The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-03
walter wsllman in Chicago Record

states--one of the most remarkable and in some respects inexplicabls stories of current politics have ever known.
 In iss4-5 the silver craze was run ming high In this country. The aavo. cates Of the white metallic stanaaro of values believed the people were with them, and that at the ensuing presidential election they would Win 8 great triumph. There was general belief among them that the prize o. the presidency should go to Bland ok Missouri as reward for the fight ne had maintained, at first almost sineis handed. and always with Yaior hke that of g knight of old, for the cause fort was made by the leaders of the silver forces to secure unanimity ot expression in favor of Bland as Lne nominee of the Democracy in lssa' They proceeded upon the theory thse If all the leaders were to 1ein in ad- herence to the Bland suggeston tns nomination would be settled Tn aq- vance, and a bitter and perhaps narh- ful contest for the prize would pe ayerted. Hence a round robin was passed and all the leaders of import ance signed their names to it-ah eN- cept one. William Jennings Bryan was then a member of Congress from Nebraska. By means of q number ot brilliant speeches he had made nm, self one of the most conspicuous ana influential of the younger men in the silver ranks. He was looked upon yS all as a young man who would ps useful in the campaign, and who hap a future before him; who, in the course of years might rise to the front Ianh' Mp Bryan had other ideas about the time required for him to leap to the front. To the astonishment Of all ne refused to give his adherence Io ,ls Bland round robin. On account oI ms refusal the movement to secure uhahT ,no,tv of action fell to the ground, and sonae of the devoted friends pr Bland savageiy denounced Bryan TOT his action, which they were unaole to understand. But the sequel shows tnAt Bryan knew what he was about. Ahe great ambition had already founa iodgment in his breast.
 The scene shifts to the time when the national Republican convention met at St. Louis in 1S9s and nameo Mckinley for President. There was also d silver Republican convention there. Attendant upon these two con- yentions were Mir. Bryan and MT. Fat terson, editor of The Rocky Mountain News and afterward United states Senator from Colorado. Bryan was then out of Congress. He was, asso- ciate editor of a newspaper at Omaha, and was at St. Louis as writer ana correspondent. At that time he was not a marked man. He was nttie known outside his own State and the ranks of the silver leaders. He was young. He was only one out of hun- dreds of men of his class. bright ana promising. a good private, but iookea upon by no one as a general or leaa- CT. One evening he and Patterson met on the street. They stopped for a chat. They discussed the two con ventions at St. Louis, and then tne Democratic national convention 70 meet in @ few weeks at Chicago. Fat terson was for Senator Teller for the Democratic nomination. and tried to interest Bryan in Teller's behalf. But the young man from Nebraska nao other notions.
 "RIand is the man who ought to be nominated at Chicago" said Bryan. "He has earned it by his long and ef- fectiye advocacy of silver. But Bland will not be named. After the smoke has all cleared away in the Chicago convention, Mr. Patterson, you VIII find that I am the Democratic candt- date for President"
 "What's that?" asked the astonished editor from Denver, thinking he had not heard alright.
 1T say." repeated Bryan, "that after the smoke has cleared away at Chicago you will And that am the nominee for President
 Patterson looked hard at the young Nebraskan to see if there were any signs of an unbalanced mind to be de- tected in his face. smiled and turned on his heel and walked away.
 One night during the Democratic Convention at Chicago, MT. Patter. son, Charly Towne. then of Duluth. and Representative Hartman of Montana, were out on a proselyting tour for Tel Ter They had worked hard, and as midnight approached they were tired. Before parting one of the trio asked: "Is there anyone else we ought to see before going to bed% Hartman said he knew where Bryan was stopping, and perhaps they ought to call on him. Towne said Bryan was not delegate, only a contestant, and was not of much importance, anyway. Nevertheless. in their zeal for Senator Teller, they de" cided to see Bryan. They found him at the Clifton House. At the door or his room a man was stationed: MT. Bryan is busy, but he will see you in a moment" said he. While the trio were waiting the door opened and Bry- an and another man appeared. As this man walked away he exclaimed: "well. you can count on one vote from Oklahoma, anyway, Mir. Bryan" (Re- cent events have shown that Bryan has never forgotten the commonwealth that gave him his first delegate.) The trio were ushered into the small. plainly furnished room. There were not enough chairs for all to sit upon, and Bryan sat on the bed. The, visitors opened up on their mission. They talk ed for Teller. Bryan listened patient iy. but not with any great interest. After they had finished he quietly re- marked.
 T have great admiration for Sem ator Teller, but can't join you in try- ing to get the nomination for him Bland is the man who ought to be nominated, but he will not be. The fact Is, gentlemen. that after one or two ballots I shall be the nominee of this convention"
 Patterson, Towne and Hartman look ed at one another in amazement, rose. said good night to their host and went down upon the street. There they look ed at one another again, and all three burst out laughing.
 Now the scene shifts to the conven- tion hall. The silver fight was on. Da- vid B. Hill had brought in a minority report from the committee on plat form. Tn a small room down near the telegraph office, under the stage. Sem ator Jones of Arkansas and National Committeeman Johnson of Kansas were an was with them. He wanted a place m thA nroRram "We haVa only an