The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-07-13

a sweltering July night in Chicago
in 1896. Delegates, spectators and
newspaper men were petulant and
exhausted. The silver men were in
control OF the convention, but the
gold men were putting up fight
Every thing seemed to indicate
that "Silver Dick Bland would be
the democratic party's nominee for
the presidency. The noise in the
hall was so great that it was diff.
cult for even trained newspaper
men to keep track of what was
going on.
In the midst the confusion a
young, smooth-faced delegate from
the West stepped to the platform
to make a few remarks. One of
the newspaper men turned to a
veteran Washington correspondent
and inquired: who the h is
that?"
ooh, he's a dub congressman
from Nebraska was the weary re-
ply. Il wish they'd choke him off
and let us go home
A half an hour later these two
men, as we'll as some 10000 others
were cheering themselves hoarse
over the greatest speech ever de-
livered in a democratic conven-
ton.
Within the space of 80 minutes,
William Jennings Bryan had leaped
from comparative obscurity to the
leadership of his party. He could
have had the nomination that night,
but he declared that if his boom
was not strong enough to live "a
hours, it would better die, so the
nomination went over till the next
day.
Sitting down in the front of the
hall was democracy's old-time
chieftain, David B. Hill, with part
of the New York delegation. His
friends had importuned him to
leave, but he leaned back in his
chair with a scornful smile on his
face an>>Watched and listened. AS
the Nebraska orator reached his
eloquent climax and uttered the
phrase that became so trite in the
campaign that followed "You shall
not press down upon the brow of
labor this crown of thorns; you
shall not cruelty mankind upon a
cross of gold" and even before that
ever-tO-be remembered parade OF
standards about the hall, Hill
turned to one of his friends and
said, That ends BANDS and every
other boom in the convention"
Bryan lived fairly successful
ordinary American life prior to
that convention. He had been a
power in Illinois in the small com
munities in which he lived, and
had removed to Nebraska because
he believed the opportunities were
greater there. AS a member of
congress he was popular among
the western members, and some of
his friends yet relate with glee
how, when a democratic leader
wanted to end a debate in the
house he sided over to the repub-
lican whip" and whispered, IF
you don't call this wind jamming
off, I'll set that Nebraska cyclone
loose and he'll talk for a week"
Those who tell the story always
wind it up with the remark, And
there was a quick vote on that
bill"
He was recognized as an author
| ity on questions of political econ
omy in the early COS and his edi
torials on the coinage question had
widespread popularity which was
added to when he was named. but
| beaten, for the senatorship of his
adopted state.
Bryan's campaign Of 1896 was
spectacular. He was the first can
didate for the presidency to toul
| $4,000 miles to advocate his own
| election. He invaded the "ene-
my's country" twice that fall. In
Madison Square garden he defiet
| Tammany Hall and its leaders
With his voice so husky it coult
hardly be heard he dominated the
meetings with his personality, ant
it is now generally admitted thai
had the election been held in Sep
TENDER he would have been elect
ed Beaten at the polls he devoted
| the next two years to lecturing or
bimetallism. In May, 1898, witt
the Spanish-American war in pro
gress, he raised the third Ne
braska regiment of volunteers ant
was commissioned its colonel.
Two years later, in 1900, hi
dominated the next national demo
cratic convention, wrote its plat
form and forced his own nomina
ton. He it was who made i'm
perialism the burning issue" ant
he toured the country in behalf o
this fresh child of his brain, onl!
to be again defeated.
There had been a steady advance
in the mans development. Matur
er years had given importance IL
his mind to things he formerl.
deemed less essential, and he wa'
also realizing that changed condi
tons in public affairs demanded
new methods of treatment. AS
result there was born his maya
zine, The Commoner. 1t proved
the foundation for Bryan's presen
fortune, boosting his yearly in
come from $4,000 to approximate.
100000.
Up to the assembling of the 100
convention it had been expected
Bryan would fight the Eastern ele