The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-07-16
Never Was a Convention SO Thor
oughly Dominated by One Man as
the One Lately Assembled
.pLANKS DENOUNCING TRUSTS
Written by Van. Wyck, Whose Pocket
u Bulges With Stock of the Ice
81 Trust in New York.

Is loyal Republican. full OF hard sense
and vigor, and is a quaint philosopher.
Some Of these days" he said, talking
about politics to-day, "a clever writer
will write n bowling farce and the basis
OF It will be the Kansas City conven-
tion. There was great crowd OF DEM
ocrats assembled, denouncing bossism
in politics. crying out against Boss
Hanna. But there they were bowling
about Boss Hanna, and there never
was convention SO thoroughly bossed
and dominated by one man as the con-
-yention there assembled. Bryan can
give Hanna points about bossing con-
yventiun. Hanna Is not In It with him.
They were shouting about the constitu-
tion and the Declaration Of Indepen-
.dence, declaring that governments de-
rive their Just powers from the consen,
OF the governed; that no people should
be governed without their consent. Who
read that platform declaration while
flags were spontaneously let down on
phllies and the asamblage waved little
flags that happened to be distributed
among them opbortunely?
Tillman and Van Wyck.
"Tillman, CT South Carolina! TILL
,man, who on the floor OF the senate de-
clared that the whites OF the south must
rule the negroes, and. II they could not
rule them, they must kill them;' that he
would say without apology that he be-
lleved In the shotgun policy when nee
essary. He read the platform dcclara-
tlon that people should not be gov
erned without their consent. Now,
am not going into the southern ques-
tlon. am not waving the bloody shirt
l know the southern people and like
them and sympathlze with them in
many Of their troubles; but think OF
Tllman reading with grandlloquent
flourish n declaration about the consent
of the governad,
Take the declaration against trusts.
I am opposed to trusts. think they
are an evil. l agree that something
should be done to control them. But
who wrote that plank adopted at Kan
sas City dcnounclng trusts? Van
Wyck, with his pocket bulging with
stock Of the Ice trust. Van .Wyck wrote
1t and 1t was published in New York as
his before the convention met. Why, It
Is farce without the aid OF dramatic
authorship.
Bryan Dominated the Convention.
Bryan absolutely dominated tina,
convention. Hanna failed in some
things at Philadelphia; Bryan failed in
nothing at Kansas City. Bryan's meth
DDS were different, but his power great
er. know Bryan well. He is q man of
magnetic nerve and courage. He is a
strong man, n great man, an earnest
man, an honest man, a worshIpper
whose idol Is Bryan. His self-esteem is
magnificent. and his ability and cour-
age are magnificent. He believes in
himself ns Napoleon and Caesar be-
lieved In themselves. and as they would
sacrifice an army to add single laurel
to the wreath upon, their brows, he
would sacrifice n party or u nation to
fix a Bryan idea. His force OF charac-
ter and his nerve are grand. What did
he do to that convention? He told
them, with 4 nerve that hardly another
man living would display: You do this
and so or shall write n letter declining
ur4nomination. and shall accept the
nomination of the Silver Republicans
and Populists and will destroy YOU This
statement OF mine Is no surm!se: II rep.
resents what happened, as know from
friends of mine who were there. They
dared not resist him. He conouere;,
and controlled them with his nerva5
With him Bryan Is everything, and he
compelled the nomination Of Stevenson
just as he forced l6 to l into the plat
form. This ls plain to anyone who
knows Bryan. though he is but a sim
plCtoh IA boltlCs. r...
But Two Other, Strong Men.
"There were but two strong apurrs
besides Bryan These were Hill. WIN
stands boldly In the forefront OF old-lInc
Democrats, and Townc, who Is one Of
the greatest orators OF the present dav
One or the other OF these was the lopI-
cal candidate. Had Towne possessed
the nerve that Bryan does he could
have forced the Democrats to accnnt
him MS n candidate. with n millInn
and half Of votes behind him he cou,d
have threatened them with destruction
MS Bryan did: but he has NOT pryan,s
square chin. Had lfnl been nomInntrd
for vice president, 4 victory, II by nnv
strange ahuiilins OF the cards tho Dom.
ocrats could win, would hayr been :,
Bryan and Hin victory. Had Townc
been nominated, victory, II victory
there could be, would have been n Drv.
nn nnu Hill victory. Either man woula
have been felt upon the tclet-wo,ul5
have been recognized in the campaign
This did not suit Drynn. He named
Stevenson. because Stevenson dops nnt
represent. anything and cannot nda n
vote to the strength OF the ticket. ont
Side of Bloomington, Ill. He is n mi.
ished old gentleman. who is rcspcctnn
perhaps loved, by hls nelshbors, butis
a nonenity in politics. A victory OF tho
Bryan and Stevenson tickct.lt the cards
can be shufled and bring It about, win