The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-03

quired to read all of his proposed blanks before the discussion of any of them could begin. The bone-dry proposition he presented first and then followed the declarations he had drafted for publca- ton of a government bulletin for dealing with profiteering and profiteers and to put the party on record as opposing compulsory military training in times of peace.
 When he came to the last of his five blanks, which dealt with the League of Nations, MT Bryan prefaced it's reading oy saying that nothing contained in if was intended to conflict with the ma Jority platform words of praise for the President. The peace treaty, he added was better than anyone had a right to expect" considering the circumstances with which the President had to de.i some noes" interrupted the reading of tne Bryan league plank, but it's provi slofis also got some applause. it uemanded an amendment to the constitution for ratification of treaties oy majority vote of the Senate. CoCkRAN HAS WET PLANK when MT. Bryan finishedj reading hls blanks he sat down and W. Rourke Cockran of New York, another vetera, ol many democratic conventions. was recognized to also present minority report. He said Mir. Bryan had been lnsoequats in his description of the eilorts os- the platform cAnmittee to write great platform.
 MT. Cockran's minority report vas q wet plank. He told the convention that nad MT. Bryan consented to let the committees report stand, he doubted "hether the vets would have raised the question. But Bryan and evasion are irreconcilable within the same hall" ne added, and now that the issue had been raised, thank God the convention can no longer dodge it."
 roar of cheering greeted the lan- gnage Of the plank which declared for manufacture and home consumption of cider, light wines and beers. The con- vention greeted the reading of that phrase with a mighty shout and pro- longed cheers. It reserved to the states the right to fill alcoholic contents Just as the reading was finished some one upset glass of water on the speakers table and it went down the neck of the official stenographer. Edward l.. Doheny of California was the next to bring in a minority plank. It was in part the Irish plank, for which an unsuccessful fight rad been waged by organized Irish sympathzers in the committee. but as read by Mr. Doheny, it did not contain a declara- tion for recognition of the Irish re- public.
 Presenting the minority plank of soldier relief, Tom Isyons of Oklahoma declared the division on it's adoption in. the committee had been so close that it took three roll calls before 1t was cer- tain that it had been defeated While the minority propositions were beng read the leaders conferred and agreed on a plan to limit debate to three hours and a half. When Chair man Robinson presented the arrange ment to the convention for approval, there were many cries of "cut it down., and one delegate yelled, "Cut out the three hours"
 RULES SUSPENDED
 Unanimous consent for the agreement was refused by a chorus of objections, but on motion of Senator Glass the rules were suspended and the three -hour-anf- a-half plan was agreed to. Then w. J. Bryan was recognized to begin argument on his proposal. He was allotted an hour under the conventions agreement, put said he would yield large part of that time to others supporting him.
 Beginning his speech was an argument in favor of the eighteenth amendment, MT Bryan soon got the convention to cheering. Every democratic state, ne said, had ratified the amendment and everyone recognized that the liquor traf- fife is dead, never to be resurrected. sThe only question is whether we shall recognize 1t as dead, he continued or allow it to lie out on the ground uncov- cred. Decency requires that corpse De put cut of sight
 The liquor interests, said MT. Bryan. were not trying to reopen the question, but now had come down to advocating wine and beer for home consumption only. He argued that to remain silent on the subject would leave open the pos- siblity of change in the law to increase the alcoholic content
 q want to leave no opening for mis- understanding or quibble.' he said. so I have put into my plank the provision that there shall be no relaxation of the law. What we hate is alcohol, and we hate it where we find it, in whisky, wine or beer. They tell you that wine is harmless drink, but you will find that through the ages it has been wine that has cursed mankind.
 If you can't get enough alcohol 10 make you drunk, why do you want alco- hol at all? Some tell you that if you pass my plank, some people will leave the party. That's true. But while you