The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-16
BRYAN'S NOMINATION.
1T WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT, AS SOME
BELIEVED.
Plans For 1t Had Been Laid Months
Before the Day of the Convention
Those Alleged to Be Responsible
For 1t.

| CHICAGO, Nov. ia special to a
morning paper from Washington says:
Bryan's nomination was no accident,
so far as he and his friends were con-
cerned. When he stood up TO make
his eventful speech, he was throwing
loaded dice, which had been prepared
nearly two years before. The boy
orator" had assisted his friends in pull
ing the wires for many months, and
every move in the same had been
studied out.
This information was outlined in Ne
braska during the week preceding cleo
ton, and the authority for the story
is no less person than James c. Dahl
man, CHAIRMAN of the Democratic
state central committee of Nebraska
Mr. Bryal5 confidential political adj
wiser and fliend. He gave permission
to print the story after election, ana
meanwhile every statement he made
was verified from other sources, the
whole proving conclusively that Will
liam Jennings Bryan knew he was
playing for high stakes when he made
his celebrated cross of gold speech at
the Chicago convention.
He was not only fully aware of the
plans of his Nebraska friends. but was
consulted at every stage and on himself
alone depended the final maneuvre
which secured for him the opportunity
TO speak just at the right time TO cap
ture the convention. The story, as told
hv Chairman Dahlman, supplemented
by the statements of others. bears the
impression of truth on its face, and
can easily be verified by any one who
cares to do so.
The Bryan committees scheme was
to get the closing speech. Jones and
the other managers fell into the trap.
They knew Bryan was clever speaker.
and were perfectly willing to wind up
their case with some fireworks. The
division of time was made, and Bryan
was given the last speech. and the
plotters went to work. convinced that
their scheme was certain of success
They knew that Hill and the others
would talk long and earnestly, and
tire out the galleries and the delegates.
The convention was for silver by an
overwhelming majority. and all that
was necessary was to light the spark
and have the fuse handy. Dahlman had
come to Chicago two or three days
before the convention TO set up the
pins AS soon as the delegation was
seated he and others began quietly
TO talk up Bryan. Dahlman himself
went to Daniels of North Carolina.
Hoke Smiths secretary, and urged him
Mclean camps Louisiana and one or
two other states were similarly visited
ard given a tip to be ready.
Then the schemers began TO make
overtures to Illinois. They did their
best to capture Altgeld, but could ac-
complish nothing. They had enough
scattering delegates. however. to make
sure that neither Bland, Boies. Mat
thews nor Mclean could secure the
nomination All went well. and just
as it had been arranged. The young
orator from Nebraska had been pre-
pairing for the event for months. He
had his speech well in hand. and he
knew that he was not expected TO
make a logical argument for silver.
but a brilliant explosion of oratorical
fireworks for the express purpose of
capturing the crowd, and when Will
lam Jennings Bryan sat down he knew
that the die had been thrown, that the
nomination was within his grasp and
with it the possibility of the presidency
itself