The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-07-09

Edwards. The galleries were restive
and the speaker was frequently inter-
rupted, especially by those who re-
sented the supposed wet policies OF
Edwards.
Finish Nominations.
This closed the nominating speeches
for the day, but Thursday morning the
grind was resumed, Senator Simmons
of North Carolina, Senator Carter
Glass Of Virginia, Ambassador John w.
Davis of West Virginia and Francis b.
Harrison, governor general Of the Phil
ippines, being offered for the votes OF
the delegates.
The platform committee was not yet
ready to report, so a recess until even
ing was taken. Again word came that
Glass and his associates had not com
pleted their task, and after music to
appease the audience the gathering ad-
journed until Friday morning. At that
time the platform was submitted to the
convention and the great battle be-
tween William Jennings Bryan on the
one hand and those who opposed his
ideas on the other was staged. Mr.
Glass read the platform entirely
through and moved its adoption, and
at once Mr. Bryan took the platform to
present minority report. This includ-
ed dry planks drafted by himself and
Richmond Pearson Hobson; and Bry-
ans planks on the peace treaty, on
official government bulletin, military
training and profiteering. He spoke
on all these topics, devoting himself
mainly to the treaty and dry planks,
and from the start he showed he was
in fine debating form and thoroughly
in earnest. His prohibition plank call
ed for a pledge to enforce the amend
ment and Volstead law In good faith,
| without any increase In the alcoholic
content Of beverages or any weakening
Of its other provisions. In another
minority report Bourke Cochran of
fered plank for cider, light wines and
oeer for home consumption. The COM
mittee report was silent on the sub
| ject Of prohibition. So it was three
sided battle. and the committee won.
Bryans plank got only 1851 votes,
and Cockran's got 356
The debate between Bryan and
Cochran was hugely enjoyed by the au-
dience and was well worth the price
| Of admission. The Nebraskan played
| on the emotions of his hearers most
skillfully and brought them to their
| feet time after time, and when he
closed there was a tremendous demon
stration in which most of the delegates
Joined. They were rendering tribute
to the sincerity and eloQuence of the
CommOner rather than to his plan,
as their subsequent votes showed.
| Cochran, too, received their plaudits.
and incidentally more of their votes
but not enough. Other debaters there
We're, on the dry side, among them
Mrs. Peter Oleson of Minnesota, a lit
tie bit of woman who was all fire
and earnestness and who spoke with a
krapidity that charmed Mr.. Bryan, for
| the time for his side was limited.
In closing the debate Mr. Bryan
| turned again to the League of Nations
plank, pleading for his plan of accept
ing reservations as the only way in
which peace can be concluded and urg
ing against making this "A main issue
of the campaign. When it came to
vote his league plank was defeated
without roll call.
A plank pledging recognition of the
Irish republic, offered by E. l.. Do
heny. was rejected by vote of 675h
to 402k Bryan's profiteering and ma
| tional bulletin planks and one in favor
of compensation for soldiers were lost
by viva voce vote. Then Mr.. Glass and
Secretary of State Colby spoke at
length for the committee report and it
was adopted with only one opposing
vote.
This brought the convention up to
| the balloting, and two ballots were
taken Friday evening. There were fif-
teen candidates, and on the first bal
| .ot they stood as follows: McAdoo.
| 26G Palmer, 256; Cox, 1874; Smith,
lO9 Edwards, ~ Owen, 80; Marshall,
81; Meredith, 81, Glass, 2611; ; Cum
mings, Is; Davis, 81; Simmons, "a:
Gerard, 21; Hitchcock. 1S; Harrison, G.
Before many ballots had been taken
| Saturday the contest had narrowed
| down to Cox, McAdoO and Palmer,
| With about a hundred scattering votes,
| but no one of the leaders was able to
command anywhere near a two-thirds
| vote. At times efforts were made to
start switch to some dark horse, but
| these were futile. All day and until
within few minutes of midnight the
voting continued, interrupted now and
| then by demonstrations that gave va
riety to the proceedings but meant
nothing. SO it was necessary to ad-
journ until Monday and In the interim
the various managers put In every
moment trying to come to an agree
ment that would bring the contest to
| conclusion.
The Platform.
Because there were several great is-
sues on which the party leaders and
the party generally wore sharply
| divided in opinion, the committee on