The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-06-19

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to man opposed the Tree slver plank
should once more lead the party. 1t was
! also understood that those opposed to the
16 to plank were not opposed to his
leadership. They had no requests TO make
of the Kansas City Convention concerning
candidates. They went there determined
as far as possible to have their party.
which abandon ed its past principles and
stultided itself in 1898 by an unhol!Y ALI
ance with the Populists and Socialists,
placed backed upon its own old moorings
and adopt q straight and Democratic
platform. They were willing that the
Populists should have the candidate If
they were allowed to preserve the princi-
Piles Of the grand old party.
What did these men find when they
reached Kansas City? They found West
ern delegations in which not single man
had been Democrat in 1892. These men
demanded reiteration Of the l6 to plank
of the Chicago platform. The proposition
was made to them that they could have
both candidates, and they could have any
planks they wanted. which are not Social
istic or Anarchistic, and all the Democrats
asked was that their party be preserved
by maintaining its reputation as a safe
and conservative organization. John W.
Daniel, Of Virginia, as thorough a bellev-
er in the free coinage OF silver as any man
in his party, and one OF the grandest
characters in the United States Senate,
worked liked a beaver day and night to try
that their policy were suicidal. Gov
ernor Smith, of Maryland, told them that
the Dem ocrats could carry Maryland with
out that plank and could not cary Mary
land with it. Gen. St. Clair, of West Vir-
ginia, worked until o'clock in the morn
ing with that committee and then went
back to his delegation, saying: Boys.
we are ruined" Tom Taggart Of Indiana,
himself silver man, worked liked beay.
er to keep that plank from being inserted
and served notice upon his party that
the Democrats Of his state were not IN
sympathy with it and would not vote for
the candidate if nominated upon such
platform The vote was taken and only
fifteen States voted in favor of l6 to l.
The Western dele ates weakened on the
night of July and so apprised Mr.. Bryan.
By telephone message to his leader, Mr..
Metcalf, of Nebraska, he informed the
Convention that he would not accept the
nomination if the iteration Of IL to l
was not in the platform. 1t was then too
late to select another candidate, although
meetings We're IN progress by at Least
twenty State delegations, cenounclng the
man who would so far dese.t ehe Demo
cratic principle that the majority shall
rule as to refuse to accept nominatioa
upon Democratic platform that did not
contain this new principle OF Democracy.
It was TOO late to concentrate upon an
other candidate and Mr.. Bryan was nomi-
mated The remark was general among
the Democrats on the trains as they went
to their homes that they had been com
PEELED to surrender and there was no hope
of Brvan's election. The Eastern leaders
were not surprised when Bryan was de-
feated by greater majority Ct popular
and electoral votes than IN the election OF
1895.
When such men as Senator Vest. David
B. Hill, Grover Cleveland and Ion NJ.
Dickinson discussed the reorganization,
Mr.. Bryan replied in an editorial in the
Commoner, the plain purport Of which
was that he considered himself the Demo
cratic party and declined to be reorgan-
lied. He has on various occasions IN the
Commoner read out Of the party all men
who were not willing TO sacrifice ali Dem
ocratic principles to the interest OF the
silver question. He attempted to defeat
Carter Harrison in Chicago and the regu-
lar Democratic nominee for mayor IN the
city of St. Louis because they were Demo
Gratis first. and did not believe that the
Democratic party should sink into oollv-
ion bv reason Of an issue which has been
gallantly fought for, but irretrlevably
lost.
The old line Democrats declined to be
driven from their party by Il man who,
during ten years Of political life. had been
a Democrat Populist and Socialist.
The only office which W!lliam j. Bryan
ever held he was elected TO by the Popu-
lists it being impossible for the Demo
Gratis to secure an election IN that DIS
tr:ct. He acted with the Democrats in
Congress- but distinctly stated that be
was not bound by a Democratic plat
form.
AS side partner Of Mr.. Bryan, anG
sharing with him in the nomination o.
the Populists in 1907. is another brilliant
orator from the State OF Minnesota. re-
fer to Charles A. Towne. Mr.. Towne,
like Mr. BRYAN. became famous in a day
by reason of his oratory and has remained
famous as political lightning change ar
tist. His autobiography, pu blished IN the
Congressional Directory OF the 54th Con-
Qress. reads as follows:
Charles \. Towne, Of Duluth, was born
November 81, 1855. in Oakland County.
Michigan; educated in common schools
and the University OF -NICn!San. domllleu
to the Bar in 1856: removed to Duluth in
1890: took pxrt in every campaign from
1876 down. but never ran for Office until
elected TO the 54th Congress as Republi-
can, receiving ,4s7 votes. against 1886
votes for Melvin R Baldwin, Democrat,
and o.415 votes for Klttel Halvorsen, Pop
ulist''
The next issue of the Congressional Di-
rectory conveys the startling information
that Charles A. Towne was defeated on
the Populistic ticket by the Hon. Page
Morris. The most remarkable speech that
Mr.. Towne made during his term in Con-
gress was one in which be said that. while
young, his record as a Repu blican was
uni1npeachable" He had inherited it
..1coua- h. fasbcI AID his grandfather
he 6sd been rocked IN d RepuDIcsn
cradle and had always lifted up his voice
in behalf of the Republican party"
Within few weeks after this remarkable
speech he had walked out of the only Re
publican Convention to which he had ever
been delegate and joined the Silver Re
publican party. He Went home as Silver
ID I ,r-aal-c