The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-07-17
Charles w. Bryan

the glass roof of the convention hall
and turned it into a bake oven, but
his denunciation of the political
enemy caused the delegates to forget,
for the time, their differences over
platform planks and favored candi-
dates They shed coats and, in many
cases, collars as well; they displayed
black and green and blue "galuses,
and despite the heat enjoyed to the
full everything the leader of the oil
Investigations gave them as first hand
information. For it all they paid
him to the full 10 convention coin
long, loud, terrific demonstra-
ton.
Troublesome Platform Questions
Khan or anti-Klan, that was the big
and troublesome platform question.
The Tammany braves said anti-Klan,
Mr.. Brennan and his followers from
Chicago said anti-Klan, as did many
others of the recognized state leaders
and individual delegates. These PEG
pie wanted a definite denunciation of
the Khan in the platform. and they
fought for it. The subject was fought
out in the Resolutions Committee dur
ing long, hot hours Of the days and
nights before it was presented to the
convention But the question came
before the convention in an informal
way long before the Resolutions Com
mittee was ready to report. Fordney
Johnston, of Alabama, exploded real
bomb when, in making the first Of
the nominating speeches, that for
Senator Underwood, he read into the
speech the anti-Klan plank the sena-
tor wished written into the platform.
In this the Ku Klux Khan was openly
and emphatically denounced. 1t
stopped the proceedings right there
for a full half hour. There came
wild roar of approval, mixed with
a howl of derision. A Massachusetts
delegate grabbed the state standard
and started for the platform. Other
delegates with state standards quick
ly followed A parade resulted in
which all or a part OF the delegates,
carrying the state standards of this
following states, participated: Massa-
chusetts, Maine, Pennsylvania, Hill
nois, Alabama, New York, Montana,
Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New
Jersey, Arizona, Ohio, Michigan, New
Mexico, Maryland, North Dakota, Dis
trict of Columbia, Nevada, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, Iowa. Vermont,
Porto Rico, Mississippi, Canal Zone
and Hawaii The incident produced
the first fistic encounter of the con-
vention. When one of the Missouri
delegates grabbed the state standard
to join the parade other delegates
from the state attempted to stop him,
but he insisted, and for few mo-
ments it seemed there was to be
bit of a riot At the same time things
were happening over In the Colorado
section where there was a radical
division of sentiment on the subject
of the Khan. In the melee that oc-
Cured, and before the police could
stop it, the state standard was broken.
1t was one of those interesting Incl
dents that are characteristic of mill.
tant Democracy.
Long Ballotlna Begins
With the long fight over and the
| platform finally adopted, the conven-
| ton was down to the place in the
program for which all had so patient
| ly waited. The chairman announced
the clerk would call the roll of states
| for the first ballot for a nomination
OF the party's candidate for the presi-
| dency. All realized that the first bal
| lot did not mean a great deal. There
were complimentary votes for favor
| tie sons, and who would soon drop
out of the race, though some of them
| might get back into the race when
the leaders had exhausted their
strength and demonstrated that they
coulc not win.
It Is impossible to cover the his
tory of the ballots as one followed
another. Candidates dropped by the
wayside. and new fayorites arose. and
| they, in turn. dropped back again
On came the 103rd and last call of
the states for the presidential nominal
tion which resulted in the naming of
| John w. Davis as the standard bearer
| of the party.
There was no dearth of candidates
| for second place on the ticket On the
| first ballot Charles w. Bryan, brother
of William jennings Bryan, obtained
two-third's majority, and the great
| gathering IF the Democrats, after be-
ing in session for 16 days. came to
L clnaa