The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-07-17

the convention met to ballot Bryan
showed second ON the first roll call. He
had already overhauled Boies. Only
Bland was ahead, and it was a struggle
for the Missouri farmer to get the 234
votes which he received. The stampede
began ON the next ballot. On the fourth
ballot Bryan took the lead and Bland
fell bach, hopelessly beaten. The NOM
nation was made unanimous ON the
next ballot.
Bryan Gained From the First
On the first ballot Bland led, with
Bryan second, and the balance scat
tered. There were 1856 gold men who
refused to vote. They declined to par.
ticipate in the nomination ON the plat
form which had been adopted. The
latter realized that the gold men would
probably place another ticket in the
field, or if they did not actively oppose
the nominees of this convention in the
campaign which was to follow, that
they would passively, at least, give aid
and comfort 10 the political enemy.
Pennsylvania alone of the gold states
continued to participate in the proceed
ings. She cast her "a votes for Pattison
to the end. Most of the other gold men
who voted cast their votes for Pattison,
but there were scattering votes for
Stevenson, Hill, Russell and Campbell.
On the second ballot Alabama
Sought to Check the Rout
that had already begun by changing
her vote from Boies to Bland, but
Bryan was overtaking him with giant
strides. Bland gained 4S, while Bryan
advanced 92 Boies was the principal
loser. On the third ballot Colorado
gave up hope of Teller, the mention Of
whose name had been cheered and
Kissed by the galleries, and Oregon gave
up Pennoyer. In the Ohio delegation
the Bryan forces lacked but seven votes
of a majority and there was open rebel
lion in Illinois and other states which
wanted to swing into line. On the
fourth ballot, Alabama, the first state
to vote, headed the stampede to Bryan.
Idaho, California and other states fol-
lowed. The revolt in the other delega-
tions spread, even among those bound
by resolutions of instruction. Kansas,
Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and even Iowa
were tottering. On the
Fifth and Last Ballot
Kansas went over Illinois and other
states came tumbling along in her
wake. When Ohio was reached Bryan
had 446 votes of the 5O4 required to
make two.thirds majority of those
voting. Chairman White had ruled
that two-thirds of those voting consti-
tuted two-thirds majority under the
rule. Ohio hesitated. The Bryan men
in the delegation demanded a poll of
the vote The friends of Mclean saw
that the end was in sight, and Mr.. Nc
lean himself mounted chair. He
withdrew his name as candidate and
cast the 46 votes of Ohio for Bryan.
This gave him 492-12 less than enough
to nominate. Montana changed her 6
to Bryan and Oklahoma Territory fol-
lowed with her 6. To the Territory Of
Oklahoma, therefore,
Belongs the Honor of Nominating
the Democratic candidate for president
in 1896, as to that of Arizona belonged
the honor four years ago. Of course
the other states then scrambled over
each other. Governor Stone of Mis-
souri, withdrew BANDS name, and Sem
ator Turpie of Indiana withdrew that
of the Hoosier governor, and on his mo-
ton the nomination was made unani-
nous.
There were frequent Bryan demon
strations throughout the day. The
most dramatic occurred at the conclu-
sion Of the fourth ballot, when it was
apparent that Bryan would be nomi-
mated on the next ballot. The colors of
the states were again uprooted and the
Coliseum for ID minutes shook with the
storm of cheers, while frenzied men
marched and sang, and hysterical
women became frantic.