Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-06-26
WILL PLAY
NATIONAL
POLITICS
BRYAN REFUSES GUARDIANSHIP
OF COMMITTEE ON RRSOLU.
TIONS AND MAKES THINLY
YELLED THREAT TO BOLT THE
PARTY.
UNITED PRESS LEASED wrnn.I

Baltimore, June 26.-An attempt by
the conservative forces now in control
of the Democratic national committee
to swing William ]. Bryan into line by
making him chairman Of the resolu-
tions committee, which is drafting a
platform, failed today.
Not only did Bryan refuse, but he
made 1t plain in refusing that he
feared the committee had been picked
against him.
Bryan arrived at the committee
room unannounced, passing en- route
a committee composed Of Senators
Culbertson, Rayner and o'Gorman,
who been sent to ask him to assume
the Craftsmanship, and stand before
the country as responsible for the
party declaration.
While waiting for the three senators
to return, the proposition of the ma
jority was put up to Bryan, and he
refused IT,
: There is is a decided possibility
that this committee may not be a unit
in It's recommendation to the con-
vention,p he said. "I myself desire to
reserve freedom Of action. It is a
certainty that there will be sugges-
tions made to this convention which
! cannot assent to- This committee
might decided that some Of these sug-
gestlons should be incorporated in
the platform.
$50 far as l am concerned, have
no choice for chairman, and will
not personally assume that respon-
sibility, but as an individual member
of the committee can make my
fight for the principles for which I
stand, and IL defeated here I can re-
serve the right to carry that fight
both to the floor Of the convention
and before the voters Of the United
States"
The leaders were plainly dlscon-
certed by the action Of Bryan.
This disconcertedness became cha
grin when Bryan told his lleutenants
Senator Luke Lea, Of Tennessee, that
he had refused tho honor because he
personally intended to play national,
not ward politics" ~
When the full committee assembled
Bryan stated that he had not refused
the Craftsmanship with any desire to
disturb harmony
II acted" he said, "rather in the
interest Of harmony"
Former Congressman Fltslan, OF
Illinois, then suggested that Senator
Kern, the Indiana committee man, be
elected. Kern at first was going TO
refuse but finally consented to serve
and he was unanimously chosen,
with T. J. Walsh, Of California, as
secretary.
The committee went into executive
session to prepare the platform.
Az soon as the doors were closed,
Bryan was recognized TO open the
general debate preliminary to the
preparation and discussion and the
hundreds Of platform planks pro-
posed. He pleaded with the commit
tee to prepare a strong progressive
platform, concise, brief but em-
phatlc, and clear in its dellneation Of
Democratic progressivism He spoke
for 10 minutes, pleading for harmony
but with a yelled threat of a minority
report II the progesslves are gagged
by conservative control.
10. L. Garrison, Of Connecticut sent
for Bryan as soon as he got through
and presented TO him the platform
prepared by Senator LaFollette,
which was turned down by the Re-
publican convention. Garrison asked
Bryan to lend his influence to have
the hest planks Of this platform in
corporated In the Democratic declar-
alton, especially the monetary
scheme. This latter is tho plank
written by Professor John r. Com
mons, Of the University Of Wisconsin.
II was generally accepted that the
committee would not be able to report
to tho convention before tomorrow
although q determined effort was be-
ing made by the majority to have the
report ready today, 80 that the way
would be clear for nominations to-
President Gompers and Frank Nor.
rinon, Of the American Federation Of
Labor, presented the labor planks to
be committee, and urged action on
HON. Thoy seemed more hopeful that