The Washington herald., 1920-07-03

Bourke Cochran, who after tact
fully paying his respect to the Me-
braskan, offered the expected plank
favoring legislation permitting the
manufacture Of light wines ana Deer.
The response of the galleries was
vociferous. but in the body OF dele
gates only New Jersey and portions
of New York and Ohio gave indica-
tions Of approval.
After weak voiced delegate from
California had Intellectually offered
stronger expression on the lrisn
question and proposition for SOL
diers' honus had been ,coldiy re-
ceiyed. Bryan took the stand In de-
Tense Of his planks.
oratery Elective. -
Twenty-four years ago heard.
Mr.. Bryan deliver his famous cro0--
of-gold speech, and since then have
listened on scores OF occasions 70
his stirring oratory, and have Al
ways found him at his best, most
stimulating In his oratory, most I'M
passioned In his address when dis
cussing great moral issues.
It was therefore no surprise 70
and him today manifesting all that
evident sincerity of conviction and
employing the dignity OF dtction
which the question of the -proteceion
OF the American home from the So
loon would inspire. Notwithstand-
ing all the talk Of light wines and
beer, It was evident that Mr.. Bryan,
had the crowd with him, and not
the galleries alone. but the dele
gates as well. were IN appreciation.
Fages Hard Task.
The task which confronted Mr.
Bryan was not an easy one. Tne
report of the COMMITTEES did not de-.
nounce prohibition. 1t merely
passed II over in silence as an ae-
complished fact. Bourke Cochran.
in yoicing the wishes of the vets.
made no attack on the amendment
but asked the concession OF the do
mestic manufacture of light wines
and beer. He even disavowed any
desire to bring back intoxicating
liquors.
II is not the FIRST time have
heard Cochran. Many years ago
when a convention sat in a ram
shackle wigwam In Chicago 1 heard
him at midnight. amidst the rolling
peals of a furious thunderstorm de.
nouncing Grover Cleveland with ALI
the passion which today he Is ex-
pending upon Bryan and his prin-
clples.
A party platform has to be taken
seriously. although to those cog
INFANT of the methods by which II
Is prepared the temptation Is strong
to treat II fiippantly. This particu-
lar platform has most of the faults
Of it's predecessors. 1t Is verbose
sxRNg va N
spots IL is more of stump speech
than a declaration of principles. But
IL represents. as presented to the
convention, the fruit Of fully thirty
six hours of steady wrangling be-
tween groups of able men. striving
to reduce the antagonistic views of
warning elements to a coherent and
harmonious whole.
The convention knew before Glass
started the wearisome task of read
ing that the committee has fallen
short of complete success on at least
two planks, the league of nations
and prohibition.
The first sensation of the day
anne when Glass began reading the
league of nations plank. we ad-
vocate the league of nations" he
read and the convention went mad
with applause. =
When he repeated that qualifying
clause there was a distinct let down
the approval of the convention.
The temper of the gathering is for
a clean-cut fight for the league.
sufragists Parade.
The reading went on to the equal
suffrage plank. Then, led largely
ly Mrs. ]. Bor len Hartman. from a
point of vantage in the organ loft,
and Mrs. Ray Baker. perched on a
reporters table, a tumult of applause
arose. The standards were seized by
women delegates and carried in a
snake dance about the floor.
| As Senator Glass proceeded with
4 fairly encyclopedia list of de-
\ Tnands of legislation for wcman's
b"nefit he wao interrupted by bursts
of applause. and he closed with the
cheerful remark and If we've
omitted anything we recommend
that too"
There passed forty minutes or
more OF nonotonous iteration Of
lpia.itudinous p]anks until suddenly
the audience sat UP in terse expec-
tation at the word Ireland. I'm
goirg to read 1t in my own brogue."
said Glass, and everybody laughed.
And that is the American broguc."
He concluded and everybody
cheered.
There could have been no better
way Of introducing a plank which.
however disappointing to the pro-
fessional friends of Ireland, goes
"a 20 he q
american sympathy for the aspira-
AZ q decent regard for international
comfy will permit
Recess for Time.
The return of Bryan for his final
summing up after nearly three
hours of intermediate oratory was
the signal for more applause than
all his opponents had received to-
gethef. His final speech was a
torrent of oratory. of words and
thoughts poured forth In a stream
the oratory racing with time
limit that prec,uded detailed argu-
ments. And once again he swept
aionR with him the crowd until
those of US who have watched one
glorious ovation after another given
To Bryan only to be followed by
defeat. wondered whether the man
ifest approval. riotous and unquali-
fed of the galleries was to end only
In cold rejection of his plank by
the delegates.
And then, he swung into mag
inificent peroration. His. face shin
ing with. the zeal of an apostle. his
arms swinging In impassioned, yet
vra caf,,I ,e.turos his fina voice un-