Evening star., 1920-07-09
BRYAN INUNDATED,
BUT WILL NOT BOLT
Lawrence Thinks He Will
Fight for Bone-Dry
Congress.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BAN FRANCISCO, July 9.-Though
the differences between the republican
and democratic conventions be few. they
are nevertheless worth analyzing. Emo
tionalism reached it's peak in the discus
sion of politics here and In the almost
fanatical loyalty with which the sup
porters Of McAdoo refused to accept his
declination to be candidate ana car
rted his name through a mighty battle
because he seemed to embody the vision
Of a Wilson and the aggressiveness OF a
Roosevelt.
It's all over now. and neither McAdoo
nor, Hiram Johnson can be the bene-
nciary Of a post mortem. but there Is a
striking similarity between the devo-
tion OF the folks who worshiped Hiram
johnson and the folks who fought vail
antly for McAdoo. At Chicago the ideal
lists weren't even given a hearing. They
were bluntly showed aside and outwitted
by the master strategists. At San Fran
cisco the idealists were listened to and
then coldly overwhelmed.
Bryan Was Humiliated.
Few men in recent years have sue
ceeded in kindling the emotion to
which William Jennings Bryan set
fire in the democratic convention. Hi
ram johnson sat by. admiring the re-
ception that California audience
gave to a man who made his appeal
OA q mural issue, Uut cruel anu uilTe-
lentinR political expediency sent Bry-
an to defeat within a few minutes
after the delegates and the galleries
mad ceased cheering him. They &C
cepted his doctrine. but not his frank
suggestion that the convention go on
record as 1t had cheered.
William Jennings Bryan Is grieved
and humiliated. His friends see the
aged commoner disappointed. not be-
cause he wasn't relected for the pres
1dency. as so many people have in
sisted was his ambition. but downcast
because in the hour of his greatest
triumph-the ratification of the pro-
hfoition amendment-his own party
turned deaf ear to as sincere and
1orcefui plea as was ever made on
public platform.
He VIII Not Bolt.
The memory of Bryan fighting for
a dry plank in the democratic plat
tsode of the convention. He stood
there like crusader Offering his life
TO cause. pleading with the dry
states not to 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 candidate whom Bryan be-
Heves is wet.
Bryan will not bolt the party. He
will probably not make any speeches
against COX, lot tne latter Will soon
er or later make 1t clear that any
revival 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.
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 to
the Constitution, so that a majority
the war. He would have been twice
as dangerous to the convention If he
had suggested that the twenty-one
democratic senators who voted with
the majority on reservations to the
peace treaty be indorsed. AS it was,
he fell victim to the effective satire
and keen retorts Of Senator Carter
Glass Of Virginia, who distinguished
himself In the debate on platform and
showed a set of oratorical teeth that
will bite hard into republican argu-
ment. even though this is his first
term in the Senate.
DeMocrats Debated Openly.a
Glass was looked upon by his dele
CATION as a possible dark horse in the
event that the deadlock could not be
broken, Virginia remained loyal to
him. and the vocal Interruptions of
John Joyce of Norfolk county. Virginia.
his musical exclamation "Wonderful!'
as Glass struck away at the foes of
the platform constituted a species of
1avorite son adulation hardly excelled.
The democratic platform was de-
bated In the open. The republican
platform was debated mostly behind
closed doors. Each convention had its
own method. AS matter of fact, not
withstanding all debate. the program
worked out by a majority Of the plat
FORM committee here In executive ses-
sion was adopted by the main body of
delegates by as big a vote as at Chi
cago. The democrats. however, did put
on q better show-William Jennings
Bryan, Bourke Cochran of New York,
Carter Glass and cambridge Colby
an oratorical feast extraordinary, and
all in one day.
Gompers Lost and Won,
Also. the republicans listened at
tentively to Samuel Gompers. and
gave him very little of what he want
ed in the platform. That was ex-
actly the treatment which the repub-
lican delegates liked. The democrats
gave Gompers most everything he
wanted. and that was popular with
the democrats here. Each convention
had its own ideas Of what sort OF an
appeal the platform should make
the republicans catered to the busi-
ness folk: the democrats to the la
boring man. 1t took Just as long to
read the republican platform at Chi
cago as it did the democratic platform
here. and the delegates in both con-
ventions seemed about equally dazed
and bored by the flow of political vo-
cabulary conspired in by fifty men
after all night and day sessions
But newspaper correspondents, who
attend the proceedings Of Congress
from year to year. thought both the
republican and democratic platform
committees displayed wonderful pow
ers of concentration. and evolved in
two or three days what 1t would take
nifty senators months to agree upon.
if. instead of the impatience Of a
waiting convention. they faced ONLY
the indulgent patience of a waiting
public.
Copyright. 1920.)