The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-07-09
BY LINCOLN STEFFENS

NSOpyTlgHt 1870 Dy newspaper
Enterprise Association)
DENVER, Colo, July Git is
understood here that Bryan is to
appear in person at the convention
and that once here he will take all
the responsibilities of his leader
ship. This is good, but late. He
doesn't propose to arrive until after
he has been nominated. BY that
time very little will remain for him
to do. It's said he will move to
abrogate the OLD two-thirds rule
and let the majority nominate
candidates in 4 democratic con-
vention. Good, but unimportnt.
With one traditional exception, l
believe, majority has never failed
to see that two-thirds climb into
the bandwagon.
Bryan should have been here
from the very start. Roger Sulli-
van was. Mr.. Bryan would have
done well to have come with Sulli-
van. Anyway it is not in the in
terest of democracy and good gov
eminent to let the bosses come
and keep the leaders away. Bryan
knows how useful it is to be on
the floor.
He thinks the delegates should
choose candidates and draw plat
forms. That would be all very
democratic if the delegates repre-
scented the people. But they don't
and what's the use of pretending.
We are not children. The demo.
cratic party as organized is no
more democratic than the repub-
lican party as organized The
| whole condition OF the convention
shows this plainly.
After Mr.. Bryan's denunciation
of him, the Pennsylvania delega-
ton upheld Colonel Guffey, a Stan
dard Oil agent, who is the demo
cratic lieutenant of the late boss,
Quay.
Bryan's denunciation in Lincoln
might have availed in Denver. "a
request" from Lincoln to the Hi
nois democracy did not hurt; it
helped Roger Sullivan. On the
other hand Tom l.. Johnson, one OF
the few literal democrats among
political leaders of either old par
ties, had been kept off the national
committees by the Ohio delegation
Bryan wanted Johnson to manage
his campaign as chairman of the
executive committee. Gov. Folk is
turned down by the Missouri dele
cation and that is the way it has
gone in West Virginia, California
and Michigan. Most of the state
organizations which make up the
personnel of the national organiza
ton have shown themselves
against Bryan and progressive
Or liberal policy.
When Bryan is nominated by
force of public opinion he will &C
forth as a liberal with a conserva
tive organization behind him. That
is, in part, a peoples fault. They
will overlook it no doubt. Anyhow
they can't resent it by going over
to the republican party on that ac
count, for something very like it
! happened in Chicago.
But suppose Bryan is elected
WAT can he do with such party
Suppose the people give him a
| democratic congress, as they
should If they elect him. But their
chairman will be nominated by the
same organization which has
shown conservative leanings here
There is one way which Bryan
might force democratic Legislation
through democratic congress. Ii
he had an explicit platform he
could use it as club.
Mr. Bryan has Suggested" a lib
eral platform. He has recognized
for the first time in either old par
ties, that labor has needs as well
as business. He has accepted.
hear, actually strengthened Mr.
Gompers' planks. Also he has
picked up the laFollette planks
thrown over by the republican
party. Mr.. Bryan is a liberal; nc
doubt of that. Not radical, but
for America; a very progressive
I ~