Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-07-22
The Convention of 1896.

Convention, which gathered in Chi
caeo on July Z, was destinated to
split the Party quite as the later
1912 Convention split Republicanism
The issue upon which the division
came was the free coinage of silver
in the famous ration Of "16 to ~;
and the new Democratic chieftaln
whom the occasion made. was VIII
liam Jennings Bryan--then only 80
Years of age-who was destined to
dominate subsequent Party faiths for
years.
From the moment the gavel fell,
the Convention fight ragged around
free silver" and from first to last
free silver" won. The National
Committee had proposed Senator
David B. Hill of New York for
temporary chairman. He was
promptly unhorsed by vote Of 556
to 349, when the Convention sub
stituted Senator John w. Daniel. a
free silverite," from Virginia. The
committe on credentials then decided
all contests in favor of the free sill
verites," and thus augmented their
Convention control.
The resolutions committee then
reported a straight-away free sill
ver'' plank which, after terrific de-
bate, was sustained by vote Of 626
to 3O3 1t was in this debate that
Bryan-who got into the Convention
only when the credentials committee
unseated the "gold delegation" from
Nebraska-sprang into whitehead
popularity and dominion with that
famous speech which concluded IN
these burning words-"We shall ans
wer their demand for the gold stand
ard by saying to them: you shall not
press down upon the brow Of labor
this crown of thorns; you shall net
cruelty mankind upon cross OF
gold!"
The "silverites" were now SO com
pletely in the saddle that the "gold
standard" delegates realized they
were helpless to prevent free sill
ver''nommination, even under the
| two-thirds rule. They did not with
draw from the Convention at the
time, but 17S delegates refused to
/ vote on the Presidential roll-calls.
Richard b. Bland of Missouri led
! the first ballot, with 235 to Bryan's
20 .ataa 4, tota, f;ald of "a candid.
- 'otes nstaut n pattison of penn.
'es'' ~ 1I. po;os, of Tows
ssi'atn -, - p,aa,,h,,rn =,
90 80 90 ~. ,,.;,,a;,
Ne'i.usAs ~, ~, 40 socnnd am
-, p,a ..,,, ,od ~ III.
.nfu D@n ,, -. ;,,,o firs
.oui.n oa"o ~ sie4n ,aa,,ot ho ha,
tanoi' .'i' e - 80. ~ ~ naoas
wv Vo'es -. 80 pnea.o 80 ros,I
ss.is naa .wosni.u 90 ao,oaatas trans
we ,''AornS 80 an III
80" ~ ns,sst;a1 n,i,a
-,
LUIS ,,,,,,
1osep' W.. sas:5oat ~ s,rs
J., e,.,a - r. A,,,ono +hes
! p.'-'o' -
10 were iooi wno n'n ~, -,
Bryan Tor Iirst place. Diaiiu ieo -
second ana third paiiols, just aS -
had done IN the preceding Fresi
Dental voting. Joseph X. McLea
of Ohio led the fourth ballot. Blu
Arthur Sewall of Maine led the fift
and last ballot, with the nevessar
two- third vote.
Two weeks later the ponulists ais
,;no+od prvan hnt ,inLad Thon,a
N ,1,.a., 20 Ca,,,, ,,,,t,, h,r, e.
- - ,.,.Is
l seooiio piaoe t ,n'N
= Far'y, howeVel, aoop'eu po'h Drsa
ana Sewaii. Ihen' on september
the revolving gold Democrats gatf
:, cred in Indianopolis-with Al state
} and three territories represented
and nominated John M. Palmer {
> Illinois for President, on a singl
!, ballot. and General Simon r. Buck
J nor nf Kentuc,,y for viceupresider
a h,, .oo,amotion
M .,,,. - ...
W
/, sne IT'S e'ee''oii u r'esiue"' M'
I hihieS
The convention OF 1900.
The 1900 national democratic cor
4 vention met in Kansas CITY, on July
in a great auditorium which thre
a months before was destroyed by fir'
4 but which was rebuilt in time for Bry
!. ans denomination for president. tn
/, great question of free silver whic
had split the party four years before
!, was still paramount.
"A big wing OF the convention wan'
Eed to sidetrack TINS treacherous mon
ey question tupon which the countr
= mad already returned on verdlct an