The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-06-23

Jennings Bryan. They did not stop
to think of what Bryan said, but were
absorbed in consideration of the man
who had spoken. And SO the shifty,
evasive answer of "eXpediency," and
the resentment of being "bossed" by
the man from Nebraska.
And yet, both Finley and Harmon
looked at the question at issue from
a diametrically opposite point OF
view in 1901. (They are mentioned
in the order of their speaking to the
subject, rather than their political
tmportance.)
In 1901 both were delegates to the
Democratic state convention held IN
Columbus on July 9 and 10. Both
were members of the subcommittee
to which was delegated the task OF
drafting the platform.
It was memorable convention,
and the construction of the platform
was confessedly considered of grea
er Importance than the selection ol
a ticket On the morning of July 10
the Cincinnati Enquirer proclaimed in
its headlines: "The Ohio Democrats
are not bothering about the nomi-
nees, but are carefully framing a
platform that will bring Democrat
into the fold, united for an assault
on Republicanism."
The platform committee was Sc
lected with care. Judson Harm
and Harlan Cleveland were the men,
bers from the Cincinnati districts;
E. NJ. Heisley and Newton Baker
from Cleveland; the eminent Barton
Smith from Toledo; NJ. A. Daugherty
from the Columbus district; Mr.. Fin
ley represented his district. 1t was
probably the last important public
appearance of Bill" Hill, the old
Defiance congressman, and All the
way through it was body of picked
men, and mostly Democrats of the
old Bourbon school. For Bryan had
suffered his second defeat, and the
conservatives were taking courage by
the right hand, convinced that "Bry-
anism" had had its day, and that the
party was ready to return to reason
and sanity.
Judson Harmon was the second
man on the subcommittee to which
Was delegated the duty of drafting
the platform. NJ. A. Daugherty was
chairman, and Barton Smith, the EN-
tnent corporation attorney from To-
ledO, made the draft. Kennedy, Heis-
ley Spence and Finley were the 9th,
ers named on subcommittee.
One plank of the platform declared
for "a constitutional amendment re-
curing the election Of United States
senators by the direct vote Of the
people. Hereafter, until that is pass
ed, whenever a senator is to be elect
ed, it shall be the duty of the state
committee to give notice in its call
that the nomination of senator will
be made at the state convention"
Judson Harmon and Mr. Finley vot.
ed for that plank in subcommittee
Both voted for its adoption by the
full committee Both voted for its
adoption with the platform as a
whole, in the open convention, and
it was adopted.
Mr.. Finley wrote a minority report,
but it had TO do only with the pre-
amble and provided for a mention
of Bryan-and the fate of the Finley
effort is told in the Enquirer head
lines of July II, 1901: The Side
tracking of Bryan is decreed by Ohio
Democracy. His name not mention
ed in platform. Only six delegates
were placed on record for the Ne
braskan when test was made.
Finley and five others! And now,
in 1910, Finley has forsaken him!
Et tu, BILL"
Bryan appears to have had a very
bad time of it all around at the hands
of his party fellows in Ohio that day.
The impartial Associated Press re-
port of the proceedings said:
THE Democratic state convention
today had more prominent men as
delegates than any convention of De-
mocracy in Ohio for many years.
I'm the alleged stampede for 'prin-
ciples rather than men the most
striking turn of the convention was
on Bryan. The most bitter things
were said of his leadership in the
committee on resolutions this mora.
ing, where it was insisted that his
name should not be mentioned and
that there should be no reference to
either of the national platforms on
which he had made his campaigns
After the plan had been agreed upon
one of the members of the COMMITTEES
(Mr. Finley offered a minority re
port, reaffirming the Kansas Cit!
platform and expressing confidence
In Bryan. and he received only 81!
votes out of $50 delegates for hi
substitute for the platform preamble
"A few moments after the platform
was adopted, one Of the six delegate
called attention to the fact that piE
lures of other Democrats were di'
played In the hall, but none Of BrS
an, as heretofore. He started to cal
" :. small banner with Bryan's pjt