The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-07-13


for Il year. That such a demonstra-
ton may be genuinely given once in
convention is possible, although hard
| to understand even then. But that it
can be given three or four times and
be genuine each time is incredible.
| The demonstration that greeted the
first mention of Bryan's name in the
! Kansas City convention on the Fourth
of July lasted thirty-three minutes.
That may have been genuine. But
| the demonstration of twenty-seven
minutes which followed the tiresOme
and stupid nominating speech was
plainly the result of deliberate and
stubborn purpose The Republicans
had howled twenty-siX minutes for
| Mckinley. therefore the Democrats
must howl twenty-seven minutes for
Bryan. That was the way it looked
to a cold-blooded outsider. But it is
something almost terrifying this
frenzied enthusiasm, whether real or
assumed, of twenty thousand people.
The noise of it is Incompatible with
any other noise in nature. 1t sounds
more nearly like hurricane, sweep
ing over the summit of the mountains,
down among the great rocks and trees
of great gorge, coming first from
one direction and then from another,
swelling and falling, receding for a
moment then striking you with greater
force than before, than any other
sound this writer ever heard. 1t makes
one shudder to think what might hap
pen if that frenzy of Joy and exultation
should change to frenzy ofrage and
hate. 1t is exciting and inspiring for
three minues, which seem fifteen, and
then one wants to 60 somewhere.
Perhaps the most interesting and
dramatic episode of the convention
was the appearance of Webster Davis
on the platform and the speech he
made announcing his apostasy from
{ the Republican party and his CONVEX
sion to Democracy. Davis has mag
nihcent voice, musical and resonant
, and powerful, with "A pathetic vibra-
ton when he cares to use it so-his
+ enemies call it "tremolo stop, that
is very effective He was easily heard
{ to the remotest corners of thehall, and
, he thanked the convention for its
adoption OF his pro-Boer plank, de-
nounced the Republican party for its
abandonment of the cause of liberty,
( and pledged his support of the Demo-
t cratic ticket and platform. The crowd
simply went wild.
/ Why did he do it?
Simply because he lacks a balance
/ wheel somewhere. He did not pretend
that he approved any other plank in
: the platform, except just that one eX-
t pressing sympathy with the Beers.
3 So far as appeared from his speech he
/ has not changed his views on free
/ coinage, or the tariff or any of the
e great questions upon which he has al.
. ways been Republican. 1t is on the
Boer question alone,-a question
/ which cannot be a legitimate issue ii
+, American politics, which in the very
] nature Of the case cannot be perma
$ uent issue, that he has chosen tt
} sever his connection with his old party
. A wen balanced man would not dc
that. Mr.. Davis makes Il mistake in
doing it, and as long time persona
friend, warmly admiring his grea
y, ability, the REGISTER has no hesita
=, ton in expressing It's regret that h
has left the party which he has hon
= ored and which has honored him, ant
~ to which he naturally belongs.
1t was IA sound money convention
" That may seem queer declaration t,
" make in view of the platform deman,
: for free l6 to | coinage. But it is tn
u truth. No one who attended the con
" vention and kept his ears open vii
e dispute the statement that if the dele
g gates could have voted their real sen
70 timents without coercion, or dicta
u ton of any kind, at least two-third
! of the votes would have been agains
> l6 to /. But it was not a free vii
conv ention. 1t was dominated abso
" lutely by Mr.. Bryan. His strikers a
70 Kansas City we're in constantcommun
ication with him by long distance tele
phone, and not line of the platforr
l. was adopted even by the committee un
10 Til it had first been submitted to him
e The delegates from the East and sout
If pleaded for the omission of the fire.
IT coinage plank so as to give them som
n show to carry their States, but Bryan
u was obdurate and the plank went in
% The utmost concession he would allo'