The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-05-25

lea mig for social na- fIagins ms
forrra lion about these Demonstrations
il Is more than likely he oses-ess-
| ssIaaIes his popular strength When.
matched against the growing seasi:
.ne,t Of tEe Dem ocrats that they lsl: :=s
get togethe and win and enjoy the
Offices.
There are some indications that iie
his speech at st. Louis Mr.. Bryan Ia
tends 10 appeal particularly 70 c:.e
south. Re always has been friendly
20 that section. While denouncing the
mythical plutocrats for their alleged
oppression Of the labor vote, A.r. BrE-
an invariably accepted with philosopfa-
zeal complacency the suppression OF
The negro vo.e. II was rot Tor him
and he found no trouble il p!ttinG
himself in the atmosphere of those
who justified multiplying the amend
rien1s to the constitution. While AT
Lincoln during TIE campaign OF lS9"
l was shown some of the editorials he
had written favoring the nomlnatioE
of a Southern man for President. Tina,
was before he fully perceived the dls-
ORGANIZED conditions which We're TO
make his own candidacy possible
1t is characteristic of Mr.. Bryan
sanguine temperament that ne aoes
not yet realize the change in inc
South From all 1 have heard here ne
still thinks that the Southern dele
gates to ST. Louis will be swaEel by
his eIoouence. My own opinion would
be that this is much more likely to
f1,n tny-tI a
esations than with the Southern ones
But Mr. Bryan thinks he knows the
South, and he may be right. Seeming
1y in preparing for another great con-
vention speech he makes no allowance
for the change in circumstances. HIS
oratory was effective at ChlcaSo IN
1896 because the majority OF mat
convention were in full sympathy with
him and his ideas and his platform
He rode the whirlwind better than
Bland. who was a very sincere man
without emotional characteristics
There was some good oratory on the
part of the minority, but it counted
for nothing in the cyclone.
Mr. Bryan thinks that he is great
er orator than Bourke Cochran ana
many people agree with him. MI
Cochran was very eloquent at Chi
cago in 1854 yet his eloquence direct
ed against Mr.. Cleveland's nomination
was futile when addressed to the COM
bination of delegates which ". u
Whitney had made. At Chicago III
1892 in that memorable night session
it was even more powerful and torren-
tial, again protesting against Cleve'
lands nomination, but it was IaWma-
nv thunder wasted, for no votes We're
changed.
Realizing these incidents, asked
one of Mr.. Bryan's Western admirers
if he thought there really was ally
chance of breaking the line which
would surround Bryan at St. i1olls'
He answered that there was, that Bry-
an would be laundering eloquence lor
a principle while on both occasions
Bourke Cochran had been mercy
voicing personal opposition to a callal-
date He reminded me that the i am
many orator had argued only against
CIeveland's supposed lack OF Vote-2et-
ting qualities and had pleaded Tor
more available candidate. But win
BRYAN the whole plea would be 10:
principles. that is to say, for plat
form.
This suggestion was interesting anu
not without force. Yet it is not CON
yincins as an argument that Mr. l3ry-
an can take the control OF the st.
Louis convention away from the com
bin alton that is now being formed But
from all Indications in the West he
will succeed in making 1t a vastly
interesting gathering, and there are
likely TO be wild scenes again
Assuming that Mr.. Bryan conn
de.,ce in his speechmalling proves mis-
placed, the question again Will come
IN whether he will bolt. According
70 his own statements, the catu1da'e
is nothing and the platform Is e'-
erything Yet there is good de'il Vi
human nature in him, and II, pS
any chance, two-thirds OF the con
yention should nominate any one VINO
was identified with the Palmer ana
Buckner movement, even on brSah
platform, Mr.. Bryan would maze
things uncomfortable for that candl
date. During all the campaign OF
1896 his resentment against Tie Pai
Il amt