Imperial Valley press., 1912-06-26
syery day Of that sixteen years,

wear of body ahd mind, He has
,een free with all he had. Four years
,go it was John W. Kern who stood
Dy me and helped me uphold the poll
~ of publicity of campaign contribu-
ions, which now has swept the coun-
.ry.
1T was John w. Kern who stood
with me on that Denver platform
which demanded the election of sena-
tors by direct vote of the people. Now
he is in the senate where he can show
the American people how big an
American senator should be.
He helped in that fight for that
authorizing an income tax
and he has lived to see the president
who was opposed TO it take that plank
out of our platform and make two
houses of congress and "a states pass
it.
And now he is leading a fight in the
United States senate to purge that
body of Lorimer What better man
could we have to open conv vention?"
Parker, Parker!" interrupted
number of delegates and the calls
swept the armOry.
Il repeat, what better man could we
fnd."
Parker, Parker" broke out the
delegates
When | now contrast" continued
Bryan, ''the candidate presented by
the committee, | can do it without i'm
peaching his character or his good
intent. But not every man of good
character and good intent is worthy
to sound the keynote of a progressive
convention.
There are seven million Republi-
cans in this country, or were at the
last election, and | have never doubt
ed most of them were men of high
character and good intent, but we
would not invite any of them to be
temporary chairman of our conven
ton
Cheers and cries of "Oh" mingled
throughout the hall.
Mr.. Bryan said he spoke for Parker
in 1904, but was not in sympathy with
the candidate or thc men who stood
behind his nomination."
h.,, f,.iA .,t
Judge Parker will contend that he was
satisfied in 1908 with all the candi
dates or all the plans and purposes OF
our platform. This is no time for a
campaign OF pleasan, words and sweet
phrases.
We are writing history today" con
tinued Mr.. Bryan, ''and this cOnven
tion is TO announce to the country
whether it is to take lap the challenge
thrown down at Chicago by a conven
tion controlled BY predatory wealth OF
answer it by ourselves submitting tc
predatory wealth and give the coun
try no party"
Applause again interrupted him.
The delegates to this convention
must not presume on the ignorance OF
the people who did not come because
they had not influence to be elected
delegates or money enough TO pay
their expenses. These people well
know that the influences that domin
ated the Chicago convention and made
il farce, are here anI more brazenly
al work than they We're at Chicago.
Il appeal to you, let the beginning
of this convention be such that Demo
Gratis can raise up their heads among
their fellows and say:
The Democratic party is unafraid
You can't frighten it with your Ryans
or buy it with your Bclmonts'
Here roar of cheers broke from
the delegates and galleries, but the
demonstration was short.
My friends Mr. Bryan continued
If the candidate OF the committed
were an unknown man we would Judge
him by the forces that are lack OF
him. We know who the candidate is
We know he is the man chosen eight
years ago, when the party, beaten for
eight years, thought it might be well
to try to win from those who had de.
feated us in the two previous cam.
paigns.
"The country has not forgotten that
that convention was influenced in It's
action by promises of large campaign
funds from Wall street. and they have
not forgotten the fact that after a
corporation management of the cam.
paign had alienated the rank and file
Of the party, Wall street threw the
party down and elected a Republican
They have not forgotten that when
the vote was counted we had a million
and quarter less votes than in the
two campaigns before and a million
and a quarter less than in the next
campaign
They have not forgotten that it
was the same man backed by the
same influences, who is to be forced
On progressive party, to open a pro
gressive campaign
While Mr.. Bryan was speaking
Thomas F. Ryan was sitting on the
convention floor.
You ask me why I know that
speech would not be satisfactory when
| have not read it2" said Mr.. Bryan.
L tell you it is the man, not the
words that make the speech"