Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-10-12
NOTHING TO TAKE BACK
How will Bryan Explain His Hostility
TO arke

How Will Bryan Explain His Hostility
to Parker?
William Jennings Bryan has BEEN
officially engaged by the Democratic
national committee TO make speeches
In New York. Indiana and other
places. The former candidate for the
presidency has something Of IA reputa-
ton rs an agile political coutortionist.
but he will have the time Of lis life
explaining his record during the pres
ent campaign. Mr.. Bryan has been
on a good many sides Of a good many
different questions, and yet he lives TO
tell the tale But just how ne proposes
to advocate the election Of Parker is
a mystery.
Bryan was opposed TO Parker before
the convention met at 81. Louis. lie
was opposed to Parker every DAY dur
Ing the sessions of that i~nharm0nious
gathering. When Parker sent his tele-
gram supplemcEting the Democratic
platform Mr. Bryan rose from a bed of
sickness TO denounce the nominee as
a traitor and a dictator, and his dra-
matte appearance on that Saturday
night was n of the mort extra
ordinary episodes of an extraordinary
convention. Bryan dashed Parner AMI
he dared the convention 10 send tele-
gram to the nominee demanding his
honest opinion on other well.known
Democratic principles.
Later on Mr. Bryan, in his paper,
The Commoner. while the events in
the convention were fresh before him.
openly charged that Judge Parker was
a party 10 a corrupt attempt to deceive
the convention and that his nominal
tion had been secured by improper
means. II was then that the former
candidate for tile presidency put him
self ou record 10y saying in The Com
m0ner 0f July Is. less than a week
after the nominations: Il have moth
ing To take back"
II seems a curious thing to find a
man who has nothing to take back"
appearing on the stump favoring the
election of Alton Il. 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 IL,
which was printed exactly one week
after the Democratic convention was
called to order and only four days
after Judge Parker was nominated for
the presidency and had sent has tele-
gram regulating the Democratic plat
form.
In this issue of The Commoner Mr.
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
secured, therefore, by crooked and in
defensible methods"
AS an exhibition Of political gymnas.
ties Bryan's campaign speech for Par.
ker ought 10 he worth going miles to
hear, II. n he says, he has nothing
to take back" how will be explain
matters TO the people? What did he
mean when he said in The Commoner'
THE nomination of Judge Parker
virtually utilities the antitrust
plank Was it true on July 10 that
Parker's nomination had been secured
"by crooked means?" If il was true
Their is II not true now?
Mr.. Bryan in The Commoner said
II shall lot appeal for votes for the
ticket on false grounds" How can he
appear on the stump. therefore. and
seriously ask the workingmen Of the
country TO yote for the Democratic
nominee after The commoner had de,
clared that THE labor plank as pre-,
pared by Judge Parker's friends or
tie subcommittee was a %straddling
meaningless plankT"
Was Mr.. Bryan lying when he said
In his paper. "A Democratic victory
will mean very little, il any. progress,
SO long as the party is under contro
Of the Wall street element?"
II the party was under the contro
of the Wall street element when Mr.
Bryan wrote that editorial, Is il no.
Just aS much under the same contro
while he Is on the stump?
Perhaps Mr.. Bryan can explain
away these things. Perhaps he cal
answer these questions.
Perhaps not.