century
and in respone to a flood, of requests from men
and women of all parties, that we hereby tender
our nomination for president of the United
States to that peerless, moral and political lead
er, William Jennings Bryanj-and be it further
"Resolved, That we hereby Instruct the prop
er officers of this convention immediately to
communicate with Bryan and report his reply
to the convention."
This resolution came as a surprise to the con
Tcntion, although a majority of the delegates
had been Ranting to hear or , make such a-move
throughout the mornlngand early afternoon
session. - "
After the few preliminary moves to perfect
the organization of the-' convention, J. Leigh
Colvin, prohibition historian, addressed the con
vention on the history of tlie prohibition move
ment in general and the prohibition party in
particular. i . f "" . J
The minute the speech 'was concludedCalder
wood read his resolution' and the convention
cheered its approval.
After taking a few seconds to 'digest the
meaning of the resolution, the delegates started
in the discussion. " -
The motions and amendments and substitutes
came in flocks, but Jthe chair handled them with
a deftness that won her a unanimous vote of
support whensome on delegate appealed from
a decision. . , "'f - -
Finally when it' xas 'evident- that the dele
gates wished to vtalkft 'over, ,aL,bif and discuss
whether it was the, -proper' move- to make. The
convention voted at 4;17 to recess until 6
o'clock.
During tho recess the delegates .canvassed the
situation and it was evident that when the dele
gates returned theonly thing that would satisfy
them would be a nomination of William Jen
nings Bryan.
At 5 o'clock Miss Brehm'pounded on the table
for order and got it. The delegates had a de
termined look on their facet and that aeiwrmina
tlon spelled "Bryan" in big letters.
Clinton N, Howard of-Rochester, NT Y opened
the fireworks by reading a message from C. W.
Bryan, brother of the Nebraska commoner, ask
JSthe the resolution be'notpassed and that
5JJ convention drop the possible nomination of
williAm Jennings Bryan.; - -v V
C. w. Bryan's .note was .as follows: '
Dear Mr. Howard i '"'.
"Kindly request thtf .-hVernbef s of the convun-
on to. omit Mr. Bryan's name- from considera
"on ;n connection witbTthenpmination, or in the
option of such .a resolution. -Friends of Mr.
"fyan and of tho cause of prohibiten will dis
curage such action.
,. "CHAS. W. BRYAN;"
v.; ue delegates turned a deaf ear to Mr.
ward and argued 1;hat they, wanted word from
Wr Bryan direct. -
QUESTION BROTHER'S AUTHORITY
Th0 convention, was 'on 'the. point of naming
MMnm?!iltee to ask Charles W. Bryan to make
X Sr aut&ority to speak fpr his brother,
ih 7T Calderwood of Minnesota, who made
annr Elnal ion, said that Charles W. Bry
hls vl ' , knew full authority to act and that
veracity was not questioned. He said that
thrm,J?VQllti0n dIJ not ant fc0 doal with Bl'yan
dCfT an ainbassador. Thoy wanted to put it
ask him lJ? t0 him aa a dty t0 his 'countl'y and
Aftn he does nQfc see- it as such.
the , JSf c?nsldorable debate Mr, Howard read
louow ng telegram from W. J. Bryan:
convBnii ton N- Howard, care of Prohibition
conn,iion,LIncolriuNob.; 1 appreciate your
Bryan Term me please seomy brother, 0. W.
is Impos m iU 'lfy explain why acceptance
Tho telegram ply,.tp "one Mr.' Howard
The Commo
net
sent to Mr. ttft m..,.
accept the nomination y """ " ho wmM
tho nominate woro?t'unnv Tl? "I1 r6fll8
a Pf f indi1vidual8 of the convention.
got IZvLTT UEainst Bryan but thoy
gates symPathy from tho assembled delo-
' After tho resolution had boon nassed thn
delegates decided that it mkLoM
and decided to make it a sure-enough nomina-
t1.iatle-SDlrtitabl0 the Caldenvood motion
. tendering W. J. Bryan the nomination was mado
after tho reading of the Bryan telegram by
Howard. The motion to table was overwhelm
ingly defeated.
THE AFTERMATH
Following the nomination and nominating
fireworks Mrs. Viola Romans oOhio pledged
tho support of women in the states having suf
frage, to fight it out for tho prohibitionists since
Bryan was at the head of the ticket.
Mrs. Ida B. Wise Smith of Cedar Rapids of
fered prayer and the convention adjourned at
714 o'clock.
The prayer offered by Mrs. Ida B. Wise-Smith
of Iowa following the nomination of William
Jennings Bryan was as follows:
' "Our Father. Thou governor of tho nations,
'our hearts are tender in this moment as after
the jubilation of this hour we come to thee to
confess our limitations. We have sent our
pleading to William Jennings Bryan asking him
in the name of motherhood, in tho name of
childhood, in the name 'of society's most sacred
interests to suffer himself to bo called as a can
didate of this party for the presidency of the
United States. We have done all wo could.
Now we come to Thee asking Thy, help, 0 Thou
ruler of the universe, by Thy holy spirit move
upon the heart of this good man to hear this
plea. As he has gone into the woods to com
mune with Thee, through Thy nature, 0 speak
to him by Thy still small voice and, as he hears
the cry of this people may it be to him the voico
of God calling to service in this time of crisis.
"Help Thy people, 0 God. Bring him and
his great ability, his great influence to serve tho
home and the children now when their interests
are imperiled.
"Let Thy choice benediction rest upon mm
and let it rest upon us that we may fulfill the
vows we have made in this hour.
"Give us this boon we pray that we may help
Thy will to be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.
. ' FEW IN GALLERIES AT END
The nomination came as a relief to the dele
gates who had assembled determined to fight
ft 6ut Ind not quit until they had offered their
tSSTili. nomination every section -climbed
in the band wagon declaring that they
could sweep their section with Williams Jen
nings Bryan." ,
REVIEW OF CONVENTION AND SKETCH
t, nil advice from outside sources, not-
to the Prohibition party ""fona. M
balked in indue ins B.jan to
So Aoc. s-8hortiy afto1
the 1920 campaign when tno vM ot
Hon convention nomtaW ,. rf , dry
Gerraantown. 0.. as an nomfatiott on
p"rtT- " nflSto tZtlv he and II. H. Fatten of
the second baiioi "
Illinois had tied m the fljBt. ag y, ,.
J. Leigh Colvin 7""" ballot. Mr. Colvin
dential candidate o i the York clty. Ho Is
to an ?utll?.r n oh b Uion party and captain
historian -
in the army. minuted Mr. Watkins fol-
lows: A. W. WaUjna 10 ; H.
fiold 111., 74 Dan :io 9 The first ballot
C A. Randall, California, il Poling, 28;
tolltm: fylfot 105 votes were necessary
ff
tS2l.n!:TOlJrt,M,baProtw of
vil nr?fw6r of Ada collogo Ohio, for nvfil
prohibition ticket in 1908 and 1012.
Ohio and Is flfty-thro yoars old. He proaohd'
joventpon yoaru in tho Mothodlat churoh boforo
starting toaching and wag nominated for gov-
i0r,nL0hl0 on th0 Prohibition tickot in 1I0S
ami 1908 and for vice pronident in 1908 and
3 912. In accepting Mr. Watkina ald hi cam
pa gn plans woro up to the national committee
but ho know It "would bo nn actlvo campaign
Tho anti-saloon louguo managers wired to
keep a ticket out of tho ilold, tho Bryan influ
ence was used for tho Biuno Tuirpoao and drys
of both parties urged it as tho one way to mafto
cortainHha rotention of tho Volatend law on tho
sUtutos and of holding tho ground already won
nationally. Soveral of tho paty leaders hIho ad
vised this course. Nona of thorn made tho least
bit of headway.
GIVEN NO ENCOURAGEMENT
From the beginning thoro was a determina
tion on tho part of tho rank and filo of tho dole-
gates to draft Bryan as' tho prouldontlnl candi
date. Tho first group of leadors that arrived in
tho city hikod direct for Bryan's offices. Thoro
thoy hold frequent conferences with Charles W.
Bryan, who told them all along that his brother
would, under no circumstances, nccopt. Thoy
were also told that Bryan did not bellovo It wlso
to name a tickot for tho reason that if they en
tered tho campaign as partisans thoy could not
effectively act as advisers and hoipors In a non
partisan campaign to clout a dry congress.
Tho leadors soon bQCsrme convinced that it
would be hopeless to try to Induce tho d dogates
to give over tho privlloge of naming a national
ticket. For a time they tried to turn tho titf
against naming Bryan because thoy know tat
would not accept, and apparently had succeeded
the first day. Tho dologateu bogan casting about
for candidates and soveral held caucuses and
selected tjieir men.
HOW IT HAPPENED . '
This is what happened in relation to BfymV
Delegates bogan exchanging oxporiences. wfth'
one another and found that In nearly every caSO
they had been Informod hy dissatisfied Demo
crats and Republicans at homo 'tha.t If thoy
would nominate Bryan thoy could swoop tho
country. They began to believe this devoutly.
They had no delusions with respect to carry
ing the election with a prohibition party man.
Bryan was sought because they believed that he
could' split tho south on Cox and win tho dry
vote and bo elected. No arguments could change
them. A . t t
One delegate declared that "God Almighty
would not let W. J. Bryan decline this nomina
tion." They believed that his nomination wduld
be followed by a telegraphic deluge on Bryan
urging him to take tho nomination as a holy
,iutv nnri after they had nominated him, to
make sure of it they started a telegraphic chain
appeal.
WANTED TO USE AS CLUB
After it was known that there was no hope,
it was suggested by some that it might bo very
good politics to hold off with tho declination un
til Cox was forced to take a stand satisfactory to
tho drys. Mr. Bryan, however, could not do this
becauscTin tho meanwhile ho would have heen
deluged with telegrams and letters urging hit
acceptance and in the end he -would have had
to seriously offend each of those who had taken
the trodble to write him.
MR BRYAN RECEIVES NEWS OP NOMW
TION IN MONTANA
The following report was carried hy the Asso
ciated Press;
"Bozeman, July 22. William Jennings Bryan
this afternoon announced that he would not ac
cent the nomination for president tendered him
by the Prohibition national convention at Lin
coln, Neb.
'The first Intimation of bis nomination was
received by him at' 1 o'clock this afternoon at
Madison Lake on his return front a forenoon of
Sing. It was tho Associated Press dispatch
Srinted in the Bozeman Chronicle giving the text
of the telegram sent him hy the convention at
Li"Mrn'Bryan was 20. miles from the nearest
telegraph office at the time, hut as soon as he
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