New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-03
Democratic Waste Extends
Even to Words i'm Platform
broun Awards Plank-Writing Contest to the Re.
pubncans for Taking Qne-tenth the Space
Used by Rival Party to Say Nothing
By Haywood Broun

SAN FRANCISCO, July Elm the
platform contest it seems to us that
the decision should 60 to the Republi-
cans. They were able at Chicago to
say nothing in just about onc-tenth
the number of words which the Demo-
Gratis needed to say the same thing.
Tom Marshall announced few DAYS
ago that the platform of political
party ought to be written on postal
card. SO it should. and then the card
might be dropped into the oblivion of
one of Mr.. Burleson's mail boxes.
post card would not have sufficed
carter Glass, who prepared the Demo-
cratic planks. Indeed, if the face of
Iioraltar were scrubbed clean for him
ne could hardly crowd his platform
upon 1T. More than an hour was re-
CURED TOR the reading. Mr.. Glass had
oeen sitting up all night among the
planks and his voice was so worn that
ne could hardly be heard, but he de-
cllned all offers of assistance and
squeaked and sawed through on his
own.
Sympathy Is Strong Note
The platform writer's were not con-
tent to state principles and let it 20
at that The document is full of argu-
ments and quotations. Republican
speeches are drawn upon freely to con-
found the foe. In fact Henry Cabot
Lodge appears almost as frequently in
the platform as Woodrow Wilson.
Sympathy is the strong note Of the
Democrats. They have girdled the
world with sympathy. At one point or
another in the document they take the
liberty of feeling sorry for almost
every class and nation in the world
except the Republicans. After reading
one particularly oratorical and far
flung plank, Carter Glass paused and
remarked: "1f we have omitted any
thing, we mean that, too"
We could not hear some of the plat
form because there was woman in
black who sat in front of us who went
Wild over everything, from good roads
to bad Republicans. Federal Reserve
and Filipinos shared equally in her
sympathy.
The one szeable demonstration
which occurred during the reading was
prompted by declaration in favor of
the immediate ratification of the
woman suffrage amendment. This pre-
cipitated a parade, and the band leader
played you Great Big Beautiful Doll"
for about the fifteenth time. He seems
to regard it as the hymn of American
femlnlsm- All the state standards
were drawn into the parade except that
OF Maryland A young woman in
white hat tried to steal this standard,
but was forcibly restrained.
OF course parades Of standards do
not necessarily mean much. Florida
has joined in evcr~ demonstration for
every man and measure which has vet
been referred to in the convention.
NO sooner was the reading done than
there were shouts from al! over the
hall for Bryan. He was sitting on the
platform just in back of the speaker,
and he quickly gained recognition
from the chairman in order to read a
minority report.
He got fine reception and then
presented planks for bone dry decla-
ration. the creation of a national news
paper, against universal military train
ing in time of peace, for the elimina-
ton of protiteering and for the adop-
ton of treaties in the Senate by ma
jority vote.
Somebody shouted CAV, drink glass
of water!" while Mr.. Bryan was reading
his dry plank, but for the most part he
commanded close attention until the
reading of the treaty plank, which
aroused loud shouts Of "No, mol" He
spoke forcbly, but he was not in very
good voice and he seemed much less
effective than Bourke Cochran. who fol-
lowed him.
Of course the comparison is not quite
fair. Both men had been up all night.
Mr. Bryan does not smoke, drink or
play poker and has had little expert
ence with all night sessions Prob
ably nothing but chance to talk pro-
hibition would keep him out of bed
after his regular retiring hour. He
INDUCES in these debauches not more
than once in every four years. He was
frazzled and worn out.
Neither the preaching nor the prac-
tlce of prohibition is conducive to the
enjoyment of those fine hours which
begin at about a. m. There is moth
ing IN sarsaprilla to tinge sunrise.
Bryan as "Horrible Example"
Mr.. Bryan stood before the conven-
ton as horrible example of the man
who has tried to sit up all night on soft
drinks We know nothing of the per-
sonal habits of Mr.. Cochran, but he is
good Tammany man and he lives in a
part of the country where there are no
roosters to murder sleep. He was
bland and fresh and his voice doomed
far louder than that of the Nebraska
orator.
11io SeHldlIly WAS DfOdu ana Oeop
enough to ripple over the head of Mr..
Bryan himself.
Mr.. Cochran professed the greatest
adm ration for the Commoner "He
presents his case so clearly" he said,
that no doubter can fail to discover
its dement's"
He praised Mr.. Bryan for bringing
the wet and dry issue to the floor of
the convention. Evasion and Bryan
are inconsistent in the same building"
he said. And then he read a minority
report favorng the inclusion of a
plank declaring for legislation which
would permit home consumption Of
cider, light wines and beer"
The demonstration which followed
seemed to us the most sincere of the
whole convention. Delegates from New
York stood upon chairs and shouted:
Wake up, you hypocrites!"
In all the platform, which rambled
through so many hours, there was no
phrase which caught the ear and
caressed it so successfully as cider,
light wines and beer" The man be-
hind us said that he had been coming
to political conventions for forty
years and that he recollected no other
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