The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1906-07-20
BRYAN's SYSTEM"
Census Of Bryan Voters Throughout the
Union Taken at the Commoners
Office.

abroad just about year when he
returns to his home in Lincoln the
latter part Of September or the first
of October.
When Mr.. Bryan reaches Lincoln
documentary report viii await
him of exceeding personal interest.
1t is an affair about which nothing
has been said since the time of his
departure to go around the world.
At that time certain news CORE
spondents at Lincoln sent forth
blank pledges which attracted then
only passing attention, but which
now, read in the light of that which
has most recently transpired in the
development of sentiment touching
the distinguished Nebraskan, takes
on quite a.noteworthy aspect.
1t was stated at the time Mr..
Bryan set out from Lincoln on his
round-the-world trip that his de-
parture would not cause any halt
in the formation of the Bryan boom
for the Presidency in 1905" that
at the Office of his weekly, the
Commoner, the time of one man
was almost constantly employed in
supervising the arranging and tab
ulation of names of voters avow-
ing themselves for Bryan; that
these pledges were coming to hand
by every mail.
1t was remarked at the time that
this was a very good scheme for
securing at minimum cost list of
active, friendly democrats in all
parts of the Union. The responses
that came from this experiment
were exceedingly numerous and
did, it is said, represent every part
of the country. The respondents
even pledged to attend every pri-
mary called to choose delegates to
the National convention, and to
see to it that nobody was chosen as
a delegate who was not of their
faction.
It is recalled, also, that it was
stated a year ago that Mr.. Bryan
did not content himself with pub
fishing the form of tie pledge seen
i'll the Commoner every issue, but
that to each of the thousands of
agents of the paper and to trusted
supporters in various sections of
the country, blank pledges were
sent and assistance secured in get
ting them signed. The signers, it
is not necessary to say, were men
willing TO vote right. - The
pledges, when Mr.. Bryan left for
foreign parts, were coming to hand
in punches of hundreds every few
days. AS each was received it was
filed away in a card catalog, so
that Mr.. Bryan or his assistants
could turn at a moments notice to
any precinct in any county in any
State and find the name of DEM
ocrats to be depended upon.
Mr.. Bryan at that time deprecat-
ed the suggestion that he was try
ing to build a machine.
Il am not seeking to build any
machine" he said. 4 have but
one object, that of getting the
masses of the Democrats interested
and awakened to the necessity of
attending all primaries and eau
cusses. If they keep the pledge
am asking them to sign, I have no
fear of the result.
The element that controlled the
last National convention was able
to do so because of two facts-the
hope and belief of a good many
Democrats that by concession and
compromise we might gain power
and thus be able to do little good,
hoping later for greater blessings
aud opportunity, and because rad
ical Democrats had little hope of
success and allowed old and skill
ed manipulators to put up obliga-
tons and write State platforms.
In St. Louis we listened to
those who promised to win if we