The San Francisco call., 1908-07-09
BRYAN'S COMPLETE
CONTROL IS SHOWN
TumuIt Demonstrates Absolute
Mastery of Democracy
by COmmOner
Ex-Pugilist in New York Dele
CATION Defends Banner With
Knockout Blow
By George Van Smith
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL

SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL
DENVER, July s.-If william Jen-
nings Bryan had not repeatedly demon
strated his absolute mastery of democ-
racy as represented in the national
convention Of 1908 the record break
ing demonstration for the commoner
today would have dissolved every doubt.
Every performance given by the Bryan
company playing in Denver results In
a broken record. Democracy went aft
er the demonstration record of 48 min
utes, established two weeks ago by the
republicans in Chicago. The attempt
was eminently successful. The bour-
bons not only smashed the record, but
nearly doubled the distance. with ap-
parently only slight distress. The dura-
tion Of the demonstration launched
by Senator Gore of Oklahoma, and car
ried into a new realm of long distance
by clever band master endowed with
a keen sense Of humor was its least
significant feature. It was chiefly
interesting as a measure of the control
Bryan wields over the convention as a
voting body.
CONTROL Is ABSOLUTE
That Bryan's control of the conven-
ton was absolute was demonstrated by
the crawl Judge Alton B. Parker was
compelled to make for the edif1cation of
! the followers of the peerless leader, by
his refusal to permit Pennsylvania to be
1 represented on the important commit
tees of the convention, by his instruc-
tions covering every possible platform
contingency, and finally by dismissal of
Guffey from the national committee.
| The surrender of Tammany and Roger
Sullivan and his Illinois fighting men
was conclusive evidence of Bryan's su-
! premacy. but it remained for the dem
onstration this morning to prove that
/ the Bryan control is virtually exclusive.
! Bryan's claim of s1S votes on the first
ballot was most undemocratically con-
| servatlve. Based on the showing made
/ by the delegations which refused to
! participate in the demonstration today
an estimate Of 100 anti-Bryan votes out
of the 1.00S to be cast on the first bal
/ lot would be liberai. Seven delega-
tions-New York, Illinois. Minnesota.
| Georgia. Delaware, New Jersey and
Connecticut, with total voting
! strength Of 224-refused to participate
| in the demonstration. New York's rs
and Illinois 54 votes will be cast for
/ Bryan and the Bryan program from
! first to last, leaving a total of 80 re-
calcitrants, Maine and Maryland were
coy about joining the demonstration,
but Maryland capitulated in 10 minutes
and Maine surrendered at the end of 90
minutes.
REFUSE TO SWING INTO LINE
The bright particular features of the
! big noise were the efforts to force the
Tammany and Georgia delegations into
the line by state marker carriers, who
circled the auditorium for more than
an hour. Tammany resisted with force
of arms, and the Georgians calmly sat
beneath, the indignity of Marching
Through Georgia" sung by scores of
southern delegates who under other
circumstances would have resented an
air probably never before heard in a
democratic convention, and which has
been tabooed in republican conventions
since the second nomination of Grant.
Absolute is far too mild a term for
the brand of political control which
will make democrats from Florida,
Mississippi. North and South Carolina,
Virginia, Texas, Arkansas and Ten
nessee sing the martial air that is an
affront to every southerner, and a half
dozen bars OF which will create a riot
anywhere south OF the Mason and Dixon
line. The recorded political history of
this country furnishes no parallel.
The demonstration was loosed by
Senator Gore of Oklahoma when he
said: I'VE rejected the advice of Taft.
and by majority of more than 100000
accepted the edYice of Bryan"
In an instant democracy was deep in
the fulfillment of its promise to smash
the demonstration record made by the
enemy at Chicago.
DEFENDS NEW YORK BANNER
Delegation markers were torn from
their fastenings, and with Okla
homa in the van, marching to the
strains of Dixie" a parade which
included all but nine of the delegations
was in motion. Charlie White, ex-
champion pugilist, with the New York
! delegation, scented the trouble that
was headed his way and prepared to
repel boarders. Before Boss Murphy's
| reinforcements reached White one ad-
venturous Bourbon who tried to pull
! down the New York banner had run
| into a right cross to the jaw and
| was being assisted to an anteroom and
| stimulants.
Time after time determined attempts
were made to force New York into the
parade A quick witted band master
| ordered "Tammany" played. Again he
| tried with Should Auld Acquaintance
Be Forgot?' with his band facing the
Grape draped portrait OF Grover Cieve-
land. Nothing availed.
Murphy men rallied around their del
! egation marker and threatened death
to him who should dare lay hands on it.
| Six members of the California deIega-
/ tion voted tonight against the majority
report of the committee on credentials.
which was charged with the duty of
ousting Jim Guffey's contested Pennsyl-
1 vania delegates
The commoner's program went through
by vote Of virtually two to one. and.
strangely enough, the division In the
ranks of the Californians was not on
the lines of cleavage which have marked
the squabbles of the Bell and McNab
| factions. Conley and Sill, Bell men.
voted with Tom Fox, Young, Lynch and
/ Fitzgerald, McNab men. Blanchard.
Cats and Raker. with their chieftain.
Bell. Joined hands with Cole, Edelman.
| Wardell, Harris. Thomas. Quinn, Bow
den and Dockweiler in support OF the
commoner's majority report McKiln-
! can and Capps were absent