Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-21
CAN THE BOOM BE MAINTAINED ?

Real estate booms, mining hooms, and
even log booms, give way sooner or later,
and often the reaction is a strong argu-
ment that the boom ought never to have
been started. There is a glowing suspi-
cion that political booms cannot always
escape the rule that so generally applies.
History bears out the thought that in
the wide domain of personal politics a
boom can be Systematically oyerworked.
The third term movement in behalf of
General Grant was a case in point; the
plumed knight candidacy of Mr.. Blaine !
was another.
AS a rule, the doomed candidate for
the presidency gives way to the dark
horse. Hayes, Garfield and Harrison
were conspicuous examples on the repub-
lican side, while Hancock and Bryan
We're democratic illustrations. Under
the rules that govern democratic con-
ventions a dark horse is usually more
eligible than one equipped with too much
of a reputation. In 1880 the democracy
threw overheard such men as Bayard
and Randall-men of national repute,
with a genius for leadership-and nomi-
mated General Hancock, a noble soldier
withal, but a man IMMERSED in public
affairs, a fedgling in politics, a 1oun-
derer in the surf of the free trade sea.
Bryan was the darkest kind Of a dark
horse in 1896. No one would have placed
the brilliant young Nebraskan on the
roster of eligibles until his meteoric
speech thrilled the convention n cap
tured the ~throbbing heart of that en-
thusiastic body of men. The hard times
that prevailed-the flood of disaster that
had overwhelmed the fand under the
regime of the fat New Yorker, who had
polished the cushioned chairs of the white
house under the auspices of the demo-
cratic party-had introduced a popular
reaction which found free vent in the
nomination of Bryan and the creation
Of the platform upon which he stood.
But it must be borne in mind that the
selection of Bryan as a candidate fol-
lowed closely upon the heels of his mag
netlc speech. While making 10 invidi-
Gus comparisons, the address delivered
by Bryan before the democratic conven-
ton in 1896 affected that body of dele
gates pretty much as Antony swayed the
Roman populace in his eulogy on the inn
mortal Caesar. 1t is for the reader to
judge whether it was the greatness of
tho Crnnnh in a;thar ;re+o,ao 80 IL.
swayability of the audience, that led ur
to the results recorded.
Bryan was not the first dark horse tc
be trotted into eminence by a happy
speech before a nominating convention
1t was Garfield's speech placing the nam
of John Sherman before the Chicago con.
vention that led to the nomination of the
former, when the old wheel horses of The
party were retired. Sometimes the in,
SEPARATION of a phrase, associating ths
name of a candidate with a popular idea
brings the dark horse conspicuously tt
the front. That was the case in the ma
tional democratic convention IN Cincin
natl in 1880, when that gifted orator
that deXtrous manipulation of gilt-edget
phrases-Daniel Dougherty, made posi-
BILE the nomination of Hancock.
But while all this can be said of darl
horses, what can be said of the boomet
candidate? What promise of fruitiol
can be found in a systematic play for
nomination months in advance of a con
vention? Had Bryan made his cele
brated speech a year and a half befor
the convention of 1896 was held, would hi
crown of thorns and cross of gold perora
ton nave made such a large contribution
to his success as a candidate for tn
presidential nomination? That gentle
man is no longer a dark horse, to b
sprung upon a convention with the magi
of eloquence when a Moses is needed TO
the weary wayfarers of the Bourbon fold
He is an avowed candidate for the nomi
nation in 1900, and is, unfortunately, do
ing that which his party has in the pas