Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-14
IN the HANDS or MS FRIENDS.

Many a man has approached danger
ously close to the pinnacle of fame, only
to miss a rung in the ladder of progress
at a most critical time in his career. 1t
begins to look as if William Jennings
Bryan is in imminent danger of going
through the ordeal so often vouchsafed
to the great-the ordeal of receiving his
misfortunes from the hands of his friends.
His brilliant campaign in 1896 made him
the logical nominee of his party in 1900.
and events have naturally shaped them
selves to the conservation of that end.
But his friends are more anxious than
wise. Not contented with the ordinary
means through which public sentiment
might be developed to the point of de-
manding that he be again made the
standard-bearer of his party, his back
ers and friends are setting in motion a
series Of experiments that will return to
vex them in the campaign, if it does not
result in the final undoing of their candi-
date for presidential honors.
One Of the schemes which they ave
devised to insure the control of the dem
ocratic national convention by the Bryan
men, is to have the national committee
make a ruling that no delegate will be
entitled to a seat unless the state con-
vention that names him fully endorses
the Chicago platform of 1896. This will
rule out the delegation from any state
whose democracy is not in sympathy
with the contest previously waged under
Bryan. Another plan under contempla-
ton is the abolition of the time-honored
conventions of the democratic party.
This rule has been in vogue since 1882,
and every attempt to abrogate it has sig
nally failed. There was strong talk Of
setting it aside in 1896, and the silver
men, who were in a majority in the con-
vention, would doubtless nave lone so
had they not been able to figure out
Bryan's nomination without going to that
extreme.
The conditions were favorable to
Bryan's nomination in 1896, however, and
the tidal wave was sufficient to land him
in safety above the undertow of a great
convention. No such tidal wave can be
counted on in 1900, hence the renewed
talk about doing away with the two
thirds rule. Mr.. Bryan's friends doubt
less are astute enough to realize that
his party enemies are not going to lie
down and permit him to be nominated
by acclamation, unless pledges are made
that will be eminently satisfactory to
the eastern wing of the party.
The Bryan men have already projected
their candidate into the field. He is as
much of a candidate today as he will be
nine months hence. His opponents
within the democratic party are in no
hurry to spring a rival. They will wait
nize the party through an organized
assault upon it's cherished presidents. or
Mr.. Bryan himself stands committed to
some policy which the ripening of events
converts INTO a ratner tnan
a strength. Then, at an opportune mo-
ment, another candidate will be ushered
into the ring, fully equipped for as pretty
a gladitorial contest as ever took place
in a democratic convention.
With the Bryan men necessarily max
ing their campaign so long in advance
of the convention, it is the better part
of wisdom for the opposition to "play
'possum'' till the breath of battle is upor
the air. That is precisely what is being
done. It is what the Bryan men fear, hence
all this talk about abolishing the two.
thirds rule. Ii sure of their ground-il
convinced Of the loyalty of Tammany, as
they pretend, there would be no tall
about abrogating a time-honored tradi-
ton of the democratic party, no sugges.
ton that the orthodoxy of state conven-
tions would be questioned unless they en-
dorsed the Chicago platform. These evil
dences of fear greatly encourage the
democratic opposition to Bryan, and long
before the national convention assemblies
that gentleman will find himself eithe,
Aopelessly entangled in the meshes of de.