The Washington herald., 1916-06-21

The Republican convention Of 1900 met
first, and in IL the advocates OF the gold
standard won. The convention declared
itself ''unalterably opposed to every meas
ure calculated to debase our currency or
impair the credit of our country, and
therefore opposed to the free coinage Of
silver except by international agreement
with tie leading commercial nations Of
the world"
Its choice Of a candidate for the presi-
dency was not quite so definite an evil
dence Of its purpose with regard to the
currency as the words Of its platform.
1t nominated Mr.. William Mckinley. re-
Gently governor of Ohio, and known TO
all the country for his long service in
the House Of Representatives., especially
as chairman Of the Committee OF Ways
and Means which had formulated the
tariff Of 1880 against which the Demo
Gratis had won at the polls in 1892
Mr. Mckinney had more than once spok-
en- and voted on the silver question. and
had not shown himself unwilling to con-
slider very seriously the claims Of the
advocates OF the cheaper metal as a
standard OF value They had accounted
him. If not friend. at least no deter
mined opponent, at any rate OF some OF
the measures upon which they had set
their hearts. But there was no doubt
Of his great credit with his party as
a man and a leader and his explicit ac-
quiescence in the principles OF the plat
form upon which he had been nominated
satisfied the country Of his good faith
and conservative purpose. The issue was
dehnitively made up.
Three weeks later the Democratic con-
vention demanded the free and unlirnit-
ed coinage of both gold and silver at
the present legal ratio of sixteen to one
tI
OF any other nation" and nominated Mr.
William Jennings Bryan. of Nebraska,
for the presidency.
II acted with singular excitement and
swung sharply away from conservative
Influences. 1t denounced what Mr.. Cleve-
land had done to save the gold reserve
and to check the riots at Chicago as
hotly as any Republican policy. spoke Of
the decisions OF the Supreme Court Of
the United States against the income tax
as II it advocated a change in the very
character of the court. should power
come TO the party il represented; and
uttered radical doctrines Of reform which
sounded like sentences taken from the
Platforms of the Peoples party.
Its nomination for the presidency was
significant II its temper ana excitement.
Mr.. Bland, OF Missouri. one Of the older
leaders OF the party, and a man whose
al tue country knew 10 STAND 10Y
the advanced doctrines of free COMA ge.
had at first led in the balloting Mr.
Bryan. though he had been a member of
Congress and had spoken in the House
upon the coinage question. had made no
place OF leadership for himself hitherto
was unknown to the country at large and
even to the great mass OF his fellow
partissns, and had come to the conven-
ton with the delega ton from Nebraska
unheralded, unremarked. A single speech
made from the platform of the conven-
ton had won him the nomination. a
speech wrought. not Of argument but Of
fire. and uttered in the full! tones Of
a voice which rang clear and passion
ate in the authentic key OF the assem-
bly's own mood OF vehemence and re-
volt
It was a thing for thoughtful men to
note how a mere stroke Of telling dec
.omation might make an unknown. un-
tested man the nominee OF a great PARTY
for the highest Office in the land. a
popular assembly being the instrument
of choice.
The Peoples party also accepted Mr
Bryan as its candidate. It uttered in its
platform some radical purposes which
the new Democratic leaders had not
adopted. but it did not require its can