Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-22
From The Centre Of Things.
OUR LINCOLN LETTER.

were dominated by one man, hut by
different methods. One was domin-
ated by the force of federal patron
age and was made up Of federal
officeholders. One was dominated
by the fealty millions Of loyal demo-
Gratis who are willing to go to the
limit in their support of man who
heads a righteous cause with the zeal
of the old crusader. One was dom
mated by a man who had given
much; the other by man who had
nothing to give. One was purely
mechanical: the other was spontan-
eous.
The Denver convention was a
wonderful gathering the greatest
political convention this country has
ever seen. Right here it may be
we'll to say that never was a conven-
ton handled SO well by it's officers,
nor never a city that equalled Den.
ver's record fol hospitality and thor
ough preparation. The auditorium
was adequate in every respect. The
decorations Of the city were superb,
and the stranger who lacked for food
or bed was himself to blame. The
world wondered when the Chicago
convention broke all records for en-
thusiasm at the mention of a name
when it cheered for forty-fve min
utes for Taft. Or, it was said to
have cheered that long for Taft.
The truth is that the first fifteen
minutes of that demonstration was
for LaFollette, and then the Taft
managers got busy and appropriated
it. But on Wednesday Of conven-
tion week at Denver. Senator Gore
touched match to the magazine
and for an hour and twenty seven
minutes the fifteen thousand people
in the convention hall milled like a
lot of stampeded steers, shouting
and marching and singing for Bry-
an. Everybody thought that meant
only small demonstration when
the nomination was really made.
But at II o'clock on Thursday night
when Ignotious j. Dunn of Omaha
had finished his eloquent nomi-
mating speech the convention broke
loose again and kept it up for an
hour and twelve minutes. All this
made the Chicago convention dem
onstration look like republican
promise to revise the tariff-after
election.
II was funny to watch some of the
eloquent orators when they tried to
make seconding speeches at three
O'clock in the morning. OF, the
twenty who tried, only three sue
ceeded Ollie James Of Kentucky,
Agustus Thomas Of New York and
Senator Gore Oklahoma. The crowd
wouldn't stand for the rest Of them
and howled them down. Even when
fresh and vigorous the convention
wouldn't stand for Captain Hobson's
hobby and made that young officer
quit A lot of oratorical display was
rudely cut short by the weary dele
gates.
Charley Murphy, the Tammany
leader, gave q correct imitation Of
the Sphinx every hour the conven-
ton was in session. You can i'm
agine Murphy to be red-faced,
bull.necked and typical Bowery
tough as to looks miss it mile. He
has face that would make gold
brick artist rejoice to see, it is SO in.
nccent. He seemed to be half-scared
to death all the time, and when as
chairman he had to announce New
York's vote he seemed to be suffer.
ing from stage fright to the last de.
gree. But he kept the reporters and
the delegates guessing all the time
When on the call of the roll for the
nomination of president, New York
was reached, things became instant.
ly quiet and all eyes turned to the
center Of the hall where New York
sat. Murphy arose slowly and in q
quiet voice said:
"Voting under the unit rule, New
York casts seventy-two votes fol
BRYAN.
Then the fireworks began all ovel
again and Chairman Clayton lost hit
voice beyond recovery in an effort te
restore order. Murphy's announce
ment demonstrated to the johnson
and Grey supporters what they real
ly must have known all the time
that Bryan was the man.
Governor Haskell of Oklahoma
caught the immense crowd with on,
quick retort. While defending th,
majority report of the committee OF
credentials, which unseated the Guf
fey delegates from Philadelphia
somebody hissed. Quick as fasl
Haskell exclaimed:
"I've heard that hiss many tim,
from Standard Oil pipe line"
And the convention came nea
raising the roof.
Senator bob" Taylor of Tennese
made one little speech that delight
ed the convention. He was calle,
on to kill time, and for fifteen min
utes he kept the crowd in a gale o
|. laughter and applause. He spok
of the civil war as the conflict tha
"put Yankee Doodle on the pension
list and Dixie on crutches," and in
, sisted that Mason and Dixon's lin
should become known for what i
:. really is, merely the line between
cold bread and hot biscuits"
, Referring to the numerous gentle
. men mentioned in connection wit
! the ce-presidency, but who refus
, ed to stand for it, he told the stor
of the Tennessee mountaineer VIII
. quit drinking whiskey, but bough