Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-15
uRYAN,S SPEECH.


cago convention by Mr.. Bryan is q
taking one. most persons who have
read II carefully will admit. But as a
rule II is not clear to readers how II
could have swayed the convention as II
did and brought 10 the front n candidate
who had heretofore been considered ons
Of the hndermost In the race.
The truth is that a conjunction Of cir
cumstances afforded Mr.. Bryan the oppor-
tunity, and this opportunity he awaited
himself OF with mastery sagacity. Mr.
Bryan came to the convention as con-
testing member. Had he had seat from
the start it was the purpose Of his friends
to urge his name for the position of tenn
porary chairman. However. the contest
in his case gave him a good deal Of promi-
hence, and after he had been seated he
shrewdly went among the various state
delegations and personally thanked them
for the help they had given him. AS he
is widely known as an orator Of high de-
gree. and is said to excel particularly as
a debater. small wonder it is that he
should have been named as one Of the
two champions Of the majority report of
the Committee on Resolutions. This was
another stroke of luck for him. And an
other was that Tillman was made his as
sociate.
Tillman opened the debate In advocacy
Of the majority's report. His speech was
but a repetition Of the harangues that he
has been making all over the country.
What was new in IL was worse than that
which was old. AS whole it was vitriol-
ic. coarse. tedious, and illtimed. The south
ern members were ashamed to see Tillman
brought forward as a representative south
ern man; the westerners disliked his Sc
ces sion talk, and everybody was diseusi ed
with his declaration that the silver ISSUE
is a sectional issue.
When Tillman closed the silverites were
in illhumor. Then Senator Jones apollo
gized for a part Of Tillman's speech, and
Hill and Villas spoke strongly and well
in favor Of the minority report. Then
came Bryan's opportunity. SO far the
case of the silverites had been badly ar
eued. The silverites saw in Bryan their
champion. He rushed up the steps Of the
platform with steps as light as a boys.
A strong. healthful, hearty, calm. and self
reliant man, he. faced his audience. but for
five or ten minutes he could not speak a
word for the cheers that were given him.
That Bryan understood the situation and
did his work well no one who was present
will deny. He wished to get the sympathy
Of his audience; he wished TO secure
their support for the majority re-
port; he wished TO fire their
hearts and attach the delegates to himself.
All these things he did. In three minutes
he had control of his hearers, and easily
swayed them into tumultuous applause OF
profound silence as he willed. and at the
end it was foreseen by thousands that
he would capture the nomination.
Mind you. there was no candidate before
the convention whom the delegates were
heartily in love with. BANDS unfitness
for such a dignihed Office as the presi-
dency was conceded by many who were
supporting him. Boies had the enmity OF
Altgeld and all the Illinois delegation, and
il was believed that If he were nominated
he would lose that State. Stevenson was
regarded as "fshy," Matthews as weak.
and Mclean as an impossibility. The
considerable vote given Blackburn was
understood 10 be merely a personal COM
pliment
The fact is, that the convention was in
search of a candidate when Bryan came
before it. His fine figure, honest and in
& l.
completely captivated the delegates. His
opponents manoeuvred so that the con-
vention should not at once be forced into
vote on the presidential nominee, and
an adjournment from that afternoon til
next morning was effected, but all in
vain. Next morning it was found that
the spell Bryan had cast upon the conven-
ton was unbroken, and the convention
spent some time in casting complimentary
votes,' and then despite the frowns and
sneers of Altgeld and Tillman and others,
bolted in a body to Bryan.
SO, in considering Bryan's speech, we
must remember that he was favored by
opportunity, which he made the most Of.
We must also remember that between a
word in cold print and a word spoken
with dramatic force by a trained orator,
who is also intensely earnest, there is a
vast difference. Bryan's speech is, we
think, eloquent in print, but as delivered
before the Chicago convention it was cleo
trical. 1t set afire the hearts of the sill
yerites. They considered that Bryan had
indicated them. and thenceforth it was
their determination TO crown their cham
pion with the greatest honor they could
bestow-the presidential nomination.
OF all Bryan's phrases none was so heed
fully studied out; none put in position so
carefully; none delivered with such dra-
matte fierce and fire. as that with which he
closed his address, when he said:
Having behind us the commercial inte-
rests and the laborlng interests. and all
the toiling masses, we shall answer their
demands for a gold standard by saying
to them: You shall not place upon the
brow of labor this crown OF thorns. You
shall not cruelty mankind upon cross OF
gold" Great applause)
----------------------
Harold X. Sewall telegraphs to the New
vorl< uaroid that fhe ReDublicans will