San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-25


to success was to put into
words the sentiments of q
majority of the delegates to
tho convention-to be the voice of a
. triumphant majority.
The delegates had been hammered
by the very able speech of Senator
Hill: they had been provoked by the
Language of Senator Villas, and still
further irritated by the speech of Gov.
erncr Russell. They were in a mood
to applaud.
SCENE ALL SET.
The subject was one upon which
great party had made a successful
fight. and that, too. against It's 0Wh
president and its officers in office. The
fight had been won by an appeal to
the rank and file of the party, and
tyo-thirds Of the delegates to the con-
yentiou we're there to require the YER
dict already pronounced by their peo-
pie.
plete in every detail. | had no DOUBT
that I could meet the expectations
that had been aroused by this extra
ordinary combination of circum-
stances because / had spent three
Years studying the question from every
angle. and I had time and again an
.swered all the arguments that the
other side advanced. All that had to
do was TO analyze the speeches OF Hill.
Villas and Russell. as they were made,
and then nresent the answer as effec-
lively as ] could.
The excitement Of the moment was
90 intense that / hurried to the plat
form and began at once.
AUDIENCE WITH BRYAN.
shall never forget the scene upon,
which / looked. ] believe it unrivalled
in sny convention ever held IN our
country. The audience seemed 10 rise
and sit down rs one man. MY heT,
youspess left me instantly, ana i ielt
as composed as il | had beer. speaking
TO n small audience on an unimportaht
occasion. .I;o,oo
From the first sentence the audience
r,as with me, Ny voice reached 70 the
uttermost parts of the hall. whlcn -
a yreat advantage in speaking TO an
assembly like that. There was per-
fect silence. broken only by. applause
and nv such applause as had never
erected a speech of mine. IL came
Continuously at the conclusion Oh
aach argument, which was almost at
~ conclusion of each sentence. Inc
ar,nmcnts were condensed, only
snntcnce or two being given to eacn
point. >,rr &C ONE
A. finished a sentence, the audi
onen would rise and shout in concert
raised my hand for silence, the
and;oncc dropped as spontaneously as
il had risen. 1t reminded me Vi u
great chorus with the different groups
of singers responding to the Daton Vi
the chorus master. -
The audience could not have acted
its mart more perfectly if 1t had oeeh
trained for months. As | recall tne
scene today, can almost hear the
.horts. and / can see the faces that
we're conspicuous on that day. My own
delegates / can never forget. No man
ever had a more loyal sixteen than L
had on that day, and their faces glow
ed with enthusiasm.
But the two faces that stand out
most conspicuously in my memory are
those of Governor Hogg OF Texas ana
Homer James Of Kentucky. James was
70 nv right, and Hogg to my lett,
about the same distance from the mid
die of the hall, and about the same
distance from the platform, so thai
in looking over the audience, l turhed
from one to the other.
SITUATION UNIQUE.
They we're large men (both have
nassed to their rewards) and their
hoorlless faces shone like two suns.
They could not have responded to
thc expressions Of my own face more
nerfectly il | had been speaking
speech they had prepared. .,
The situation was unique. and the
experience so unprecedented that L
never expected to witness its counter
part. .,,
the demonstration spread over nearly
the entire convention. As is custom.
arv at such times, the standards OF
tho various states were carried through
the aiales, followed by the delegates,
The Nebraska standard at the front.
During the demonstration, many per-
sons came to me to tell me OF the
votes in their delegations. In some
cases whole states were pledged. 9th
ers came to ask questions.
I remember one man came 10 re-
mort that | was accused of drinking
10 excess. 1t was easy to answer
him with the assurance that | was,
and always have been teetotaler.
REPLIES TO QUERIES.
Another man came tot ell me
that someone in his delegation ac-
cused me of saying that ! would
not support gold candidate IT
one were nominated by our con-
yention. ] replied that would no
more support gold standard or
a gold platform than | would an
army mirching on my ZONE. The
delegate said that he would not, either
and went back TO carry my answer.
Several persons urged me to have
nv friends keep the convention in