Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-09

didate; 1 failed you say? Yes, 1 did.
received a million more votes than any
de mocrat had ever received before, and yet
1 failed. Why did l fail? Because there
We're some who had affiliated with the
de mocratic party who thought my election
dangerous to the country and they left and
helped to elect my opponent. That Is why
/ failed. l have no word of criticism for.
them. (Applause} 1 have always believed.
l believe tonight. / shall always believe, l
hope that mans duty to his country Is
higher than his duty to his party. / hope
1t will always be true that men of all par
ties will have the moral courage to leave
their parties when they believe that to stay
with their parties will be to injure their
country. The success of your government
depends upon the independence and the
moral courage of its citizenship.
But. my friends, If l failed with six
million and a half to defeat the republican
party. can those who defeated me succeed
in defeating the republican party? IT, I'M
der the leadership of those who were loyal
in 1896 Applause) failed, shall we sue
coed under the leadership of those who
were not loyal in 1896? (Applause.)
If we are going to have some other & ID
besides this war god that is presented to us
by Gov. Black. what kind Of god Is it to
be? Must We choose between a god of
war and a god Of gold? Is there no choice
between them? If there is anything that
compares in hatefulness with militarism it
is plutocracy, and 1 insist that the demo-
CT Dose between mlitarism on one side and
plutocracy on the other side. (Applause.)
The Platform.
I'VE came here and agreed upon a plat
form. We were in session sixteen hours
last night. If you can put sixteen hours into
a night. We entered the committee room
at o'clock last evening and left it at ~
today. But my friends I never spent six
teer hours to better purpose in my life
Cheers because l helped to bring the
party together, so We could have a unani-
nous platform to go before the country on
In this campaign. (Applause). How did We
get 1t? 1t was not all that l would have
desired. 1t was not all that your eastern
de mocrats 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 platform and we stand on that plat
form. Great cheering)
But. my friends, we need more than a
Platform (applauSe). We have to nominate
d ticket. and that is the work of this con-
vention. Had yoL come to this convention
instructed for any man to the extent of a
majority. l not only would not have asked
you to disregard your instructions. 1 would
not II l could have prevented 1t permitted
you to disregard your instructions. (Ap-
Dlause).
Denies Being a Dictator
rule. 1 believe in the right of the people to
instruct their delegates, and when a dele
gate is instructed it is binding upon him.
But. my friends. not a majority came in
structed for any candidate. That means
that you Were left upon your responsibility
to select a candidate. and a grave respon-
sbility 1t is. Grave Is the responsibility
resting upon these delegates in this con-
vention l have not come to ask anything
of this convention.
Nebraska asks nothing but to be permit
ted to fight the battles of democracy.
(Cheers). Some of you have called me a
dictator. 1t was false. You know 1t was
false. Cheers. How have l tried to die
tate? l have suggested that / thought GER
tain things ought to be done. Have not you
exercised the same privilege? Why have l
not a right to suggest (applause)-(a voice,
You have'). Because / your candi-
date am | now eStopped to ever making
suggestions. (Cries of No. MOI. Why. sir,
if that condition went with a nomination
for the presidency. men worthy. to be
President would ever accept a nomination.
(applause), for the right of a man to have
an opinion and to express 1t Is more I'M
portant and sacred than the holding of my.
office however high. L have my opinions
about the platform.
Il made my suggestions. l would like to
have seen the Kansas City platform re-
affirmed. (Applause.) | am not ashamed
of that platform. l believe in it now as l
believed in 1t 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 have to accept.
There is no other court which can appeal
to. have not attempted to dictate about
candidates. l have not asked the demo-
Gratis Of this nation to nominate any partic-
ular man. / have said that there were
many in every state willing to be President,
and l have said that out of six million and
a half who voted for me in both campaigns
we ought to be able to find at least one
good man for President cloud appiause)
II have made these suggestions only in a
general way. 1 am here tonight as a dele
gate from Nebraska. / have not confidence
enough in my own opinion to tell you that
1 can pick out the man and say that this
man must be nominated or we shall lose.
l have l think. reasonable faith in my
opinions, at least l have this faith. that l
would rather accept my own and stand by
them If 1 believed them right than to ac-
cept anybody elses II l believed them
wrong loud applause) Nebraska is not
here asking for the nomination OF any man.
We now have a platform on which we all
can stand. loud applause and cheering)
Now give us ticket behind which all
of us can stand. prolonged cheers) You
can go into any state you please and get
him. I have not as much faith as some
have in the value of a locality. l have
never been great stickler for the nominal
ton of candidates from doubtful states on
the theory that the personal popularity
WOuiO eject tHem L nave nau SO mucn latin
in the virtue of democratic principles that
l thought democrat ought to vote for
good man from any other state before he
would vote for bad man from his own
state
II do not believe much In this doctrine of
state pride. and l found that when people
come with candidate and tell us first that
we must carry certain state. and that
that man is the only one who could carry
the state they do not put up bond to de-
liver the goods II they are accepted. GAP
plause) And. anyhow. a state that is 40
uncertain that only one democrat la the
nation can carry It cannot be relied upon
in a great crisis. tApplause)
Select a Candidate.
Now. we have our platform. Select your
candidate. II 1t Is the choice or the wish
of this convention that the standard should
be placed In the hands of the gentleman
presented by California. the man who
though he has money pleads the cause OF
the people. the man who Is the beloved, 1
think can safely say. among laboring men