Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-07


opposition to the New York judge is
outspoken and bitter and he makes no
bones about 1t in any way. He says
Parker must not me nominated. but
whether If he is, he, Bryan, will lead
a bolt in the convtntion, cannot be
told. And right here let me say that
William Jennings Bryan, with all his
Eighty ideas, his theoretical issues and
his numerous turn downs in the last
eight years, is still leader in the
democratic party, and dare say could
tomorrow, If he desired, call fully half
the delegates to this convention
around his banner if he made per
sonal appeal. Those people who have
all along believed that Bryan would
come out openly for Hearst have been
disappointed, because he has not done
SO. He does not appear to be publicly
in favor of any one of the numerous
candidates except that he is decidedly
opposed to Parker.
And why is Bryan against Parker?
Well, possibly for this reason. If Park
er is nominated, Parker or sound
democratic platform will be adopted
the "reorganizers" will be in full power,
the old line or gold democrats will
again be in control of the party and
the free silver or Bryan democrats will
be forever whipped. Bryan is doing
nothing more nor less than fighting for
Organism, free silverism, Imperialism,
and all the other isms fostered on the
party by Bryan, and which have ripped
it wide open. II Parker wins. the
eight years -ttle in which the Bryan
forces have been the victors is ended
and Organism is defeated. And If once
defeated in national convention it is
predicted by the gold democrats that
Bryan and his followers will return to
the populist party, where they belong.
This, to my mind, is Bryan's chief
reason for fighting Parker, and in a
few words, is the same old fight be-
tween the radical or free silver and
reorganized or gold factions of the
democratic party. Four years ago at
Kansas City the same fight appeared
In another form. There it was over
the platform. Bryan was too strong
for the gold democrats to down for
the nomination, so they contented
themselves with making their fight
against free silver platform, but
were unsuccessful. Here this week
they have Bryan out Of the way as
candidate and today their fight is over
the candidate, because there is more
chance Of success.
The Probable Platform.
The way l have the convention
sized up Is about like this: There
will be no report of the committee on
resolutions until after the nominal
tons. The committee will meet and
formulate a platform, or several plat
forms. If it should happen that there
( is fight in the committee there will
be majority and minority report
One will be Bryan platform and the
other will be Parker or sound
money platform. If Parker is nomi-
mated, which believe he will be, he,
Parker will distate his own platform,
and 1t will be adopted, whether it ap.
pears before the convention as the
minority or majority report of the
committee making no difference. l
believe Mr.. Hill, as Parker's chief
manager, already has Mr.. Parkers
platform on paper, which will be given
to the committee on resolutions for
their consideration. There will also
be given to the committee other plat
forms, written by Bryan, Gray, Cor
man and other party leaders, for their
consideration. But if Parker is the
nominee he will dictate his platform.
and it will be one that all the old line
democrats can rally around and be
safe from the isms and theories of
the past eight years.
For Vice President.
There is not much talk about the
Office of vice president, and this also
is depending to a great extent upon
the head of the ticket. Mayor David
Rose, of Milwaukee. is about the only
man named for vice president, and
who would accept if given the honor
Mayor Rose is the man who four years
ago was slated for the temporary
Craftsmanship of the convention at
Kansas City, but who was turned
down by the national committee at
the last minute on account of his
speech not being what the Bryan peo-
pie wanted But he did not feel bad
over it, and says he is just >as much
a democrat as he ever was.
Convention Notes.
An interested newspaper man at
tending the convention is Allen Daw-
son, now editor of the New York
Globe. and formerly editor of the old
Des Moines Leader, later consolidated
with the Register. Mr.. Dawson is
doing the convention for his paper.
but still retains his love for Iowa and
the west He, together with Samuel
Strauss, the former manager of the
Leader, is making a great success Of
the New York Globe. since their pur.
chase of 1t year ago. and it is now
the leader of the high class evening
papers of the metropolis, with 140,-
600 circulation.
Sam E. Carroll CT Iowa City, who re.
Gently acquired the Iowa State
Press from S. w. Mercer, is attending
the convention. Mr. Mercer is also on
the ground, being the committeeman
from the second district.
l. S. Pepper of Muscatine, private
secretary of Judge Wade, the lone
democratic congressman from Iowa, is
attending the convention, and he says
that the Judge will also be on hand
tomorrow. Mr.. Pepper is making
many friends in his new position. He
is, by the way, an Ottumwa boy, his