Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-21
AS A PROMOTER OF nOLTING.
Excerpts from the silver Candidates
Writings nnd Speeches.

Louisville Courier-Journal (dem.D.
In a speech August Z, 1896, at Stuart,
Ia, Hon. w. j. Bryan said: Parties are
but instruments, and when people say that
they owe something to a party, let them
remember that parties owe higher duties to
the people than people can owe to parties"
At the Nebraska state democratic con-
%vention, October 4, 1893, Mr.. Bryan labored
for the insertion of a free silver plank in
the platform. The free silver plank was
defeated by a vote of 3S3 to loo. A gold
standard plank was adopted and a ticket
nominated. Mr.. Bryan declared to the con-
vention that If the state democracy would
not reverse the action of the convention he
would fight for free silver under another
banner. Mr.. Bryan returned to Washing
ton. Judge Frank Irvine, the nominee of
the state convention for the supreme bench,
heard that the Bryan wing of the party
would throw its support to Holcomb, the
contending populist nominee. He wrote to
Mr.. Bryan. urging him to acquiesce in the
decision of the state convention and to sup
port him for judge. In his reply MIR. Bryan
said, October 10. 1893:
Il would make any sacrifice to be of
service to you personally, but as a nominee
of that convention and running upon that
platform | could not make an appeal in
your behalf without giving the lie to all
that | have said and done in behalf of the
democratic party and its principles. So far
as | am concerned my speech at the conven-
ton expresses my convictions and states my
position"
At jackson, Miss, June II, 1895, when
Judge Brame asked Mr.. Bryan if he would
support the ticket of the democratic ma
tional convention if the convention should
put a gold plank in the platform, Mr.. Bryan
replied: so help me God, l will die before
| will support it,"
In answer to a similar question from Prof.
Burris, at Birmingham, Ala, Mr.. Bryan said:
"All the powers on earth, under the earth
and in the heavens above couldn't max me
support a candidate on a gold PLATFORM"
j. II. Mcdowell, the populist leader of
Tennessee, in a speech to the Tennessee
populist convention: 81 believe Mr.. Bryan
is a middle-of-the-road populist. Populists
elected tryan to congress. He las advocated
populist doctrine, and said he would leave
the democratic party unless it adopted a
populist platform
In a letter written to George NJ. Garden
of Dallas, Tex, February IS, 1896, Mr..
Bryan said:
LAS early as 1898, when the democratic
state convention of Nebraska, controlled by
candidates for tie federal Offices, Endorsed the
presidents financial policy, l stated that l
would not follow the democratic party to a
gold standard.
directed by my conscience and by my
best judgment, | shall use that vote to de-
fend my rights, protect my family and ad-
vance the welfare of society. No conven-
ton can rob me of my convictions, nor can
any party organization drive me to conspire
against the prosperity and liberty of my
country.
Men who honestly differ upon the para
mount public questions cannot afford to be
harmonIzed by a national convention. Mr..
Cleveland would not support a free silver
candidate for the presidency, and he should
not do so if he really believes that free
coinage would ruin the country, because a
mans duty 10 his country is higher than
his duty to his party"