5 > EZ = J3 |
'The Republicans in 3SDU bad no
'doubt of who should be blamed for the
jmuic of lS:2-o. ! ) : which was brought on
? jy the rkless silver purchase act of
: KS)0. ! ) That law was proposed , by a
Republican administration and passed
in tbe House of Representatives with
n unanimous vole in its favor suul : i
unanimous Democratic vote against it.
Therefore , the Republican party proceeded -
ceeded to resolve that the Democratic
party was responsible , for "It has pre
cipitated panic , blighted industry and
trade with prolonged depression , closed
factories , reduced work and wages ,
Laltcd enterprises and crippled Amcri-
-can production. "
The Democrats can now retort in
kind by adopting that Republican plank
t Denver as exactly lilt ins present
conditions , for "every consideration ol *
public safety and individual interest
demands that the government shall be
rescued from the hands of those who
Lave shown themselves incapable of
conducliu ? it. ' ' The Republican party
having had full control of the govern
ment for the past twelve years , there
can be no just accusation that the dev
ilish Democrats have "precipitated
panic , blighted industry and trade
Twith prolonged depression. ' ' etc.
But the brazen effrontery of our Re
publican friends was quite equal to the
occasion , for to iret out of the panic
mess they cmiM not charge to the Dem
ocrats. The platform Just adopted at
Chicago declared that :
" > * othing so clearly demonstrates the
souiid basis upon which our commer
cial , industrial and agricultural interests -
osts are founded , and the necessity of
promoting their continued welfare
through the operation of Republican
policies , as the recent safe passage of
Ihe American people through a financial
-disturbance which , if appearing in the
jundst of Democratic rule or the menace
of it , might have equaled the familiar
Democratic panics of the past. ' '
But have the American people had
a safe passage through "the financial
disturbance ? " That great barometer of
Irade. the iron industry , is still sleepIng -
Ing , to all intents and purposes ; bank
clearances show a universal decline ;
many thousands of unemployed work
men still hunting a job ; railroad
earnings still falling , and many divi
dends unpaid or reduced ; many indus
trial plants closed or running on short
-time , does not clearly show "their con
tinued welfare through the operation
of Republican policies. " but rather the
reverse. But , of course , the Republic
an party still holds to the familiar
theory that Providence is backing the
party of "groat moral ideas , " but of
most astounding political corruption
.and viciousness.
F"at Fryinx and Publicity.
What Republican is to do the "fat
drying" this year ? There is no doubt
ihat Mr. Cortelyou would be best able
to undertake it. lie knows all about
the weak spots in the armor of the
/trusts and protected monopolists , and ,
.therefore , just about how much fat can
! ) e squeezed out of each corporation
without making them feel they are be
.ing imposed upon. Then the Wall street
.financiers , who have heretofore been
-charging up their donaiVns to some
-corporation , must also be dealt with
tenderly , now that they have to draw
. against their own bank accounts , and
no one knows better than Mr. Cortel-
, you just how much to assess them.
But there are peculiar difficulties this
.year in making collections , because the
interests that give do not repay for
-what has been done for them , but cx-
rpect promises of protection and ad
vantages in the future. The tariff-pro
tected trusts will require assurances
Y that their particular schedule shall not
be revised , and with a platform promis
ing all kinds of reform , although none
is intended , it will be difficult to tnalle
-a skittish trust magnate believe he and
Lis interests will be let alone , when the
Republican spellbinders and candidates
are assuring the gullible Republican
-voters that real reform is intended.
Hockefcller and Morgan will evidently
Jiave to do the bulk of the giving for
the financial interests , for they hope to
liave the currency law made perpetual.
But there is a rich kettle of fat in
-the railroads that will yield enough to
. grease all the Republican machinery
.and allow the-politicians to live in lux-
ury. The railroads are poor now , in
consequence of the Republican panic
. .and the continued business depression ,
but if they don't yield to the fat fryer
Tiiey may expect that reform legisla
tion , heretofore threatened , might be-
-ccnine a reality. Then , too. nearly every
railroad has been n lawbreaker , and
: son : < are still at it , and the evidence
is on file in flie secret archives of the
.Interstate Commerce Commission. Yes.
Ilarriman will have to come down
iigain. The Republican fat fryer will
have the evidence of rebating and re-
.Mrsiint of trade and high rates at his
lingers' end In-fore he starts on his
.mission , of collecting the tainted funds
to save the country , and incidentally ,
of course , to save the railroads and the
Republican party.
Humilfiiiiz : les :
The Republicans i-udent'y believe
j bat the constitution does not count
for much nowadays , for the word con
stitution does not appear in 1 he speeches
of Senator Lodge or Mr. Burton , made
at the Republican convention , and only
one reference to that instrument Ts
made in the platform. This reference
occurs in the resolution relating to the
enforcement of the Thirteenth. Four
teenth and Fftecnth amendments.
.s in the Siiilille.
The "joker" in the tariff plank ot
the Republican platform is the guaran
tee of a "reasonable profit to American
industries. " The standpatters insisted
on this , and finally prevailed. They
contended that a tariff which would
guarantee a "reasonable profit" to
American manufacturers would prevent
any scaling of the schedules.
A "reasonable profit. " they realized ,
would be as difficult to dejine as a
"reasonable rate" was when the rail
way rate bill was under consideration.
In the elasticity of the phrase lies rheir
hope of preventing any great changes
or reduction in the schedules. The high
tariff juen have figured out that they
will oniy have to go before the Ways
and Means Committee when their par
ticular protective schedules are endan
gered , and say :
"But we are only making a reason
able profit , under the present tariff ,
and the Republican platform promised
us that specifically. "
The whole effort of the revisionists
was to prevent the insertion of some
such joker as was put in. The genuine
tariff reformers and believers in a real
revision realize that , while promising
tariff changes , a siandpat high tariff
plank has been adopted. In line , the
dominant control is no more in favor
i
of a revision now than it had been
in the past , and is again attempting to
delude the country with vague prom
ises.
ises.So
So , if a Republican Congress is again
elected there will be perhaps a maxi
mum tariff added , and the present rates
still be the minimum tariff.-
There must ! .e a goodly number of
Republican voters who really desire to
see the high tariff rates that protect
the trusts so revised that trust prices
may meet the decline in wages. There
are others that would like to see the
tariff so reduced that the trusts would
be compelled by foreign Competition to
sell their products to American consum
ers as cheaply as to foreigners.
But with the Republican platform de
claring that the trusts are to be pro
tected with a reasonable profit , of
which those corporations will be the
sole judge of how much that profit must
be , the only prospect of revision is to
revise the tariff higher , for most of the
industrial trusts are declaring their
profits are not sufficient to pay "rea
sonable" interest on their capital. Re
publican tariff reformers are thus "sold
again" to their trust masters , unless
the Democrats can redeem them from
their bondage.
Loss liy Fire ttnil Flood.
It is not creditable to the inventive
genius of the American people that
nearly one million dollars of property
is on the average lost each day by fire.
The total output of gold in this coun
try is much less than the loss by fire.
Then there is the havoc by flood. For
tunately the figures are less startling ,
but still the actual loss is estimated at
$10,000,000 by reason of the floods now
occurring in the Mississippi valley.
Both loss by fire and flood are prevent
able , and are problems worthy of the
best talent of the country. As far as
the loss from floods is concerned , the
remedy is a simple one , the only need
being the money to control the rivers.
A Republican Congress can spend ? ! . -
000,000,000 and more for one year , and
yet be so niggardly about river improve
ments that the work already done is
made practically worthless. There is
a despicable partisan cause that realjy
prevents the necessary money being ap
propriated , because most of the States
where it is needed send Dmocrats to
represent them in Congress , and the Re
publicans can , therefore , gain no party
advantage by doing the necessary work.
Trust Rusting.
It is getting rather monotonous to be
compelled to record another rise in thp
price of meat. Last week the price
was boosted 2 cents a pound , and now
another advance of 3 cents is again
added , making a 5-cerit increase during
the past week. The packers' combine
is allowed full sway by President
Roosevelt , and his Attorney General is
evidently afraid to tackle the beef oc
topus , so the public will have to grin
and bear it until the Democrats get
into power and really curb the trust.
A year or two ago the administration
took great credit to itself for its sup
posed success in a suit before the Chicago
cage court , which decided the packers
were combined in restraint of trade.
A fine of comparatively small amount
was assessed against the members of
the combine , and the result was her
alded far and wide as the preliminary
step towards further control of trusts.
Alas ! the price of beef proves how we
have all been humbugged by this bogus
trust busting.
What you \fore , others may answer
for ; what you tried to be , you must ,
answer for , yourself. John Ruskin ,
Democratic Party Hoists Him as
Standard Bearer in Battle
for Presidency.
CHOSEN ON THE FIRST BALLOT.
Convention's Progress Is Delayed by
Slow Work of the Resolutions
Committee.
Denver correspondence :
William Jennings Cry an of Nebras
ka was nominated for the presidency
hy the Democratic parly in national
convention at G-10 : o'clock Friday
morning. At the same session the plat
form on which Mr. Bryan and his run
ning mate are to make their political
bow to the American electorate was
adopted unanimously. It was a Bryan
platform from first to last , even the
anti-trust plank being finally adopted
as Mr. P.ryan wanted it. Both the
nomination of Mr. Bryan and the
adoption of his platform were accom
panied by scenes of wildest enthusi
asm.
asm.Mr. . Bryan was nominated on the
first ballot , the vote standing :
Bryan S921/- ;
Johnson 4J (
111 * J-7 *
VI J - /
The nomination was made unani
mous on motion of W. S. Hammond ,
of 'Minnesota ' , who had nominated Gov
ernor Johnson.
The convention was called to order
at 11HO : o'clock Thursday. Henry D.
Clayton of Alabama took the gavel as
permanent chairman , and delivered a
speech lasting an hour. Clayton's
speech was well received by the 11.000
persons crowded into the auditorium.
It was radical , compared with the ad
dress Bell of California delivered when
he took the platform Tuesday. Chair
man Clayton denounced the Republican
parly , President Roosevelt and the
Chicago convention in scathing terms ,
lie did not mince his words in char
acterization of the sins of omission
and commission of the Republicans as
! he saw them. His remarks were taken
j as a message direct from Bryan. lie
imd conferred with the Nebraskan and
revised bis speech at his suggestion ,
according to common report.
Thursday was the biggest day of
the convention , with the stage all set
for the nomination of William J.
Bryan for the Presidency on a plat
form practically drafted by himself ,
the only exception being the anti-in
junction plank , which was more radi
cal than the Xebraskan demanded. It
was planned that after the address of
Mr , Clayton the convention would take
'
a recess until night , which meant
that the nomination of a candidate for
the presidency would not come until
10-FOOT SHIELD OVER SPEAKERS' PLATFORM
then. The recess was also made neces
sary because the resolutions committee
was not ready to report.
Delay of the nomination until the late
hour was brought about not alone by
platform perplexities , but it was said by
the strong desire of many of the states to
share in the honor they believed would
come from seconding the name of the
Nebraskan. Every delegation that de
sired , so it was given out , would be
given the opportunity to indorse the
chief candidate after the first nominat
ing speakers had had their worcL
Bryan was placed in nomination be
fore midnight by Ignatius J. Dunn , of
Omaha , but it was after 3 o'clock be
fore the balloting began. Between the
nomination and the balloting came the
reading of the platform by Governor
Haskell of Oklahoma , chairman of
the resolutions committee. The plat
form was unanimously adopted by the
convention after the committee on res
olutions had spent fifty-seven hours in
framing its many planks.
( Mr. Bryan's third nomination was
nin'le amid scenes of frenzied enthusi
asm. The result came after an all
night session , which was kepfi In a
constant state of turmoil up to the1 cul
minating juoment when the Nebras&an
was proclaimed the choice of the con
vention as the Democratic standard"-
bearer.
Speeches- To re Platform.
Despairing of hearing from the reso
lutions committee- convention sent a
committee to call on that body at
8:30 o'clock Thursday night and se
cured from it consent to proceed with
the nominating speeches. The roll call
on the nomination was withheld until
WILLIAM JENNINGS BUYAN.
I
after the platform was adopted. When
the call of States was begun. Alabama
promptly gave way to Nebraska and
Mr. Dunn , of Omaha , took the plat
form to name Bryan. The convention
gave him an ovation. Twenty-two min
ute's after he began Mr. Dunn named
Bryan and the whole convention , in
cluding the galleries , rose en masse ,
excluding only the delegates from New
York , NOW Jersey , Minnesota. Dela
ware and Georgia , and rendered trib
ute.
ute.If
If yeljing could elect a President
there would be no necessity of count
ing the votes in November. Leather-
lunged Democracy simply had a carni
val whfie for five minutes the human
lungs poured out a Niagara of sound.
Then the band added to the din. May
or Dalilman.of . Omaha toolc the rostrum
rum and led the uproar. White "pig
eons were let loose from the galleries.
An immense picture of Bryan hidden
behind a shield over the speaker's rostrum
rum was lowered in sight of the con
vention. Thousands of flags were wav
ing all over the hall. After ten min
utes of cheering the parade of the
States began.
Delegates surged from all Darts of
the hall toward the rostrum with the
State standards. Not for one moment
did the wild clamor cease. One after
another the band reeled off popular
airs. The convention sung the nation
al songs , while the remainder of the
convention yelled with all its might
Little girls were hoisted on the shoul
ders of jnen and beat time to the mu--
sic. Women fell into the parade abottt
the hall by the doz < jn. N ew York- and
Georgia were beseeched to join the
riot in vain.
Lenther-Lnngretl Demon.strniion.
The announcement of the vote was
the signal for a wild demonstration ,
equaling in disturbance , if not in dura
tion , the record-breaking display which1
on Wednesday afternoon greeted the ?
first mention of Mr. Bryan's name in
the convention.
The scene within the amphitheater at
the moment the nomination w as made
was one of stirring animation. From
pit to dome the vast building was
packed with 10,000 people , thinned' out
in the remoter galleries after hours of
waiting and the intense discomfort ?
of the1 hot night. It was a great spec
tacle tier on tier and gallery on gal
lery of agitated forms , the women in
white , the delegates massed below ,
many of them coatless , a myriad , of
fans fluttering.
As the announcement of tire Nebras-
kan's actual nomination was made the
whole assemblage rose en masse , wav
ing flags , haudT'-erehiofs. newspapers *
hats and coats , an.vthing and everything
which hands could' lay upon to r ave
aloft or hurl into tlj' * air , while a bed
lam of sound poured out from ther > e
10,000 throats in exultant yells , cat
calls. Comanche Avar whoops , with the
added cMn of shrieking horns , the roar
of megaphones and the strains of the
band playing an exultant- .
I
When lor a moment order could b
secured out of this tempestuous chaos
of demonstration State after State
which had at first recorded its vote
for Johnson or Gray fell into line with
the overmastering column and the nom
ination was made unanimous by accla
mation.
Without cessation or lessening vol
ume the roar continued for forty-five
minutes before anybody in the hall re
sumed his seat. The yelling continued
unabated for a. quarter of an hour
longer and was finally hushed when
the sergeant-at-arms turned out the
lights of the auditorium. The Taft
ovation at Chicago was mild in com
parison to the ovation tendered the
name of Bryan.
The convention adjourned at 3oO :
o'clock Friday morning until 1 o'clock
j ' -it- " * > - . - - CT & & ? * , * . , - - -
in the afternoon , after having I > oen in
session continuously , for more than
eight hours. A the delegates and spec
tators left the hall the echoes of enthu
siasm continued to reverberate through
out the building , while crowds outside
took up ( he shout and bore it along the
dark and silent streets , awakening the
city just as the first pale rays"of dawn
wire breaking in the east , with resound
ing cheers for Brvan.
Set-.v f-'jiihi'i' 'HS Hern.
The amazing tribute to liar father
witnessed by Mrs. Ruth Bryan I
daughter of William Jennings Bryali ,
Mrs. Nicholas Longworth was also a yppc-
tutor of the scene. TIvls both of rtie
"presidential daughters , " & ? Denver term
ed them , were on the spat for the big
spectacle of the convention.
MILESTONES DT BBYAN'S LITE.
) March 10 Born at Salem , III.
l.SSO 'Made his first political speeches foi
'Hancock ' and English.
1SS1 Graduated from Illinois college ,
Jacksonville , 111. , being valedictorian
of his class.
ISSo Graduated from Union College of
Law , Chicago , and began practice in
Jacksonville.
1SS4 Married to Miss Mary E. Baird at
Perry. Hi.
1KST Rfinovi'd to Lincoln. Neb.
IbSS Refused to run for Lieutenant Gov
ernor of Nebraska.
IttH ) Elected in Congress in a nominally
Republican district.
ISlrj Attracted attention by his tariff
speech.
1S03 Opposed tilie repeal of the Sherman
silver purchase act.
180-1 C-hoice of Nebraska. Democrats for
United States Senator.
ISDC Kdiior of the Omaha World-Her
ald.
1SU < 5 Nominated for President after hia
- "cross of gold" speech.
ISOS Colonel of Nebraska volunteers.
11)00 Nominated for President by the
Kansas City convention.
IIXU Began publication. o the Com
moner.
IDO.VixMade ; tour of the world with
his family.
1'JOX Nominated for President the third
time.
Hryau Cieerc < l for SS Minute * .
William Jennings Bryan , although foia
hundred miles away , was cheered for one
hour and twenty-eight minutes in the
Democratic convention. It was the long
est ix > litical demonstration and unques
tionably the greatest in the history of
the United Suites. Bryan's nvord sur-
IKisses the Roosevelt stampede in the Chicago
cage convention by forty-one minutes.
They cheered Roosevelt forty-seven min
utes. They dieered Bryan eighty-eight
minutes. Had the tumult continued six
more minutes P.ryan would luave just dou
bled the Jloosevelt record.
The words that ripped the lid from the
great assemblage and wnt the thunder
rolling over the TZOOO men and women
were spoken by blind Senator Thomas P.
Gore of Oklahoma. Senator Gore was
discussing the Oklahoma constitution
when ( he said this :
"Oklahoma rejected the advice of Mr.
Taft mid accepted Uic advice of William
Jennings Bryan. ' *
Denver 1 1 nil Time of lt § Life.
Denver had the time of its life. Cow
boys from the plains emitted Indian war-
whoops. Loud voiced men from Cripple
t'm-k and other mining districts , vied with
lank fanatics from tilie agricultural region
in piercing th > night with Bryan yells.
High rolling revelers from the East dash
ed along the crowded streets in automo
biles. Gaping thousands from the moun
tains and plains. Indian braves from the
Uncompasre , Warm Springs and White
River reservations , decked out in the spec
tacular dross of their tribes , all moving
under van-colored roj s f electric lights
and under a canopy of flags and bunting
made the Coney Island carnival look like
a Sunday school picnic.
fowtrirl.s March in the Ifnll.
The picturesque features of the demon ?
stratum in Denver Wednesday were
heightened by the cmvlwy band and the
twenty-five cowgirls , who are an auxiliary
part of the organization. Both the cow
boys and cowgirlsjgF-vere dressed in the
typical western costume of cow country ,
buckskins , leggings , and wide hats. Tie
rirls carried six shooters in tlieir holsters.
When the band was brought down to the
sinkers' platform from the mnsic stand
near the roof of the building , the cow-
lx > ys and cowgirls formed into a procession
in single file and nJfrched across the main
floor in regular formation.
Diplomats Marvel nt Scene.
Foreign eyes looked with curiosity upon
the wild scenes in the Denver convention
hall. The visiting diplomats who had
come to Denver for the convention were
there in force. And the sentiments of
al' ' 2 $ them were , described with fidelity
by L ! X. oromibisi minister oE Greece ,
when he said , with a shrug Q ? hjs > ] iouh
dors and a smile : _
"Oh. you Americans. What don't you
do ? I would not have failed to see this
scene even if I had to sit up all night in
order to get into the convention
_ , ,
jiny J.iveil In Sleeping Cars.
- > - - > ; * * *
M -g
During the l > rnver convention many o
the eastern visitors lived in their sleeping
carp , which w'efo "parked" ' in the railway
yard ? : There was a great outcry from
the Inver hotel keepers at this. During
the Chicago convention the railroads were
made to agree that not a single sleeping
car should bf kept on 'tracks and used for
slwjrin * quarters. Not being so experienc
ed. the Denver hotel keepers forgot to in
sist on such an agreement.
DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PLATFORMS COMPARED.
DE3IOCKATIC. REPUBLICAN.
Antl-Injniictioii.
Mocfrftcatiou of present injunction law Rules of procedure in cases of injuno
is urgecf < to provide for a trial by jury tions slxnild be more clearly defined by
in cases of indirect contempt , and it is statute , it is declared , and no writ should
declared th.it injunctions should not be IK ? issued without notice except -where
issu'erf in any cases in which injunctions great injury would result from a delay ,
would not issue if no industrial dispute in which case speedy hearing should be
were iavolved. granted.
Trnsis.
Determ'ifiation to exterminate trusts is Amendments to the Sherman anti-trust
announced , with promises to enforce crim law urged , to give the federal government
inal law against magnates , legislation to greater supervision and control o\4r and
prevent duplication of directors , and a secure greater publicity in affairs oJ cor
license system to check watering of stock. porations engaged in interstate commeice.
Tariff.
Immediate revision promised and frop Unequivocal pledge- for revision by
list for articles competing ivith trust pro special session of Congress is made.
ducts1.
Currency.
Republican party denounced for using Emergency measures of the present ad
treasury funds in crises , and government ministration are approved and the need
control of an emergency currency with of a more elastic and adaptable currency
insurance of bank deposits urged. system is emphasized.
Railroads.
Physical valuation and the strict en Amendment of interstate commerce law
forcement of the interstate commerce law to allow roads to publish traffic agree
is insisted on. ments is declared for.
Roosevelt Policies.
T3ie President is condemned for using I Unfaltering adherence to the policies
patronage of his office to nominate one of inaugurated by President Roosevelt is de
his cabinet officers. ] clared.