Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1908-07-14
ST DRY OF
Scenes IN The Convention
at Denver.

Denver July 10.-The national con
vention of the Democratic party. after
n series Of sessions marked by enthusi
astic demonstrations unparalleled IN
any similar organization, adjourned
after nominating William Jennings
Bryan of Nebraska for the presidency
and John w Kern of Indiana for vice
president. Thus Mr.. Bryan is for the
third time the standard bearer of his
party in national contest.
Mr.. Bryans nomination had been
foreshadowed for many weeks prior tc
the convention, and for even as long
time 1t had been conceded that he
could arbitrarily dictate as to who
would be the nominee for vice presi.
dent If he desired to use his power
to this extent BY leaving to the con.
vention the choice of the holder OF
second place on the ticket Mr.. Bryan
gave the 1,002 delegates chance te
advance their claims for the favor
lite sons of their states, to indulge In
the destinations Of potential national
politics and to feel that each individual
among them had something of impor.
lance to do in the councils of bis par
ty. Probably there never have been
in the history of any American polit,
ical party so many candidates offered
for the vice presidency as at Denver
No less than sixty-two men were boom.
ed or mentioned for the nomination.
which Judge Gray, the Delaware presi-
Dental candidate, could have had fol-
the asking.
AS was the case at the Republican
convention at Chicago, both candidates
were nominated on the first ballot
and Mr.. Rryan's nomination, like that
of Mr.. Taft's. was made unanimous
after the first roll call. Mr.. Bryan had
received 1921 votes when the first
ballot was taken. Mr.. Taft received
7O2.
The features of particular interest
at the convention were, first, the eyi
dences of the overwhelming power and
popularity of Bryan; second, the bit
ter factional strife which arose over
the unseating Of Colonel james NJ.
Guffey, Democratic leader of Pennsyi,
vania, and of State Senator Patrick
H. McCarren, Democratic leader Of
Brooklyn, and of their delegations
truly sensational was the contro
versy between Mr.. Bryan and Colo
mel Guffey); third, the struggle over
the framing of the platform; fourth.
the uncertainty and excitement at
tending the choice of vice presi
dental candidate; fifth, the pronounced
weakness of the presidential boom oil
Governor Johnson of Minnesota; sixth.
the adoption of resolutions in memory
of aud laudatory of the works andl
policies of the late President GroyeII
Cleveland; seventh the approval inl
the platform of the work OF PRESIDENT
Roosevelt along certain stated lines
and the actual naming or him therein.
From start to finish the conventionI
was a most enthusiastic one. What
opponents Mr.. Bryan had among the
delegates chose to evidence their dis. |
approval of the proceedings chiefly by
remaining quiet in the convention hall. |
On Wednesday, July s, occurred the !
great outburst of applause at the men.
ton of the candidates name by the
blind Senator Gore a Oklahoma. which
lasted one hour and twenty-eight min
utes by actual observation. Thus was
outstripped the time record made byl
the applause for President Roosevelt
at the Republican convention, when
the delegates interrupted Senator
Lodge and cheered for forty-six min
ntes.
The. convention was called to order
on Tuesday. July Z, and remained In
session but two hours.
In that time 1t had cleared the decks |
for the nomination of Bryan and thei
adoption of thoroughly radical
platform, had attacked Colonel Guffey. |
made Judge Alton B. Parker of New
York, Democratic candidate in 1904,
eat humble pie on his Cleveland resolu- |
tons and had listened to the keynote |
speech of Temporary Chairman Theo-
dore A. Bell of California, who, in an
able address admirably rendered, enun-
ciated as the principles OF the Demo
cratic party practically all of Bryan's |
doctrines. Chairman Thomas Taggart |
of the national committee called the
convention TO order at II o'clock.
The routine preliminaries were
quickly concluded, and it was scarcely |
twenty minutes after the convention
had been called to order before Chair
,,,ap pnlf xrac ococrtas5 A.. A., .,1af
form by Governor Blanchard of Loui-
siana, Ex-Governor EIlyson OF Ken
lucky and Ollie James OF Kentucky.
Mr.. Bell proved to be young man. |
tall and well built and with long. black |
hair. His hair is so long in fact, that |
his aIaearance suggests the La Toilette
type. Up to the time that he began to |
speak there had been hum all over
the hail. With his first words a hush |
fell on the crowd, and from that time
on he was listened to with thorough at |
tention. 1t is seldom that chairman
of convention is treated so well by |
the audience.
Mr.. Bells speech, in the opinion Of |
all who heard him, was a remarkable |
one, with sentences well rounded and |
logic clearly expressed, so that never
for minute was his point in doubt.
Republican Plea Of Guilty.
Mr.. Bell was particularly effective in
HIS recital of what he termed the pleas
Of guilty. of the Republican party. |
The following, he said. Is the Repub-
Iican confession of guilt:
We did not revise the tariff
We did not amend the antitrust laws