San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-22
BY w. J. BRYAN


chairman Of the convention, com
mittee from Mr.. Clark's headquarters
called to offer me the permanent
Craftsmanship of the convention. This
encouraged my family, and the friends
about the headquarters, because 1t
was proof conclusive that Mr.. Clark's
managers were feeling the reaction
from the victory in the afternoon. 1
declined the invitation. telling the
messengers that those who owned n
ship should furnish the crew; that
when / was in charge Of conven-
tion i never asked the minority to
supply the officers. We were kept
up late that night listening to the
messages that came from various head
quarters, all indicating confusion ant
CONSERVATION.
BIG POSITION OFFERED
The next morning i was delayed in
getting to the committee on resolu-
tons, and found when / reached the
convention hall that a committee had
been sent to the hotel TO ask me to
accept the Craftsmanship OF the Reso-
lutions Committee.
l expressed my appreciation of the
honor done me, but suggested that the
majority should furnish the chairman,
as it might became necessary for me
10 present a minority report, and it
would not look well for such a report
to be presented by the chairman. i
was then asked IL I would serve on the
subcommittee. This gladly con-
sented TO do, as desired to contribute
rs much as possible to the making of
a progressive platform.
Before the subcommittee withdrew
10 begin its work, offered n resolu-
tion to the effect that the committee.
after agreeing upon a platform, should
hold it until after the nomination Of
a candidate for President. so that he
might be consulted about the platform
before it was adopted. One of the
eastern delegates arose and asked in n
tone of surprise whether l thought it
possible that n nominee OF the conven-
zion would object to any platform that
the convention had adopted.
Our candidate did in 1904" I re-
piled.
RESURRECTION IN PRESS.
The Questioner subsidized amid Re
laughter OF the committee, and the
resolution was adopted.
We then had an illustration Of the
sensational character Of reports that
are sent out from a convention. The
morning papers under big headlines
told about my being defeated for chair
man. the unfriendly papers in varying
tones of gleefulness describing my po-
itical demise.
The afternoon papers, with head
lines as large, announced that Mr..
Bryan had risen from the grave and
taken charge of the committee on reSo-
demonstrating the statement on the
fact that the innocent resolution which
/ had introduced had been adopted.
My association with the other MEM
beTs of the subcommittee was pleasant
and harmonious. | never worked with
a more congenial crowd.
The completeness of the harmony
may be gathered from an incident.
Just before the opening of the se2-
ond days session. ] met Judge O'Gor-
man, who told me that Senator MAJ
tin had stated to hin, that instead OF
being firebrand MS some OF the com
mittec feared i would be. ! was the
most conservative man on the commit
tee. When the committee assembled
I went IN to Senator Martin, and
addressed him in serious tones.
Senator. i am sorry TO hear you
have been making unkind remarks
about me-" / said.
FIGHT BASED ON RECORD.
The senator assured me with loox
Of honest surprise on his face that |
had been misinfo-med. that he bod
spoken of me only in the most kindly
OF complimentary language.
But" j explained to him. "yor
told Judge O'Gorman that ] was the
most conservative man on this com
mittec. What will my friends think
when they hear this and know that
you are on the committee?
He enjoyed the humor OF Il. and
we went on working together as il al.
ways agreed on the policies of the
party.
] assured the committee that ] had
no desire to write into the platform of
another candidate any views that |
had that had not always been en-
dorsed by the party. / opposed any
retreat on public questions, and found
the committee quite ready to endorse
all that the Democrats in Congress
had done. siuce they believed as | did
that our fight must be on the party's
record.
] was successful In reitcrating in
our platform many of the planks Goa
tanned in previous platforms which
had helped TO write, but / did not ask
for the Incorporation of anything new.
The platform incorporated phrase
which had appeared in three previous
platforms. namely:
"A private monopoly is indefensible
and intolerable."
THE SINGLE TERN.
I first used the phrase in n speech |
at an antitrust conference in Chi |
cngo in 1893. The sentence used was
almost identical with the sentence
above quoted, and was incorporated in |
the platforms Of 1900, 1904. zoos and !
finally 1912. ] digress far enough |
from the narrative TO say that Presi- |
dent Wilson used this sentence in his