Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1896-11-20
BRYAN's NOMINATION.
This Unlikely Story, Told Very Likely
Manner, Comes from Washington, ID. c.

This Unlikely Story, Told Very Likely
Manner, Comes from Washington, ID. c.
Bryan's nomination was no accident,
SO far as he and his friends were con-
cerned. When he stood up to make his
eyentful speech, he was throwing loaded
dice, which had been prepared nearly
two years before. The "boy orator" had
assisted his friends In pulling 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 a person than James c. Dahl
man, chairman of the democratic state
central committee of Nebraska, Mr.
Bryan's confidential political adviser
and friend. He gave permission to
print the story after election, and mean
while every statement he made was
verified from other sources. the whole
proving conclusively that William Jen- l
nings Bryan knew he was playing for }
high stakes when he made his cele- )
brated cross of gold speech at. the Chi )
cago convention.
He was not only fully aware of the
plans of his Nebraska friends, but was IL
consulted at every stage and on himself e
alone depended the final maneuvre r
which secured for him the opportunity it
to speak just at the right time to capture u
the convention. The story, as told by y
Chairman Dahlman, supplemented by '"
he statements of others, bears the i'm VI
preston of truth on its face, and can ie
EASILY be verified by any one who cares -
o do so. IN
The Bryan committees scheme was "a
o get the closing speech. Jones and -
he other managers fell into the trap. -"
hey knew Bryan was clever speaker,
nd were perfectly willing to wind up u"
heir case with some fireworks The ""
vision of time was made, and Bryan ="
'as given the last speech. and the &c
lotters went to work, convinced that W.
lie scheme certain of success. '"'
hey knew that Hill and the others '"'
ould talk long and earnestly and tire a'e
1T the galleries and the delegates. ''-'
The convention was for silver by an N''
'erwhelming majority, and all that
as necessary was to light the spark
ID have the fuse handy. Dahlman had T
me to Chicago two or three DAYS girl
fore the convention to set up the pins. be
soon as the delegation was seated he sim
others began quietly 20 talk up vice
yam. Dahlman himself went to Dan fore
S of North Carolina, Hoke Smiths An,
,retary, and urged him to keep out Won
the Bland, Boies and Mclean camps. cam
uisiana and one or two other states r,
re similarly visited and given tip to pete
ready. sto,
Then the schemers began to make teen
'rtures to Illinois. They did their mix,
to capture Altgeld, but could &C narr
nPlish nothing. They had enough ed ii
''erlng oeIegates' however, to make air Fl
e that neither Bland, Boies, Mat Fl,
WIS nor Mclean could secure the side
All went we'll, and lust weat
t had been arranged. The young abou
or from Nebraska had been pre- All
ng for the event tor months, He notes
his speech well in hand and he If
W that he was not expected to rolly,
e logical. argument for silver If
brilliant explosion of oratorical of tn.
works for the express purpose of the
uring the crowd, and when William more
lings Bryan sat down he knew that more
lie had been thrown, that the NOM Lit
on was within his grasp and with hard
ne possibility of the presidency Thu
|. bottle