Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-21
WHAT WILL BRYAN DOB
Preparing for q Big Speech at
the Convection.
u
BELIEVES IN .ORATORY
SCENES OF lsse.
Believes He Can Break the Combine
ton Against Him-Failing
This, Will He BoltP
BELIEVES IN .ORATORY
Special Correspondents of The Evening Star.

special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
CHICAGO, May 10, 1904. 8
What is Bryan going to do? Until COM
ing west thought he was getting ready to
bolt the st. Louis candidate and platform
That is still a reasonable opinion, but 1
have been told here that he has not yet
reached that roint.
What Bryan is preparing for now is to
make a big speech at the st. Louis conven-
tion. When it falls on deaf ears the bolt
may come, but it is characteristic of the
silver leaders supreme self-confidence that
he doesn't yet recognize that he will find
his party unmoved by his eloquence.
One of the men who has Mr.. Bryan's
friendship and who in measure enjoys his
confidence informed me that everything still
was in the dark. He had met Bryan when
the latter came to Chicago to make the
ar ti-Parker speech and at the end Of
friendly talk had been unable to make up
his mind what was to happen. By pro-
cess of reasoning he had satisfied himself
that there was only one thing in view and
that this was a bolt. But nothing Mr..
Bryan said justified him in making such
prediction. This man, who is not a politi-
clan, had been with Mr.. Bryan during the
campaign of '96 and afterward. He is one
OF those who would follow the Nebraskan
out of any party or into any party. He
changed his politics in '06 purely out Of
personal admiration.
Preparing for a Great Speech.
It was from this talk that felt the first
doubts about Bryans deliberate intentions
to jump tire fence But when he mentioned
the silver leaders plans for great speech
1t was possible to see how Mr.. Bryan him
self was still Withholding the bolt. What he
expects to talk about is the platform. That
always has been his favorite text. In the
early struggles with Sterling Morton In Ne
braska Bryan always talked platform.
When the Cleveland influence threw him
out of tie democre tic state convention he
was talking the same subject. Later when
he got control and crushed the gold DEM
ocrats 1t was all on matter OF PLATFORM.
In the Chicago convention 1t may be re-
called by those who were there that the
speech which gave Bryan the nomination
was on the platform. The combination OF
democratic senators and ex-republcan SEN
ators who were using BryanAto kill OF
Bland thought that some talking about the
various planks would be agoodzway to lead
up to the nomination of Teller. But after
Bryan's speech they wished they had not
been SO enthusiastic about alleged princi-
pies. 10 IN
Mr. Bryan told me during his campaign
in 1896, when he displayed such astonishing
powers Of endurance and of adapting MIN,
self to different audiences that If would
notice his speeches he always had PLATFORM
In them. He said that in his first cam
experience which served him to such pur-
pose later, he never made CROSSROADS
address without making clear his platform:
He thought Major Mckinley very good
such a good man could stand on such
platform That, of course. was trick OF
campaign speaking, but tt showed the bent
of Bryans mind. telgs 90 -
other great oratorical effort in the st. Louis
convention, 1t is harduto see how he Will
turn to the platform for his text nave
Been assured by those who think they KNOW
his purposes that he Is not worried ABOUT
the prospective organization Of the conVen-
ton against him. He knows that he can
not be denied hearing, and when once
that is granted he looks forward TO tri,
umph against which carefully preafranseo
plans will not avail.
A Fair Degree Of Popularity.
Some signs seem to show that he is right
A disinterested observer has to note that
BRYAN still maintains a fair degree or
popularity with one element Of his party.
This has been demonstrated in the Hearst
meetings The paid lecturers who have been
working up Mr.. Hearst's boom nave mao
evidences of this popularity. Their general
plan. presumably under Instructions from
HEADQUARTERS, has been the old one or
speaking we'll Of all the candidates while
building the pyramid with their own man
at the apex. In some sections they nave
had to leave out grover CieNeianu -
never Bryan. The result has been that the
artificial enthusiasm for Mr.. Hearst mas
eyaporated and the genuine article mas
been manifested for Mr.. Bryan. ! heard
two or three Instances in which this has
happened and was curious enough to make
further inquiries. In ever case 1t was ao-
mitted that the same thing had been OBJ
served.
Mr.. Bryan knows all about these Hearst
meetings and what takes place In them He
knows that his own name Is still the one
to conjure with in the masses Of the party
who have leaning for socialism. Having
information about these demonstrations, II
is more than likely that he overestimates
the growing sentiment of the democrats
that they must get together and win anu
enjoy the offices.
There are some indications that in his
speech at st. Louis Mr.. Bryan intends TO
appeal particularly to the south. He always
has been friendly to that section While
denouncing the mythical piutocrats for
their alleged oppression Of the LABOR vote,
Mr. Bryan invariably accepted with phllo.
sophical complacency the suppression OF
the negro vote. 1t was not for him, and
he found no trouble In putting himself IN
the atmosphere OF those who justified nulli-
flying the amendments to the Constitution:
While at Lincoln during the campaign OF
1894 was shown some of the editorials
he had written favoring the nomination OF
q southern man for President. mat was
before he fully perceived the disorganized
conditions which were to make MS own
candidacy possible.
Change in the South Not Realized.
1t is characteristic Of Mr.. Bryan's san
guine temperament that he does not yet
realize the change. in the south, From all
I have heard here-and II Is pretty correct
informatfon-he still thinks That the south
ern delegates to st. Louis willf,be swayed
hx, ~ "