Show i r r O OI Tales and acid I f Traditions I from American Amerian i Po Political History c If Ift t FRA FRANK E. E HAGEN MAGEN HAGENl imI AN ANDELMO AND 0 l s ELMO SCOTT SCOn WATSON I CROWN OF THORNS DOUBTS D leading of presidential the identity candidates of the II so thoroughly dispelled early in 1936 sometimes have held on to the midst of or the conventions So it was that the Democratic gathering of 1896 provided a tremendous tremendous tremendous tre tre- upset giving the party William Jennings Bryan a leader who literally was to wear a crown of thorns through three unsuccessful unsuccessful unsuccessful campaigns No less than 13 candidates for forthe forthe Cor Corthe the Democratic nomination were regarded seriously in 1896 and the usual of dark horses was present Pitchfork Ben Een Tillman of South Carolina whose hat was definitely definitely def del in the ring prodded the delegates delegates del del- urn um and the wordy battles from the platform spread to one fist fight after aHel another on the floor Then Bryan was recognized We Ve are fighting in defense of I IVe our homes our families and posterity posterity pos- pos he declaimed We Ve have petitioned and our petitions have been een scorned We have entreated and our entreaties have been dis dis- regarded We Ve have begged and they have mocked us when our calamity came We beg no more we ve entreat e n no longer we e petition I no more more we we mum His remarks were on the financial financial financial finan finan- cial plank of the Democratic platform platform platform plat plat- form and Bryan fired them directly at the delegation from New York Then he closed with the defiance which still rings the corridors corri- corri I 1 dors of time You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns you shall not crucify cru cru- crucify mankind upon a cross of gold I He stopped stepped the chow how The I delegates went wild When the I business of the convention could be resumed the day following Bryan was nominated His defeat by McKinley two succeeding succeeding suc suc- I failures for the presidency cy in truth settled a crown of I thorns upon the brow of Bryan which he was doomed to wear until until until un un- til the last public act of his life life life- participation in the famous monkey monkey mon key trial down in Dayton Tennes Tennes- see He held geld and he swayed multitudes multitudes multitudes mul- mul with the power of his oratory oratory oratory ora- ora tory but on election day he could not mark their ballots for them |