The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1912-06-29
BRYAN'S
SPEECH
STRONG
By H. N. Hickey
(stan specially


1t was IS minutes before, by the
clock in the convention hall, that
William Jennings Bryan, who 16
years ago had swept all before
him at similar gathering and
electrified the country. had APP
peared on the speakers platform
and amid thunderous applause
had taken his seat alongside
Chairman Ollie James.
Bryan had not been In the con-
vention hall since the first session
hen he as defeated by Parker for
temporary chairman. He had
been working night and day as a
member of the resolution COM
mittee writing the democratic
platform. There was much spec
ulation among delegates and spec
tators' as to what the great Ne
braskan's presence at this time
meant.
All eyes were focused on the
eommoner and all brains were
working trying to figure out the
significance of his presence.
At 8 O'Clock Chairman James
arose and called the great gath
ering to order. The band stop
ped playing and the nearly 10000
men and women gathered in the
hall quieted down, and, seeming
ly forgetful Of Bryan and the pos
sibilities that his presence sug-
gested sat back in their chairs to
witness the greatest spectacle
afforded by this or any other
country = the nomination of a
candidate for the presidential Of
fee.
Il recognize William Jennings
Bryan of Nebraska for the pur-
pose of offering resolution"
said the chairman.
AS the great commoner arose
and stepped to the front of the
platform, there was an instant
stir all over the hall followed al
most at once by deathly silence.
Bryan stood for a moment sur
veying his audience and then in
voice that thrilled with the sup
pressed emotion behind it began
to read the resolution pledging
the faith of the democratic party
to the cause of popular rights,
denouncing the money trust and
demanding in the name of an
outraged democracy that Thorn
as ]. Ryan and August Belmont
withdraw from the convention.
AS the epoch-making signifi-
canoe of the resolution was grasp
ed by delegates the effect was as
though dynamite bombs had been
hurled from the platform.
An uproar as of wild beasts In
deadly conflict arose from the
floor and galleries. From the
newspaper section commanding
an unbroken view of the immense
auditorium packed to the very
roof with historical and half
crazed people the scene was one
neer to be lost from the memory
of those present.
For 10 minutes he hurled his
challenge and his defiance at the
system and the men who would
throttle the democratic party as
they have the republican party.
He told of the attempts of this
system and these men to force
the democracy to nominate for
the presidency one of their crea-
lures for the purpose of grinding
into the dust the common people
of this country.
He defied the delegates to per-
NIT this outrageous thing to be
done and demanded that the
great party of Jefferson and Jack
son purge itself by driving the
money changers from the temple
of democracy.
Bryan finished with the bibli-
cal quotation, ''If thy right hand
offend thee, cut 1t off," and In the
name of Rrogressiye democracy
demanded that the party cut off
the Ryans and Belmonths who
had offended. What followed
has been told in the news coll
umns of this newspaper. How
TO an hour or more the battle
ragged between the plunderbund