The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1901-06-15
J.. t1 - o. i1I "a 4.

fundamental principles which have always
si;ided the Republican and the Demo
cratic parties were unchanged. th,se
Democrats who were C nvinced that the
nnlimited coinage Of silver at ratio az
10 to would prove disastrous neverthe.
less remained in their party. and In sew
err States the delegation sent /, Kansas
Ctty We're ,o'nWsed OF eDpmocrats who
toa man o p '.rd the 'r.t silver plank.
1t was unier-S OIL that William ]. Bryan
should once mere lead the party IL was
als" uni .rs, ii til q t,vs,. oppossd to the
10 1" i'ltin Sera not opposed tu nis
lea 'ersh;p Tuey ha no r-uuests tn max 9
OF the kansas City Convention IN c IN ceruirv
CAM 'atis. T.'nr Went th e. determine /
wnicn a6andoleh its past principles and
stuitlh.d itself in ~ 10y an unholly alli.
ance with the Pupulists and Socialists,
placed backet upon its own old mo. rinus
and adopt a straight and Democratic
Platform. They. w-re willing that the
PJpulists should have the can licate il
they were allowed tn preserve the princl.
Piles of the grand Id party.
What did these men flnd when they
reached KanSas Cityi They found West
ern delegations in which not a single man
had been Democrat in 1892. Tuese men
demanded u r-iteraLion of the IL to plank
OF the Cuicago platform. The proposition
w,s made to them that they could have
both candidates, and they could have any
planks they W 'nted watch are not S. ciai-
istic or Anarchistic. and all the Democrats
asked was that their party be preserved
by maintaining its repui alton as q sats
aud conservative organization. John w.
Daniel, of Virginia, as thorough a believ-
rr IN the ir'e coinage of silver AS any man
In his party. aud one Of the grandest
Characters in the United States Senate,
worked liked beaver day, and night to try
10 convince these Western delegates
that their policy were suicidal. Gov
ernor Smith. of Maryland, told them that
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
lug with tnat committee and then went
back to his delegation, saying: "Boys,
we are ruined" Tom Taggart Of Indiana,
himself silver man. worked liked beav-
or 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 a
platform. The vote was taken and only
dteen States voted in favor of IL to l.
The Western dele ates weakened on tho
night Of July and 30 apprised Mr.. Bryan.
BY telephone message to his leader, Mr..
Metcalf. Of Nebraska, he informed the
Convention that he would not accept the
nomination il the iteration of Ii to 1
was not In the platform. 1t was then too
late to select another candidate although
meetings were in progress by at least
twenty State delegations, denounoing the
man who would so far desc. t the Demo
cratic principle that the majority shall
rule as to refuse to accept a nomination
upon a Dem ocratic 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.
pelled to surrender and there was no hope
OF Bryan's election. The Eastern leaders
were not surprised when Bryan was de-
fsated by greater majority Of popular
and electoral votes than in the election of
le96.
When such men as Senator Vest, David
b. Hill, Grover Cleveland and Don M.
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
C3lhmoner read out Of the party all men
ooratic 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
ion by reason OF an issue which has been
gallantly fought for, but irretrievably
lost.
The old line Democrats declined to be
driven from their party by man who,
during ten years Of political life, had been
Democrat. Populist and Socialist.
The only Office which William 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
-. l. tal xrysk - ~.
Congress. but distinctly stated that he
was not bound by q Democratic plat
form. p
AS side partner of Mr.. Bryan, and
sharing with him in the nomination Of
the Populists in 1909. is another brilliant
fer to Charles A. Towne. Mr.. Towne,
like Mr.. Bryan, became famous in day
by reason OF his oratcry and has remained
famous as political lightning change ar
tist. His autobiography, published In the
Congressional Directory Of the 6Ath Con-
Rress. reads as follows:
Charles A. Towne, of Duluth, was born
November 81, 1853, In Oakland County.
Michigan; educated in common schools
and the University Of Michigan; admitted
to the Bar In 1888; removed to Duluth In
1890 took part in every campaign from
1876 down, but never ran for Office until
elected to the 54th Congress as Republi.
can, receiving ,4S7 votes, against Is, ,S3S
votes for Melvin r. Baldwin, Democrat.
and 6,476 votes for K1ttel Halvorsen, Pop.
ulist."
The next issue Of the Congressional Di-
rectory conveys the startling information
that Charles A. Towne was d.feated on
the Populistic ticket by the Hon. Page
Morris. The most remarkabl speech that
Mr.. Towne made during his term in Con-
gress was one in which he said that, while
young, Ibis record as q Repu blican was
unimpeachable." He had inherited it
from his father and his grandfather" /"
He had been crooked in . Republican,
cradle" and had always lifted up his voice
in behalf of the Republican party y
Within few weeks after this remark able
speech he had walked out of the ONLY Re-
publican Convention to which he had ever
been deIegate ana Joined the Silver Re.