Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-06-21
WHEN BRYAN
BECAME LEADER
National Convention of 1895
Sees the Advent of That EN-
nent Private Citizen.
SETS THE CROWD WILD
Victory of Mckinley Over Him Begin
ming of Another Long Rule For
Republicans.
BY Frederick ]. haskln

~ ~ ZIG IAtHAblANhho anu
Bryan by the Democrats ended the era
of normal" politics. Mckinley was
triumphant, and from that day until
the Democrats won the House of Rep
resentatiyes in 1910 the Republicans
never lost a national election. Yet the
Democrats stood by the action of thei"
convention of that year, and since
then Mr.. Bryan has twice been their
choice for president and still is the
peerless leader" to the great masses
of his party
The Republican convention of 1895
named Mckinley, who was successful
The Republicans met at St Louis on
June 16. Mckinley was named on the
first ballot
Before the nomination was made (
platform had been adopted that con-
tanned a gold standard plank, forced
upon the unwilling Hanna by T. c.
Plat. II was the end of stradling the
silver question. The currency ques-
ton was the main issue.
When the Republican party took the
gold side "a delegates, led by Senator
Teller, of Colorado. Senator Dubois. o
Idaho and Sena,or Cannon of Utah,
walked out of the convention into the
Democratic party. The silver question
was soon eliminated as an issue in poi
itics, but the boilers from the Republi-
can convention of 1896 nearly all re
NAMED Democrats.
The Democrats met at Chicago on
July T. The pre-conyention fight had
been exciting, but the struggle for del
egates had been between gold men
and silver men, between Clevelandites
and antiClevelandites, rather than III
the interest of any particular aspir-
ants for the nomination. Grover Cleye-
land was president of the United
States and the titular leader of the
Democratic party, but his party had
repudiated him in more than two
thirds of the country. He had been
elected as tariff reformer. He called
Congress in extraordinary session. not
to revise the tariff, but to repeal til
silver purchasing clause of the Sher-
man act This he accomplished by
the help of a majority OF the Republi-
cans and minority of the Democrats.
The last filibuster against the repeal
in the House of Representatives was
vainly led by William Jennings Bryan
and Joseph Quincy Cannon.
Convention Reverses Committee
The Cleveland gold men came 70
Chicago knowing that they were in
minority, but resolved to save some
thing from the wreck if possible. They
controlled the national committee,
which heard the contests from the
states and made up the temporary roll
There were two rival delegations from
Nebraska one was headed by Tobias
Castor and represented the ], Sterling
Morton or administration faction. The
other was headed by ex-Congressm1n
Bryan, and it represented the silver
wing OF the party The national com
mittee seated the Castor delegation.
1t also selected David b. Hill of New
York as temporary chairman by vote
of y to %. The majority selected Sell
ator John W, Daniel of Virginia for
temporary chairman. Daniel was
chosen by vote of $50 to 349.
The convention then selected its
committee on credentials which
promptly reversed the decision of the
national committee in the Nebraska
contests, unseated the Castor delega-