The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-06-21


his support and do his bit in securing
the man from the SHOW Me" state
the realization Of his dreams and
ambitions.
Bryan owed Clark much for the
honor conferred by the nations de-
inocracy when he was nominated the
second time for the presidency.
Democratic political history shows
that Bryan secured the presidential
the first time at Chicago,
through stampeding the convention
from Silver Dick" Bland, Of Mis-
souri,, after the Missouran had all
but won the victory.
Democratic political history shows
that silver Dick" Bland of Missouri,
was the father of the free silver"
idea upon which Bryan secured the
nomination when he delivered upon
the floor of the convention, at Chi
cago. the famous cross Of gold and
crown of thorns" speech For years
Of congress from the old eighth Mis-
souri, district, had worked and strlven
for the enactment Of law which
would place the silver circulating
medium of the country upon a firm
monetary basis.
And when the man from Nebraska
defeated Bland and secured the pres-
dental nomination, to the accom-
panying thunders Of the father Of free
silver, Missouri democrats were mighty
sore on the man with the silver
tongue. Particularly was this true
after the cohorts Of republcanlsm had
swept the country at the ensuing gen.
eral election.
-Four years came and passed into
history. A presidential campaign was
on again. And Bryan was again Il
candidate. Also, Missouri's democrats
were still sore and decidedly luke.
warm toward the orator of the Platte.
1t was then that Champ Clark, be-
lieving that Bryan would prove
logical candidate in the contest against
the republican nominee. dropped every
thing, left his post at Washington
and came to Missouri. where he did
such effective work for Bryan, the
boy orator" as he was then known,
that Missouri forgetting the blow to
her 'favorite SON. the man Bland,
who died Of broken heart, grieving
over the manner in which mis- party
led by Bryan had treated him, even as
James G.. Blaine had died of a broken
heart frcm the perfidous treatment
Of the republican party to which he
had given the service OF lifetimel
rallied to the Bryan cause and was
the first state in the union to instruct
its delegates for him, while the young
man Oldham, an Omaha lawyer but
recently moved from Missouri, came
forward and made the nominating
speech which swept the delegations
in a mighty vortex to the Nebraskan's
support and secured for him the nomi.
nation, almost by acclamation.
Again was Bryan defeated, and
again And still Champ Clark be-
lievcd in him, supported him, worked
for him.
Came the convention at Baltimore,
with Champ Clark, after quarter
OF 4 century faithful service to his
country and his party, asking for the
high honor of the presidential nom-
nation.
And to the convention also came
Bryan step-father Of free silver. per
ennial candidate for presidential hon.
ors and logically supporter of the
Ahssourian.
70 this convention came Bryan,
talking grape juice and the days Of
he millennium and casting about for
u means by which he could stampede
the delegates TO the sixteen-to-one
idea, even as he had stampeded the
Of sixteen years before.
Clark. with Bryan's influence against
him, went to his Waterloo and the
emocraty nominated-not Bryan, thank |
God, but Woodrow Wilson, a pro
FOUNDER of democratic doctrines, an
exponent of democratic principles
1t is net for US to say that Clark
would nave made the nation as good
a president as has Wilson; it would
have been impossible for him to have
been a better one. But We can say.
and we do say that the psychological
time is at hand, the psychological
moment when Bryan can come to the
fore and pay debt Of gratitude which
has been owing for many years.
win he do it?