Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-12
DEMOCRACYAT TABLE
Jacksonian Dinner 0rnamented by
Bryan and New Colonels.
AFFAIR Is LIKE A POST M0RTEM
Victors and vanquished Tell How 1t
All Happened.
BRYAN TELLS WHY HE LOST OUT
Familiar Story Of Concentrated
Wealth" Once Again Heard.
BRYAN TELLS WHY HE LOST oU
URGES NEW PERMANENT CLUB
Asked to Express Views About TILL
man Episode Bryan Defers Answer
But Expects Later TO submit
Remarks on Subject.

The Jacksonisn banquet splashed a sea of
vivid colors around the Paxton hotel last
night. There was the glitter of gold lace
on the chests OF the newly made Colo
nels." the red twinkle of ruddy wines, the
white sheen OF linen on guests arrsyed In
dinner Jackets and a variegated and pie
bald color effect from the scarfs Of those
who were not garbed in evening dress.
II was a Jacksonian. not Jeffersonian,
dinner and simplicity ruled not. The af-
fair was in fact, quite elaborate and or
namental and also fairly moist. The supply
OF oratory wa sextensive and gems of
thought and pearls OF rhetoric were con-
tributed by William ]. Bryan. Governor
a. c. shallenberger. Ralph A Clark and
r. o. Garret among others. Clark halls
from Richardson county and is in the leg
islature. hTe assembly was his subject
and he spoke eioquently, IL not definitely
as to what mighty works the democratic
majority will achieve for the state OF
Nebraska and the ''peo-puL" Garret. It
may be said, lest any have perchance
forgotten, ran for lieutenant governor on
the democratic ticket last fall.
CoIoneIs Are RefuIEent.
Bryan, Shalienberger and the colonels
were the central figures II the latter
were the more refulgent in aspect they
could not scintillate verbally as did the
speaker who was at his best in many ways
Mr. Bryan talked at some length with re-
gard to the late unpleasantness and for
the first time in Nebraska explained how
he thought 1t all happened. 1t doth ap-
pear that "the coercive power of concen-
trated wealth was largely responsible for
the immolation OF democracy during the
Ides of November.
The dinner was something in the nature
of a post mortem and rude and icono-
elastic spectators declared that the dem
ocratic technique in this work is becoming
facile through practice. The dinner in
theory was to honor one Andrew Jackson.
the anniversary of whose New Orleans
victory occurred three days ago, but some
how or other all the speakers forgot about
"old Hickory" and as q theme for post
prandiai eioduence ne was not.
Mr.. Bryan's subject was What OF the
Night" He reviewed the political con-
tests OF the last twelve years, showing
how the democratic position had been
vindicated by events, and declared that
the party had been a dominating influence
in political thought He described in de-
tail the influences which were most potent
in the late campaign, namely: "A larger
campaign fund, an army of government
employees drawing their salaries from the
treasury, three-fourths OF the newspapers
or more against us and the coercive power
Of concentrated wealth"
Mr.. Bryan said that many Of the papers
that had supported the ticket during the
campaign were in the habit OF repudiatinG
the platform when the campaign was over
but that the rank and file OF the party
maintained its integrity in spite Of the
obstacles It had to meet He advocated
the organisation OF permanent democratic
clubs In every county, the establishment
OF a democratic paper in every community
and the continuation OF the educational
work as the things necessary for future
democratic success.
During the evening he was asked to ex'
press his views on the controversy between
President Roosevelt and some members OF
the national congress-. but declined to dc
So saying he probably would later have
something to say.
Mr. Bryan win leave for Chicago within
n day or two.