The Washington herald., 1908-07-06
By WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE

Denver. Colo, July 5-Thls is a conven-
ton crowd wherein the barbaric yawp
which Walt Whitman speaks OF Is the
keynote The Republican national conven-
tion was the stu small voice of Roose-
velt in the hearts Of hypnotized dele
cation.
In this convention the only trouble will
be In compressing the snort Of the unter-
rifed into polite language. II it is charged
that in its platform the Republican con-
vention didn't mean all il said. il may be
pretty sure that this convention will not
say all It means
The average conservative citizen 70
whom squatting in a cold bath tub Of
water is a startling adventure Will take
no comfort in the two platforms OF the
great parties this year. for the Democratic
platform will be dictated by Bryan. He ls
the convention. the captain and crew OF
the Nancy brig, and sailors and officers,
too"
And as between the platform which sat
isles Mr.. Roosevelt and the platform
which pleases Mr.. Bryan. the only ques-
ton which occurs TO the conservative
citizen Is. Shall law-defying wealth be
burned down or blown up. That is his
choice between the parties. To him the
Republican national convention was an
assemblage Of firebrands. and this Is a
gathering Of dynamiters.
oklahoma Makes n Noise.
Sth' 1t was calm here to-day, until
Oklahoma III. The Oklahomans came
with band and a procession, and when
they arrived at their hotel they had
speeches and pow-wowing, and for few
there was a sound of revelry
by night which made Jim Ham Lewis
with his pale pink whiskers and his sky
blue hat band, who was the most audible
thing, sink into silence sweeter than a
summer night.
But when Oklahoma dsintegrated. the
loud roar OF Mr.. Lewis haberdasherv
rose above the din, and not even the
white fannels OF the Southern delegates
the broad hats of the Texans. nor the
Iridescent breath Of Tammany could quell
Mr.. Lewis. The Republican convention
had its steam roller, but Mr.. Jim Ham
Lewis Is the sartorial fog horn Of this
question.
And he is not the lone Peak OF
Darien" either. There are others. This
gathering OF the great plain people is
certainly clothes congress. There are
more high hats Of the sllurian and post
tertiary formation at this uprising Of the
oppressed than ever assembled west OF
the Mississippi before. II this thing Is
going to continue when the Bastile falls
in this country and the gillotIne takes up
It's work. the mob that greets plutocracy
VIII look like those panoramas of fashion
beginning with the Goths and ending in
Fifth avenue that used to adorn the tailor
shops Of the countries in the SOS.
Bryan DOmiantes All.
but declaration Of independence in
clothes. merely expresses the unfettered
uncombed, and unterrihed soul. BRYAN
dominates. but he does not control No
one controls. He has no lieutenants
There is no card index in the situation.
There is no boss, no subboss, no system.
There is not the semblance of a machine
The Congressional crowd is glad 10 he |
llive with license to breathe regularly |
L does not arrogate TO itself any author |
ty as it does in conventions wherein
here is a Congressional majority. In the |
lays when there was Democratic Con-
sress, there was a Democratic machine:
'ut now in this convention the man who |
would try to organize anything through
he Congressional machine would be spit
ing on a tidal wave
So three htings are settled Bryan Will
'e the candidate; Bryans idea Of what
VIII beat Taft will be the platform. and
Bryan VIII name the Vice President
The Vice Presidential nomination Will
'e a mistake, as it always is But Il
vii probably be Bryan's mistake. which |
s more than Sherman TO Taft. Bryan's
rst choice is said to be O'Neil. Of Con-