El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-07-09
CONVENT IONS'
WORK COMPARE
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Continued from page IL

amendment-for his own party turned
deaf ear to as sincere and forceLul
a plea as was ever made on public
platform
The memory OF Bryan fighting for
dry plank in the Democratic plat
form will always be the dramatic
episode Of the convention He stood
there like a crusader offering his life
TO a cause, pleading with the cry
states not 10 be deceived by the lead
ers from the wet states. But they
didn't heed his advice They lodged
the issue and the wet states nomi-
mated a candidate whom Bryan be-
ueves is wet
Bryan will not bolt the party. he
viii probably not make any speeches
against Cox. for the latter viii sooner
or later make il clear that any re-
vival Of the wet and dry issue rests
with congress. Bryan. however, plans
to fight for dry congress- In all
Likelihood, he will enter the districts
of Republicans and Democrats alike
who come out for any increase In the
alcoholic content Of beverages
Mistake On Treaty Issue.
On the treaty issue Bryan made the
mistake OF Juggling in his own amend
ments. He tried to get plank in the
platform proposing an amendment 70
the constitution so that a majority
vote instead OF tWo-thtrds could end
war He would have been twice as
dangerous TO the convention IL he had
suggested that the p Democratic
senator's who voted with the majority
on reservations to the peace treaty
be endorsed as It was. he tel victim
10 the effective satire and keen re-
torts of senator Carter Glass, of Vir-
ginia, who distinguished himself on
the platform and showed a set OF ora
torical teeth that viii bite hard into
Republican argument even though
this is his first term in the senate.
Glass was looked on by his delegation
as a possible dark horse IN the event
that the deadlock could not be broken.
Virginia remained loyal to him and
the vocal interruptions by John
Joyce, Of Norfolk county. Virginia, his
Musical exclamation, Wonderful" as
Glass struck away at the foes OF the
platform, constituted a species OF IA
Torite son adulation hardly eLcelled-
The Democratic platform was de-
hated at the opening The Republic
can party was debated, mostly behind
closed doors Each convention had
its own method As a matter Of fact,
Notwithstanding all the debate. the
program worked by a majority OF the
platform committee here in executive
session was adopted by the main body
Of delegates by as big a vote as at
Chicago The Democrats, however,
did put on a better show-Wuliam
Jennings Bryan, Bourke Cochran. OF
New York, Carter Glass and Balm
bridge Colby-an oratorical feast ex-
traordinary and ally in one day.
Quick Work In Platform.
Also. the Republicans listened at
tentively To Samuel Gompers. and
gave him little OF what he wanted in
the platform That was exactly the
treatment the Republican delegates
liked The Democrats gave Gompers
most everything he wanted. and that
was popular with the delegates here.
Each convention had its own ideas Of
what sort OF an appeal the platform
should make-the Republicans catered
10 the business folk, the Democrats
to the labOring man. II took just as
long to read the Republican platform
at Chicago as il did the Democratic
platform here-and the delegates in
both convention seemed about equally
dared and bored By the flow OF Do
litical vocabulary conspired in by so
men after all night and all day ses-
siOus- But newspaper correspondent
who attend the proceedings Of con-
gress from year to year thought both
the Republican and Democratic plat
form committee displayed wonderful
power OF concentration and evolved in
two or three days what II would take
80 senator's months TO agree on II, in
stead OF the Impotence Of a waiting
convention, they faced only the in
dulgent patience OF a waiting public.
Copyright, 1920. by David Lawrence.