The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-09
LOYALTY OF BRYAN.
Instances of The st. Louis Convention.
Showing His Magnetic Power.
BY Y. b. ARENDELL.

l have said often since the st.
Louis convention that VIM. j. Bryan
was the real head or that movement
and occasion. Indeed l predicted as
much before the convention met al
though | knew that there was a WIDE
spread determination on the part of
thousands of the big men of the party
to turn that great gathering. first of
all into a funeral occasion over the
political burial of the great Ne
braskan
The scheme was we'll planned and
perhaps two-thirds of the delegated
part of that vast assemblage were
ready to sing the funeral hymn de-
llVer the orationS and pronounce the
mai benedlction, and many of them
were manlfestly impatient and eager
TO proceed with the solemn part of
the programme. But something hap
pened which completely changed
these purposes and plans, this Incl
dent occurred during the second days
session of the convention. 1t had not
been premeditated, not even dreamed
about, some ten thousand people had
already taken their seats in the con-
Vention hall, and the different State
delegations were filing in and taking
| their respective positions. From one
Of the southern entrances the Ne
braska delegation began to file in
they came unattended by band. bunt-
ing or buster. In this delegation
marched a tall strong, stately man, he
moved along quietly with his head
slightly bowed, his evident desire be-
ing to proceed unobserved to his seat
in the space allotted to the state of
Nebraska.
The vast hall was buzzing
with the hum of the assembled thou
sands. A strong lunged god of the
galleries spied the quietly moving fig
ure and involuntarily he threw his hat
in the air and yelled at the top Of
his voice "Hurrah for VIM. J. Bryan"
In an instant that great cyelorama
of women. and men had simply ex-
ploded with that soul stirring. heart
throbbing. throat bursting applause
that needs no signal and no leader.
For TWENTY minutes or more it con-
tinued and when the signal was given
to the band by the chairman to drown
it out by starting UP the music the
horns had hardly begun footing be
fore wild, uncomfortable whirlWlnd
of whoops and hurrahs formed into
a roaring, floating rising and falling
mountain of sound that echoed and
re-echoed in every niche OF that vast
building.
From that moment until the
final adjournment of the conven-
ton there was not even a weird
dream of the convention burying
Bryan The question from that mo-
ment on was would Bryan bury the
convention. THOUSANDS thought that
he could and many Thought that ne
would but those who knew him best
knew that he went there for no such
purpose He went to proclaim once
again and without reserve his honest
convictions and he proclaimed then
| and then he said: mot my will bu
| the conventions will be done. anC
where my party leads 1 Will follow,
and right royalty is he doing it. Ii
the columns of his great Commonel
! he is pleading as few writer's ear
! plead to all men who love liberty ane
peace to stand by the Democratic
platform and ticket, and while not We
surrendering a jot or title of his mol
vidual convictions he is holding then
in allegiance and from the hastings OF
Nebraska, Colorado and Montana ant
calling on his followers to rally tc
Democracy and in a few days 1T Is
announced will be on the stump II
Indiana speaking as no other Twins
man can sneak in the interest of party
harmony and party success.
When compared with some OF oul
great men in 90 and 1900 when com
pared even with some of his OWL
former followers to-day the loyalty OF
this matchiess magnetic Democratic
statesman and patriot is little less
than sublime.