The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-09-30
NOTHING TO TAKE BACK
How viii Bryan Explain His Hostii-
ity to Parker?

William Jennings Bryan has been
officially engaged by the Democratic
national committee to make speeches
In New York, Indiana and other states
The former candidate for the presl-
dency has something of a reputation
as an agile political contortionist, but
he will have the time of his life ex-
planning his record during the present
campaign. Mr.. Bryan has been on a
good many sides of a good many diff
ferent questions, AND yet he lives to
tell b tale. But just how he pro-
poses to advocate the election of Par
ker is a mystery.
Bryan was opposed to Parker before
the convention met at ST. Louis. He
| was opposed to Parker every day dur
ing the sessions of that inharmonious
gathering. When Parker sent his tele-
gram experimenting the Democratic
platform Mr.. Bryan rose from a bed
of sickness to denounce the nominee
as a traitor and a dictator, and his
dramatic appearance on that Saturday
night was n of the most extraordi-
nary episodes of an extraordinary con-
vention. Bryan dashed Parker and he
dared the convention to send a tele-
gram to the nominee demanding his
honest opinion on other well-knoWn
Democratic principles.
Later on Mr.. Bryan, in his own pa
per, the Commoner, while the vents
in the convention were fresh before
him, openly charged that Judge Parker
was a party to a corrupt attempt to
deceive the convention and that his
nomination had been secured by i'm
proper means. 1t was then that the
former candidate for tie presidency
put himself on record by saying in
the Commoner of July IS. less han a
week after the nomination: Il have
nothing to take back
1t seems a curious thing to find a
man who has nothing to take back"
appearing on the stump favoring the
election Of Alton b. Parker for the
presidency. If Mr.. Bryan has moth
ing to take back" he should in COM
mon honesty when he appears on the
stump in Indiana and elsewhere, re-
peat to his audiences exactly what he
said in the COmmOner of July 13,
which was printed exactly one week
after the Democratic convention was
called to order and only four days af-
ter Judge Parker was nominated for
the presidency and had sent his tele-
gram repudiating the Democratic plat
form.
Bryan said:
ut was a plain and deliberate at
tempt to deceive the party. The New
York platform was vague and purpose
ly SO, because the advocates of Judge
Parker were trying to secure votes
from among the people who would
have opposed his views had they
known them. The nomination was Sc
cured, therefore, by crooked and in
defensible methods"
AS an exhibition of political gym
nastics Bryan's campaign speech for
Parker ought to be worth going miles
to hear. If, as he says, he has moth
ing to take back" how will he explain
matters to the people? What did he
mean when he said in the Commoner:
"The nomination of Judge Parker
virtually nullifies the antitrust
plank? Was it true on July 13 that
Parker's nomination had been secured
"by crooked means? If it was true
then is it lot true now?
Mr.. Bryan in the Commoner said:
II shall o appeal for votes on the
ticket on false grounds" How can
he appear on the stump. therefore, and
seriously ask the workingmen Of the
country to vote for the Democratic
nominee after the Commoner had de-
clared that The labor plank as pre-
pared by Judge Parker's friends on the
subcommittee was a %stradding, mean
ingless plank?
Was Mr.. Bryan lying when he said
In his paper: "A Democratic victory
will mean very little, if any, progress
so long as the party is under control
of the Wall street element?
Perhaps Mr.. Bryan. can explain away
these things. Perhaps he can answer
these questions.
Perhaps not.