Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-31
The Gallery Play Of the Democratic
Nominee.
CAREFULLY WORKED-OUF SCHEMES
Republican Leader Predicts Bryan's
Third Nomination.
NOT THE MAN FOR PRESIDENT

s'Mr Bryans campaign arguments are so
renIete with Inconsistencies" said repub
ncan leader high in the councils of his party
to a Star reporter this morning, that IL
would seem quite idle to recount them.
However. there are some who not so
easily persuaded others, and to this class
II occurs to me that little incident that
has thus far escaped comment would prove
of more than passing interest.
Turned the Tables on Bryan.
..In joint debate between the democratic
nominee and a republican opponent MT.
Bryan had the opening and closing of the
argument. When Mr. Bryan finished his
first address big proportion of the au-
dience made Rome howl for him. If the
other speaker were present he did not ap.
pear to count. When order was restored
the other man delivered his address, and II
he had any friends in the hall the Bryan
men howled them down into ribbons ana
fragments
NATURALLY. the gentemans friends were
very indignant at this n1anifestly unfair
treatment in an agreed joint debate. 1t being
evident to them that 1t was simply a fine
show of pyrotechnics and theatricals on the
part of the Nebraska statesman, who, 1t
was claimed, had caused the hall 10 De
packed with several thousand of his adj
herents for the purpose of wiping the other
fellow off the face of the earth by an oVa-
ton to Bryan.
''The indignant friends of the gentleman
who had spoken with the apostle of the FIJI
ipinos resolved to get even with him. and a
a later meeting the other man had the
closing His friends then INDUCED in a
little applause and handshaking themselves,
and if the apostle got out of the hall al all
no one had time to observe his departure
Brynn's Capture of the Platform Com
mittee.
''This prearranged theatrical performance
to discredit an opponent and score with the
gallery himself is of the Nebraska
statesman's strongest plays, and he turns
the card at every opportunity.
For instance. the crown and thorn speech
al the 1896 convention by Mr.. Bryan, and
by which he, an obscure and comparatively
unknown man. secured at a single bound
the presidential nom ina ton and fame. was
the greatest piece of theatrical acting this
country ever Witnessed. The people from
Maine to California were electrified at this
apparent eXtemporaneous outburSt of eio-
quence. But 1t was all prearranged. That
speech was written and committed to men,
Org months before the convention assembled
when the people at large scarcely knew of
his existence. for Mr.. Bryan at that ante
rior date had secretly determined to become
the democratic nominee for the presidency.
He laid his plans carefully. He went
through the south. mingled with the people.
and became acquainted with many of the
delegates He was suavity and polish per-
sonified. He then secured his proper pres
ence in the convention. and entered upon
fierce fight to obtain the privilege of closing
tne DEBATE on the adoption or the platform.
The committee platform desired that
another man should have this honor but
Mr.. Bryan, realizing that 1t was the fight
Of his life fought with unwonted tenacity
of purpose and accomplished his end
Once on the platform of this convention,
closing this debate, with no other speakers
to follow him. he sprung his mine and In a
Hood of apparently extemporaneous elo-
quence he carried the convention off its
feet. with the known result. That moment
was, as matter of fact, the elimination
and aS,,t1,
play
Continuous Performance
And now, to come right down to date
Bryan. the actor. has sprung his second
grand curtain play upon the people and it
has. the other. caught on He advocated
the adoption of the Spanish treaty. by
which the Philippines became our own
property. and. as we know, prevented its
defeat And why? Far-seeing and calcu-
lating. dramatic and spectacular desiring
the laurels for himself, he knew that he
would be the democratic nominee for the
second time but without a great issue.
Inc silver issue could not be brought to
the fore: the tariff is settled; expansion it
self. by reason of the war, an accomplished
fact; and If the question of imperialism
and the consent of the governed was to be
fought out IN the halls of the Senate what
would ne do for campaign ammunition?
He would have none. So he threw his In
fuence in favor of the treaty with the Sc
cret purpose, as is now demonstrated Of
using this question as the main string to
his campaign harp. and upon which he
plays so hercely now.
Will He Be Nominated for the Third
Times
Mr.. Bryan will be beaten this fall, but
mark the prediction that he will from the
9th of next November scheme and play his
dramatics to secure a third nomina tion
II he does not get it 1t will not be because
he will not make just as carefully prepared
and as fierce fight he has twice before
Mr.. Bryan is nothing if not insincere and
histrionic. These his two cardinal
strong points. to my mind. l will give
further Illustration. In his speeches he
magnities everything to suit his own ideas
and twists facts as easily a contortionist
does his body 1t is hard evidently to come
down to facts with him. This is one rea-
son why he. lawyer, admittedly elo-
quent speaker. is a failure at the bar. In
court the judge requires facts and grandilo-
quent catch phrases find no favor. Mr..
Bryan does not like facts.
When attacking the republican party on
the ground of alleged extravaganza he has
made speeches in the west In which he
declared that the bimetallic commission ex-
pended the entire sl0O.GO appropriated for
expenses abroad AS matter of fact the
entire expenses of the three commissioners
were but $4,000. But before his western
audiences this misstatement peaches
and cream as illustrative of republican ex-
travagance.' and those who heard believed
his statements to be true.
Again. during the last campaign he
openly preached the insincere and repre-
hensible practice of men Joining Mckinley
clubs. shouting for Mckinley, but voting
quietly on election day for Bryan. This Is
q known matter of history, of course, but
wish to say that l know that IN one Nc
kinley club of railroad men, numbering
30 members, all shouting and marching
for the republican nominee, only twenty
voted for him. 81 pity the consciences Of
these men.
The Streak of Insincerity.
This vein OF utter insincerity In the
mans character outcrops like a thread of
the metal in piece of quartz-not always
revealed, but there, nevertheless.
mo more powerful manifestation of this
streak of insincerity can be brought up
than the absurdity of the doctrine of the
alleged consent of the governed and the
guarantees of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence. In the District OF Columbia as
every school boy knows, the people are as
completely governed without their consent
as the inhabitants of the Philippines or
Alaska They get along, but out west peo-
pie are hoodwinked by what We here pay