The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-19
BRYAN BOOK DIDN'T SELL.
Popocrats Wouldn't Buy the Life of
Their Candidate.

Popocrats Wouldn't Buy the Life Of
Their Candidate.
sulzer Wrote 1t and Wanted 0,OOO
Copies Printed, but Came Down to
3,oo0-The Agents Took $500 to the
Notification Meeting and Carried Back
e,7so.
On Wednesday, Aug. 10, the ]. 5.
Ogiivie Publishing Company sent to tn
Bryan notification meeting, at Madison
Square Garden, 1880 copies of book
entitled Life and speeches OF the Hon.
VIM. j. Bryan, with Introduction and
Biographical Sketch by the Hon. Will.
liam Sulzer. M. o., 18th N. Y. Dis
triot" After the moeting was over
2.7S6 copies of the book came back, and
are now piled. with 200 more that were
not sent up to the meeting, all unsold,
in warehouse. immediately after
Bryan's nomination the Ogilvie Pub
fishing Company set about preparation
of campaign life" of the Boy Orator;
the book was to be similar to life of
Mckinley which the firm had brought
out just after the Republican National
Convention. Thirty thousand copies of
McKinley's life were printed, and the
first edition has been 60 nearly exhausted
that second is in course of preparation.
Before the Bryan book was ready Mr.
Cn11or re
lem. came to Mr.. Ogilvie and offered
to write an introduction and biograph.
ical sketch for collection of Bryan
speeches, the whole to be used as a
campaign document. Mr.. Sulzer init
mated that it WAS just as well in mat
ters Of this sort to have an unknown
candidate introduced by one whose
name was synonymous with fame. Mr.
Ogilyie set his own book to one side and
took up the work of the Harlem states
mnn. Mr.. Sulzer suggested that the
book be FIRST placed before the public at
the ratification meeting. He said that
in his Judgment the edition should be
100. 0c0 copies.
"That is q large number of books, I"
suggested the publisher mildly.
"Ohp' said the statesman. "Well,
make il $4,000"
Mr.. Ogilvie did not commit himself,
but promised that the edition should be
large enough to meet all needs, After
hesitating for some time between 1000
and s, 600 copies, the publisher decided
upon 5000.
Three men undertook to manage the
sale at the notification meeting. Each
man hired ton assistants, SO that there
were thirty three men engaged in ped
ding the books. Because of the PERM
cious police activity they were not all
able to get into the hall with their
wares, but those vino did not get in cir
culated through the crowd outside in
stead. They felt that they ought to do
even better outside the building.
People who were unable to see and
hear the candidate would console them
selves with the book. That idea has
been changed. The thirty-three agents
are also inclined to contradict Mr.. Sim
jun's statement that the crowd that
could not get in were the true admirers
Of the Popocrat candidate, who wou Id
never have gone out. had they once got
In, until Bryan was through speaking.
Notwithstanding the frantic efforts of
their thirty helpers, the three came back
with all but fourteen of the books. One
man took 1000 books up to the meeting.
He brought back 1000 books.
why said Mr.. Ogilive, IT don't
believe you ever went near the place."
The agent silently displayed truck
mans receipted bill for So;
"To carting 1000 books from 81 Rose
street to. Madison Square Garden
The publisher apologized.
On the front cover of the volume is
half-tone picture of the Hon. MIR. Bryan
that makes him look ten years older
than he really is. The publisher says
that Mr.. Bryan was very anxious that
nc other photograph of himself should
be used for the reproduction. The inner
title page says that the introduction
and biographical sketch,'' are by the
Hon. William Sulzer, M. O.. of New
York." Next comes page imprinted
with fac-simile of the notorious "You
shall not press down upon the brow of
labor" passage In Mr.. Bryan's hand
The following passages are
quoted from the introduction:
1.-THE National Democratic Chicago
Convention Of 1895 has pa ssed into his
tory"
1.-THE time had come to tell the truth
to say what was meant, and to say it SO
no one could be mistaken or deceived.
No more juggling with idle words. No
more eophistry. No moro glittering
sentences susceptible of a double con-
struction and intended only to deceive
and never to be carried out. M more