Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1900-07-11
At KANSAS CITY.
Tribune Representative Writes Of
the Great Convention.

A Tribune Representative Writes Of
the Great Convention. =.
The Kansas City Democratic Con-
vention was no doubt the greatest po-
litical gathering ever held in the Unit
ed States: not only in numbers but in
many other respects. Men who. had
attended fifteen national conventions
stated that for enthusiasm;' confidence
of victory, aud general good feeling
they had never seen it's eq ual. There
were men there of all shades of polit-
ical belief. from the greenbacker to
the rankest gold advocate, but the
dominating spirit Of the convention
stood for reforms advocated by popu-
lists. Lincoln Republicans, and Bry-
an Democrats. The one thing upper
most in the minds of the delegates
seemed to be that while there were diff
ferences on economic questions they
would lay aside those differences and
make a common fight against the Han-
ma Mckinley attempt to shift the gov
eminent from the solid rock of reEub-
licanism to the treacherous sands of
Imperialism. At the same time, the
peoples element was strong enough
to prevent any backward step on is
sues that had formerly been brought
to the front.
The convention was called to order
by Chairman Jones at little after j.
O'Clock noon, July 4. After the inv6-
cation Mayor Reed of Kansas City
delivered his address of welcome. The
Declaration of Independence was then
read, followed by singing the ''star
.Spangled Banner,' in which the whole
convention joined.
After the temporary Organization
had been perfected and the different
committees appointed the convention
adjourned until O'Clock. When it
again re-assembled it could do no
work as the committee on resolutions
was not ready to report. Speakers
were called on and several prominent
men, notably Gov. Hogg, of Texas,
addressed the convention. This ses-
sion was adjourned without accomp-
fishing anything.
During the interval between the
above Adjournment and the opening
at 10 o'clock the next day excitement
was at fever heat and wherever you
went men, and groups of men, were
discussing pro and con the outcome
of the deli berations of the committee
on resolutions. Some advocated the
simple reaffirmation of the Chicago
platform, and others wanted not only
u re- affirmation but a specific mention
Of the paramount issue Of 1916 to l.
Several conflicting reports were cir
culated as to what the committee would
do. Some said there would lie reports
by both the majority aud minority,
and that it would be fought out ia the
convention. The fact was that the
eastern democrats had come there de-
termined that Is to l should not be
mentioned in the platform, and the
western democrats we're just as deter
mined that it should. What created
the excitement was the giving in to
| fasteners by some of the weak sisters
of the western states, giving them a
show of success. And but for that
grand bulwark of integrity, VIM. J.
Bryan, they might have succeeded.
Had the fight gone into the convention
Bryan would have come to Kansas
City himself and fought for the peo-
ple's rights. He had repeatedly told
delegates that had called on him that
if his name should be considered for
the presidency they MUST assume a
| specific position on the silver ques'
ton. When he was called over the
phone and told of the situation at 3
O'Clock in the morning he sent the fol-
lowing message: BE faithful, don't
listen to the straddiers, stand by the
people," What 9: cheering consola-
ton it was to the true reformers of all
the reform parties to know that he to
| whom they all looked stood firm as
the rock of Gibraltar. Will the re-
formers stand by that man in the COM
ing battle? They certainly will. -.
Those who represented Bryan's
views finally won in the committee and
the suspense was oyer. Anyone who
saw and heard the enthusiasm with
which the convention received the
platform, and especially the Is to /,
anti-imperialist, and ANTITRUST planks,
could have no doubts as to how the
masses feel on these great questions.
The applause was deafening, and when
that great commoner VIM. J. Bryan
was nominated for the presidency the
convention went wild. For 80 minutes
IS, 900 people in that vast auditorium
and nearly that many outside yelled,
hurrahed, sang, waved flags, and
marched; and the important part was
that there was no Mark Hanna there
with pampas grass in one hand and
la flag in the other to lead them on.
Each and every one was leader for
himself, giving vent to spontaneous
emotions that could not be downed.
With my own eyes I saw the chairman
three times pound his desk with might
and main calling for order, but he
could no more stop them than a cy-