The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-04
BRYAN BESIEGED.
Appears to Have Retained Much of
His Old Time Popularity.


nings Bryan arrived at the Jefferson
hotel shortly before noon Sunday, and
from the moment he set foot in the
hotel he was an exceedingly busy man,
found it difficult to obtain time for
meals.
The instant he walked into the lobby
of the hotel he was surrounded by
dense crowd which pressed forward
to shake him by the hand. There was
no cheering or demonstrations of any
kind beyond the pressure of the
throng around him, which finally be-
came so dense that he had difficulty
in reaching his room. AS soon as he
entered the door of his apartment the
visitors were upon him and from that
time on he was given no rest. He de-
clined to express an opinion regarding
the outcome of the convention.
81 see," he said, that it has been
reported that 1 am to be a member
of the committee on credentials. l
would like to be. but I will not. 1 am
to be a member of the committee on
resolutions, and could hardly serve on
them both. The committee on Gre
dentialS will have an important mat
must determine whether or not the
party is to be run by gavel rule. In
my opinion there is no more import
ant question before the public today
than whether or not few men, one
of whom happens to have a gavel in
his hand, shall override the wishes of
the voters who have selected certain
men to represent them in conventions
The people elect their men, and should
have them, but in some cases of late it
does not seem as though they were
getting them. 1 am opposed to such
proceedings from every standpoint"
Won't Discuss Finance.
On the subject of platform Mr.. Bry-
an was nOn-committal Il have heard
talk he said, ''of a gold plank in the
platform; OF course, it goes without
saying that am opposed to such a
thing, and I will not stand for it,"
Does that mean that if a gold plank
is inserted in the platform that you
will leave the convention"
Mr.. Bryan laughed heartily as he re-
piled:
Il do not think that I will be called
to answer that question in the conven-
ton, any more than 1 am compelled to
answer it now. Really, though, I could
not discuss such question as that
When asked if he had any particular
financial plank that he proposed to
father before the committee on reso-
lutions, Mr.. Bryan declined to saw
merely remarking:
4 cannot talk of that matter before
the meeting of the committee on reso-
lutionS."
would accept a financial plank compro-
missing between an affirmation of the |
Kansas City and Chicago platforms and
a gold plank
Mikes a statement.
Later in the day MIR. Bryan gave out |
the following formal statement:
After conferences with number of
delegates from various sections I am |
satisfied that the opposition to Judge |
Parker is sufficient to make his nomf- |
nation highly improbable, if not impos- |
sible. There has been no concentration |
upon any anti-Parker candidate but |
two arguments are having weight with |
the delegates. Among the radical Dem |
feeling Ia he RI
must not be surrendered into the hands |
of Wall street. The influences back /
of the Parker candidacy are so inti-
mately associated with the trusts and 4
great corporations that the Democratic |
party could not appeal to the masses.
The party cannot afford to entrust its |
future to the men who were responsible /
for the party's defeat in 1896 and 1900. /
If Mr.. Parker had a record of his own /
he might be judged upon that record. |
But as he has refused to speak he must |
manager, ex-senator Hill, and his fin
ancial agent, August Belmont, and /
their records. A man who is weak
enough to put his candidacy in their
be strong enough to resist their infiu-
ence after the election if he were by
any possibility successful.
Parker Cannot Win,
1.-The second objection is the one
that carries weight with the con-
not win. 1t is becoming more and
more apparent that he would prove a
weak candidate. and this is robbing
him of whatever strength he had
the men whose first desire is
to win. With such a candidate the
battle would begin with a foot race
and end with rout. These two argu-
ments seem quite certain to prove his
THE first fight of the convention
seems likely to be over the Illinois
contest
THE Illinois state convention prob
ably has no parallel in convention
history. 1t was run by brute force
and without any regard to Democracy
or -decency. The contestants will pre-
sent the Endorsement of a majority of
the delegates of the convention, who