The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-10


!; ticians in Ohio, and MY friend spent
/ the first 20 years of his life in tur-
moil of political movements. He is also
a good Democrat, and has that sort OF
sympathetic acquaintance with popu-
lar feeling which a natural Democrat
must have
/ told him that Bryan was going to
speak in the morning. and urged him
to remain to hear what would updoubt-
eddy be the most memorable incident
of the convention. He could not stay,
being called away by business. but be-
gan to ask me about Bryan's career. AS
l had known Mr.. Bryan personally dur
ing the period of his first triumphs as
an orator along the Missouri river, and
had kept up a close acquaintance with
his rapid rise meantime, I was able TO
convey to my friend a tolerably accu-
rate idea of the Young Nebraskan'S
talents, and of his situation with ref
erence to the different elements of
party strength.
If you Missouri people are not care
full" he said, after moments thought
full glance out toward the lake, your
friend Bland will be beaten by just
such a man as Bryan in this conven-
ton.
The next morning, just before Bryan
was called to the platform, I ran across
another old friend in the vast space
which constituted lobby between the
entrance Of the Coliseum and the space
cut off for the convention. He had been
companion of my boyhood, and had
read law in my fathers office. l had
sailed in his pleasure boats on the
Chesapeake, and had often received
courtesies from him and his family. He
had for some years been practicing law
in Omaha, where he had become famil-
lar with politics and public affairs gen
orally. l was, of course, very much
pleased to see him, and we moved over
toward the restaurant, where we coufs
sit down and talk for a few minutes.
With him was the chairman of the
Democratic state committee in one of
the most important northwestern
states.
Mr. friend was very. much excited and
scarcely took a seat before he said:
I'VE must not on any account miss
Bryan's speech. He is going to be the
nominee OF this convention" The state
committee chairman expressed a belief
of the same sort. 1 asked for reasons.
The two gentlemen explained how
they, with a large number of other
friends Of Mr. Bryan, had been en-
gagged in an extensive correspondence
for several months with leaders of the
silver forces throughout the west and
south. My lawyer friend and others
had all the week been vigorously can
vassing among the delegates. He gave
me a number of figures and names,
which indicated that his confidence in
Bryan's nomination was not wholly
unfounded, though he admitted that
few pledges had been eXacted or re-
ceived, and that no effort had been
made to secure a systematic organiza-
ton. He also admitted that Bryan
himself knew little or nothing about
the plans which had been undertaken
in his behalf. The factors in his ex-
pectations were:
First.-That not one of the candidates
who had an organized support pos
sessed the degree of availability which
would bring enough delegates to secure
the nomination.
Second.-That Bryan did possess ex-
actly the best possible availability for
such convention and such d cam
paign.
Third.-That Bryan's magnificent
presence, trumpet-like voice and in
spring eloquence would, in contrast
with the effective speeches which had
so far been made before the convention,
arouse enthusiasm which would cause
his availability to appear in unmis-
colors before the eyes of every
and western delegate.
The rest is familiar story in every
household. The speech was made 1t
was a marvellous success as an appeal
to the opinions and feelings of the
majority in the conventions; and, after
the other candidates had been voted for
just enough to show the obstacles be-
fore them, Mr. Bryan became the nom
inee of the Democratic party
L think l have recited enough of the
PREDATORY history of that nomination to
show that the event did not possess
the triviality of an accident or of an
impulse, but was the deliberate, though
animated, cooperative action of hun
dreds of men who knew what they
wanted, and who were spurred on by
the millions whom they represented.