Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-07-10
INDEALISTS WERE 5
THROWN ASIDE AT
IWOCONVENIlONS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

- O&A &A$ &AxA w &6ESxNSA
Copyright, 1920, for The Atlanta Journal. }
SAN FRANCISCO, July 9.-Though
the differences between the Republi-
can and Democratic conventions be
few, they are nevertheless worth
analysing.
Emotionalism reached it's peak in
the discussion of politics here and
in the almost fanatical loyalty with
which the supporters of McAdoo re-
fused to accept his declination to be
a candidate and carried 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 Nc
Adoor nor Hiram Johnson can be the
beneficiary of a post mortem, but
there is a striking similarity be-
tween the devotion of the folks who
Worshiped Hiram Johnson and the
folks who fought valiantly for Nc
400. At Chicago the idealistS weren't
even given a hearing. They were
bluntly showed aside and outwitted
by the master strategists. AT San
Francisco the idealists We're listened
to and then coldly overwhelmed.
Few men in recent years have sue
ceeded in kindling the emotion to
which William Jennings Bryan set
fire in the Democratic convention.
Hiram Johnson sat by, admiring the
reception that California audience
gave to man who made his appeal
on a moral issue, but cruel and unre-
lenting political expediency sent
Bryan to defeat within few min
utes after the delegates and the gall
leries had ceased cheering him.
They accepted his doctrine but not
his frank suggestion that the con,
cheered.
I' Bryan Kuni1iated
William Jennings Bryan is grieved
and Inundated. His friends see the
aged Commoner disappointed, not be-
cause he wasn't selected for the
presidency, as so many people nave
insisted was his ambition, but down
cast because in the hour of his great
est triumph--the ratification of the
prohibition amendment-his own par
ty turnedla deaf, ear to as sincere and
forceful a plea as was ever made
on public platform. y.
The memory of Bryan fighting for
a dry plank in the Democratic plat
form will always be the dramatic
episode 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 nominated a candidate
whom Bryan believes is wet.
Mr.. Bryan will not bolt the party.
He will probably not make any
speeches against Governor Cox, for
the latter will sooner or. later make
it clear that any revival of the wet
dY1r hicdIIo rnStC with
Mr. Bryan, however, plans. to fight
for dry congress. In all likelihood
lhe will enter the districts of Re-
FpublicanS and Democrats alike who
come out for any increase in the
alcoholic content of beverages.
On the treaty issue, Mr.. Bryan
made the mistake of Juggling in his
own amendment to the constitution,
so that a majority vote instead of
two thirds could end war. He would
have been twice as dangerous to the
convention If he had suggested that
who voted with the majority on
reservations to the peace treaty be
Endorsed. AS it was he fell victim
to the effective satire and keen re-
torts of Senator Carter Glass, of
Virginia, who distinguished himself
ed a set of oratorical teeth that will
bite hard into Republican argument,
even though this is his first term
in the senate,
Virginia Loyal to Glass
H. Senator Glass was looked upon by
his delegation as a possible dark
horse in the event that the dead
remained loyal to him and the vocal
Interruptions by John Joyce, of Nor
folk county, Va, his musical exela-
Glass struck away at the foes of the
platform, constituted species OF
favorite son ,adultation hardly ex-
celled.
The Democratic platform was de-
bated in the open. The Republican
platform was debated mostly behind
closed doors. Each convention had
| it's own method.
| ing all debate, the program worked
out by a majority of the platform
| committee here in executive session
/ was adopted by the main body OF
/. delegates by as big vote as at Chi
cago. The Democrats, however, did
| put on a better show-William Jen-
nings Bryan, Bourke Cochran, of New
| York; Carter Glass and Bainbridgt
| Colby-an oratorical feast extraor.
binary and all in one day.
| Also, the Republicans listened at
| tentively to Samuel Gompers, and
gave MIN very little OF what ne want
| ed in the platform, That was exact
| ly the treatment which the Republic
] can delegates liked. The Democrats
gave Gompers nearly everything he
wanted and that was popular with
! the Democrats here. Each conven-
/ ton had it's own ideas of what sort
of an appeal the platform should
make-the Republicans catered to the
| business folks and the Democrats tc
| the 1aboring men. 1t took just as
| long to read the Republican platform
as Chicago as it did the Democratic
platform here and the delegates in
| both conventions seemed about
! equally dazed and bored by the flow
of political vocabulary conspired in
| by fifty men after all night and day
sessions. But newspaper correspond
| ents who attend the proceedings OF
| congress from year to year thought
both the Republican and Democratic
| platform committees displayed won
derful powers of concentration and
evolved in two or three days what il
would take fifty senator's months to
agree unon if, instead of the impa-
tience of a waiting convention, they
faced only the indulgent patience OF
a waiting public.
WeeviI in Fayette