Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-08-12
nder the leadership of those who were

of a god is it to be? Must We chOos
between a god of war and god o
gOld2 Is there no choice between
them? If there is anything that com
! pares in hatefulness with militarisn
it is plutocracy. and l insist that tn,
Democratic party ought not to b.
, compelled to choose between militarisn
on one side and plutocrary on the Other
side. (Applause.)
We came here and agreed upon 6
platform. We were in session sixteeI
: hours last night. if you can put sixteer
hours into night. We entered the
committee room at O'clock last even
ing, and left it at 10 O'Clock today
But, my friends, l never spent sixteen
hours to better purpose in my life
(cheers) because l helped to bring the
Iparty together, so we could have an
unanimous platform to go before the
country on in this campaign. (Ap
lplause.) How did we get it? 1t was
not all that would have desired. 1t
was not all that your eastern Demo
Gratis desired. We had to surrender
some things that we wanted in the plat
form. They had to surrender some
things they wanted in the platform.
But, by mutual concession and mutual
surrender, We agreed upon a platform,
and we stand on that platform. (Great
cheering.)
But, M friends, we need more than
a platform. (Applause.) We have to
nominate a ticket. and that is the work
of this convention. Had you come to
this convention instructed for any man
to the extent of majority, l not only
would not have asked you to disregard
your Instructions, l would not if
could have prevented it permitted you
to disregard your instructions. CAP.
plause.) believe in the right of the
people to rule. l believe in the right
of the people to instruct their dele
gates, and when delegate is instruct-
ed it is binding upon him. But my
friends, not a majority came instruct
ed for any candidate. That means
that you were left upon your RESPONSE
bility to select candidate, and a grave
responsibility it is. Grave is the re-
sponsibility resting upon these dele
gates in this convention. l have not
| come to ask anything of this conven
tion.
Nebraska asks nothing but to be per.
mitted to fight the battles of Demo
cracy. (Cheers.) Some of you have
called me dictator. 1t was false. You
know it was false. (Cheers.) How
have 1 tried to dictate l have sug
gested that l thought certain things
ought to be done. Have not you ex-
ercised the same privilege? Why have
l not a right to suggest? (Applause.
A V oice-Yo ou have.) Because l was
your candidate am l now estOpped to
ever make suggestions? (Crles of
mo! No!') Why, sir, if that condi-
tiOn went with nomination for the
presidency no man worthy to be presi-
dent would ever accept nomination..
(Applause), for the right of a man to
have an opinion and to express it is
more important and sacred than the
holding of any Office, however high. |
have my opinions about the platform.
l made my suggestions. Not all OF
them EeIe received.
WANTED REAF FIRMATIoN.
1 would like to have seen the Kansas
City platform reaf1irmed. Applause
l am not ashamed of that platform. l
believe in it now, as | believed in it
when l was running upon it; then l
was your candidate, but the people in
the Democratic party did not agree
with me, and their will was supreme.
When they veto my suggestions l have
to accept. There is no other court
which can appeal to. l have not at
tempted to dictate about candidates.
have not asked the Democrats of this
nation to nominate any particular
man. / have said that there were
many in every state willing to be pres
dent, and have said that out of six
hale kol Go.
in both campaigns, we ought to be able
to find at least one good man for presi-
dent. Loud applause.)
| have made these suggestions only
in general way. l am here tonight
as delegate from Nebraska. l have
not confidence in my own opinion to
tell you that can pick out the man
and say that this man must be nOmi-
mated or we shall lose. have, think.
reasonable faith in my own opinions,
at least | have this faith: that | would |
rather accept my own and stand by
them if believed them right, than to
accept anybody else's If I believed
them wrong. Loud applause.) Ne
braska is not here asking for the nomi |
platform on which we all can stand.
\1Ouo ttppidupC anu OlCCl NOWs
give us a ticket behind which all of us
can stand prolonged cheers.) You
can go into any state you please and
get him. / have not as much faith as
some have in the value of locality.
have never been great stickler for
the nomination of candidates from
doubtful states on the theory that the
personal popularity would elect them.
+ hnv bod n faith int hQ VI fro
of Democratic principles that thought
Democrat ought to vote for q good
man from any other state before he
would vote for a bad man from his
own state. Applause.) | do not be-
pride, and l found that when people
that we must carry a certain state,
and that that man Is the only one who
could carry the state they do not put
up bond to deliver the goods if they
are accepted. (Applause.) And, any
how state that is SO uncertain that
only one Democrat in the nation can
carry it cannot be relied upon in a
great crisis. (Applause).
"Now, we have our platform. Select
your candidate. If it is the choice or
the wish of this convention that the
standard should be placed in the hands
of the gentleman presented by Cali
fornia, the man who. though he has
money, pleads the cause of the people;
the man who is the beloved, think l
can safely say, among laboring men OF
all the candidates proposed, the one
who more than any other represents
opposition to the trust question.
TO SECOND COCKRELL.
If you eastern Democrats who have
insisted that your objection to me was
my belief in free silver /; if you Demo
Gratis are willing to take gold man, l
ain willing to let you have your way
on that question in this man, for will
trust his honesty on all questions. Jap
plause.) But my friends, 1 do not
Nebraska does not-demand that. |
only mention these candidates as il
lustratiOnS. l come here to second
the nomination of man, and l come
to second his nomination, not because
L can assert to you that he is more
available than any other person who
might be named, but because 1 love
IL l. -