The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-05-05
BRYAN WILL BE NOMINATED
Says Ex-Attorney General o'connor Of
Wisconsin.

General O'Connor, of Wisconsin, sal
he looked upon the coming electors
contest as the most important in tn
nations history and that both patriotism
and good citizenship require every ma,
to exert his utmost efforts for the sue
cess of the Democratic party and tn
preservation OF the republic. Referrin,
to the Democratic convention M,
O'Connor continued:
"Mr. Bryan will be the nominee o
the Kansas City convention; of that
have not the slightest doubt. That Their
will be opposition to his nomination
feel equally certain. This opposition ha
manifested itself in two directions
First, directly, and second, indirectly
During the past two years it must hav,
been apparent to any observing person
that various attempts were made to sub
stitute some other for Bryan as tn.
party leader. Different persons have
been suggested and different scheme:
exploited. Each OF these schemes have
practically died at its birth.
"To Judge from the recent utterance:
in New York and elsewhere, it is ap
parent that the opposition to Bryan i:
dying hard. Some time ago, however
those who opposed the nomination ot
Bryan began to analyze the temper o.
the rank and file OF the party, and were
convinced that they demanded thu
nomination of Bryan, and would submit,
to none other. About the same time
Mr.. Bryan announced that the party
platform should fit the nominee and the
nominee should fit the PLATFORM From
that time until This the majority of those
who had heretofore opposed the nomi
nation of Bryan, and realizing that they
could not find their way into the Demo
cratic conventions, while opposing his
nomination, Immediately changed their
attitude and all became advocates OF
Bryan's nomination, ostensibly, but
with the secret purpose OF defeating him
indirectly.
A new program was adopted, name
ly, the enunciation of platform which
neither fitted Bryan, and which Bryan
did not fit. That this purpose has not
been wholly abandoned, but will coll
time to the last. is apparent from the
expressions of many newspapers, for
merly Democratic. but opposed to
Bryan and the Chicago platform,in 1896.
He is no longer referred to as the boy
orator, but acknowledged by friends
and enemies alike as a profound states
man, a courageous leader and an UNI
compromising patriot, and unless all the
signs OF the times are misleading he is
destined to be the next president OF the
United States"
Are you in favor OF sending instruct
ed delegates to the national conven-
tion?"
Il certain)yam and would go still
farther and say that any man who is op-
posed to receiving instruction from the
convention which names him, is not
like Caesars wife, above suspicion -"
do you think it unwise to send men
as delegates who opposed the party in
1906"
you might as we'll ask general on
the eve OF battle whether he considers it
wise to pace in command an officer who
deserted his forces on the last battlefield
In politics as in war, recent deserters
are not proper leaders,
When asked if he thought the Chicago
platform should be reafirmed, Mr..
O'Connor replied emphatically:
Il do. There are as many, if not
more, Republicans who are opposed to
trusts and imperialism, than there are
gold Democrats, and they are much
more active and outspoken in their op-
position, yet no one would suggest that
the Democratic party should leave out
of its platform all reference to tariff re-
form, in order to gain the support OF
the Republicans who are opposed to
trusts and imperialism. The reafirma-
ton of the Chicago platform is largely
matter OF judgment upon which men
may honestly differ, but so far as am
able to Judge, should answer emphat-
ically yes, to reafhrm it.
cover six millions, or nearly one-half
OF the voting population in 1896, voted
for Bryan and the Chicago platform.
This vote was cast in opposition to the
most frantic appeals of practically the
entire press of the country, the intimida-
ton OF workingmen by their employers
and the seductive influence Of the largest
corruption fund ever known in Ameri-
can politics. These six million voters,
who resisted these influences and stood
loyal to their party and platform, then
believed and still believe, that some OF
this vast corruption fund reached the
polluted fingers OF at least some of those
so-called patriotic Democrats who
pretended to leave their party to save
the nations honor
'Those six million voters have also
| observed that those around whom the
circumstantial evidence OF sordid pur-
pose in 1896 have accumulated, are now
| the loudest in their clamor against
Bryan and the reaffirmation of the Chi
| cago platform. Besides these six mil