Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24
Hon. j. j. Russell Formerly of Mus
catine interviewed.
.
WAS a DELEGATE FROM NEW YORK
To the Kansas City Convention -
Talks of His Pre-convention At
tempt to Influence Bryan to Adopt
the Course of Wisdom.
IRON tlle Muscatine journal.

Hon. James ]. Russell, now a prom
inent attorney of New York City, but
formerly a resident of Muscatine and
postmaster here during Cleveland's
first term, is visiting this place en-
. route home from the Kansas City con-
vention, which he attended as a del
egate from New York. He has a host
of friends in and about Muscatine who
are pleased to know of his success
both in a professional and a political
way since locating in the eastern me-
tropolis. AS a democratic worker he
has attained much prominence on the
platform and in the secret councils of
the party. In the last gubernatorial
campaign he took the stump for Judge
Van Wyck and made sixty-five speech
es at important points turnout the
state. Mr.. Russell is in touch with
Tammany hall and the great party
leaders of his state and is, in fact, one
of the controlling factors in New York
politics.
Some Inside History.
Western democrats are probably
not aware of the part played by Mr..
Russell in the spectacular features of
the democratic convention at Chicago
four years ago. When the conserva,
tive element of the party, the real
! democrats, became aware of the fact
that populism and Organism were fas.
tening their grasp on the party or.
ganization and debating the platform
the old time leaders sought to avert
the impending disaster. 1t will be re
membered that David B. Hill at that
time came forward as the champion
of genuine democracy and by entreaty
and tactful endeavor sought to bring
home to the convention a realizing
sense of the dangerous position about
to be assumed. First, he was defeat.
ed as chairman of the convention and
then a rally of his supporters was
made and the attempt made to pre-
vent the adoption of platform which
should be the doom of party success.
Just at this point the hand of Mr..
Russell asserted itself when he wrote
an amendment to the financial plank
which was presented on the floor of
the convention by Mr.. Hill. The pur.
pose of this plank was to exempt all
existing contracts, not protected by
| the gold clause, from the effects OF
the proposed change in the money
standard. This would have saved the
party from the charge of being in ia
vor of reputation and it is now con
coded that it would have increased the
chances of victory then and made
them very bright in the present cam
paign. The wisdom and sagacity OF
Mr.. Russell is now generally recog
nized.
Unfortunate Party Tangle.
In response to question asking him
for his views on the present political
situation and the probability of Bry.
ans election, he was not just prepar
ed to express an opinion in view Of
the action of the convention reaffirm
!. ing adherence to the defeated and il
logical issue of sixteen to one.
But" said he, ST did write letter
to Mr.. Bryan which was published il
the New York World, in which I sci
forth my views very plainly and in {
manner to leave no doubt as to where
! stood with reference to his fatuitous
+ following of false doctrine. Those
were my views before the convention
and as they became public property
!. have no objection to stating the sub
stance of that letter to you. We dem
ocrats of the east saw in present pc
litical conditions an opportunity O
success at the polls this fall seldom
equalled. Ours was the choice O
2 weapons and it was hard to conceive
Of such folly being enacted as tt