The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-21
To Protest Against Nomination
of Wall Street Candidate.
SPEECH BY COL. BRYAN
Tells Why He Opposes Empire
State Choice.
Says He Was Beaten in 1896 by
CIeVeIand's Party Record.

those who do not concur in the Parker
instructions given at the New York
state convention. w. J. Bryan was the
principal speaker and when he appear
ed on the plaftrom was enthusiastical-
~ applauded.
Before making his address he said he
would not name his favorite candidate
for president but he made a savage at
tack on the reorganizers and vigorous
~ opposed the nomination of Judge
Parker who was held up as the candi-
date of the corporations and not of the
people.
Judge Samuel Seabury. of the city
court who presided, spoke of Parker as
the candidate of the 'plutocracy." He
advised the meeting to repudiate Par
ker and urged the sending of a delega-
ton to St. Louis to protest against his
nomination and to assure them if nOmi-
mated Parker could not carry the state
of New York. The platform adopted
at the meeting opens by condemning
the expansion policy of the Republican
administration In speaking of recent
Democratic state conventions the plat
form reciteS that the convention in
structed for Parker by a vote of 301 TO
149 and that many of those who voted
against this resolution of instruction
represented the Democrat district of
the state where enthusiastic support OF
the nominee is essential to party sue
cess. The platform goes on to say that
Parkers candidacy is discredited by the
character of his sponsors, and that
neither he nor those who spoke for him
have presented his candidate so as
even to deserve success. The platform
continues.
Hill speaks for him. We know Sena-
tor Hills record. AS governor of the
state of New York he blocked the Sc
cret ballot. As senator he opposed
his party's position on the tariff and
the income tax. The people of New
York expressed their opinion of Hill
when he was beaten for the Office of
governor in 1894 by 1856, 600 votes
Neither harmony, confidence nor sue
cess can now follow his discredited
leadership"
The platform continues by saying
that Parker was elected chief justice
of New York in 1897 because the
name of his opponent did not appear
on the ballot of the Citizens Union IN
New York city and then says;
Judge Parker is the candidate OF
tariff benehciaries, impertallsts, mon
opOlists and those who profit by spe-
cial privileges. and seek to upholo
them. as vested rights
THE present Issue is whether the
benefciaries of special privilege shall
continue to control the government or
whether it shall be administered Tor
the perfection of right of all the peo-
pie"
1.-THE party SnOulQ refuse 10 1OAIOW
the leadership of such men as Aug
ust Belmont declares the resolu-
lions. adding that the Albany plat
form failed to make a single issue
with Republican policies, contained
no denunciation of president Roose-
velt's usurpation of power no ref
erence to the breach of faith with
Colombia, no opposition to the gov
eminent of colonies by the republic,
and no condemnation of monopolies
in private hands. Inc pla6OTm
adopted denounces protection of mo-
nopoly by tariff and concludes:
BE it resolved, that committee of
25 of which the chair shall be one.
be appointed by the chair to present
this protest to the St. Louis conven-
ton"
declarat ton is made as to a candidate:
ssThe candidate of the Democratic
party must be a man who has stated
his principles and can be trusted to
apply them with firmness and cour-
When Mr.. Bryan arose he was given
an ovation. In part he said:
Il want to say that until you have
had an election at which Judge Par
ker gets more votes than I did, 1 shall
insist on coming back here. am en-
titled to say that the doctrines that we
cherish in the west are not so unpop-
ular here.
Il believe that the national conven-
Hion should not nominate the man
whom your state committee has rec
commended. The great question this
year is not the money question, but it
is whether we are to have a plutoc-
racy or a democracy. My own posi-
ton has been and will be that I shall
not attempt to decide upon the avail
ability of Mr.. Hearst or others. All
ask is that we have a man on whom
there is not the faint of monopoly.
Il want to give some reasons for my
opposing Parker. I believe that he
would be a weak candidate in the cam
paign and if elected a great disappoint-
ment to the people. am anxious not
to be harsh, and so when I wanted to
denounce Grover Cleveland, [ seldom
could find words to convey my thoughts
and in this perplexity I quoted Mr. Nc
kinley When I wanted to criticise
Parker I hunted around for some one
I could use as an authority.
Il found in 1891 a speech made by
David B. Hill, in which he denounced
Cleveland's candidacy to the effect that
1t was a policy of straddlers and cow
ards, it was politics of the kind that
made Democracy blow some uncertain
sound-a policy of babes and suck
lings.
on a cowardly straddling platform The
Democrats of this country are brave
men. 1t required brave men to stand
up for Democracy in 1886. I knew in
that year men in every state VINO were
threatened with bankruptcy for being
Democrats.
What does the state platform stand
for2 It states it is opposed to unneces-
sary duties. Whoever advocated an
unnecessary duty?
where does Parker stand on imper-
ialism? We don't know. Where does
he stand on the money question. Is he
for gold? We don't know. Is he fol
silver2 We cannot tell. Maybe he is
for radium-who can tell2
Il object to playing with loaded dice
We don't know Parker's views, but
am afraid some men do. My friends
don't trust him. [ charge here thai
while Parker has concealed his views
from the people he has made then