Show CROWN OF THORNS D ot of the identity ot of the leading presidential candidates so thoroughly dispelled early in 1938 1936 sometimes have held on to the midst ot of the conventions so it was that the democratic gathering of 1896 provided a tremendous upset giving the e party william jennings bryan a leader who literally was to wear a crown of thorns through three unsuccessful campaigns no less than 13 candidates for the democratic nomination were regarded seriously in 1896 and the usual of dark horses was present 3 pitchfork ben tillman of south carolina whose hat was definitely in the rini ring prodded the delegates uni mercifully and the wordy battles from the platform spread to one fist fight afeei another on the floor then bryan was recognized we are fighting in defense of our homes our families and posterity he declaimed we have petitioned and our petitions have been scorned we have entreated and our entreat entreaties ius have been disregarded we have begged and they have mocked us when our calamity came we beg no more we entreat no longer we petition no more we defy theral them his remarks were on the financial plank of the democratic platform and bryan fired them directly S at the delegation from new N ew york f then he closed with the defiance which still rings down the corridors of time you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold he stopped the show chow the delegates went wild when the business of the convention could be resumed the day following bryan was nominated his defeat by mckinley two succeeding failures for the presidency in truth settled a crown of thorns upon the brow of bryan which he was doomed to wear until the last public act of his life participation in the famous monkey trial down in dayton tennessee he held and he swayed multitudes with the power of his oratory but on election day he could not mark their ballots for them |