July 5 & 6, 1908

Rocky Mountain News

Published July 5, 2008 at 9 p.m.

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Rocky Mountain News cover from July 5, 1908.

Rocky Mountain News cover from July 6, 1908.

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Front Page July 5, 1908:

Allies, led by Guffey, make the final attack on Bryan

Colonel James Guffey, Democratic National Committeeman from Pennsylvania, has arrived in Denver to uphold the interests of Standard Oil at the convention. Soon after arriving, he met with Tammany Boss Charles Murphy, after hearing that the New York political machine was siding with William Jennings Bryan.

In Lincoln, Neb., yesterday, Bryan heard that Guffey would be in Denver representing Standard Oil, and declared that Guffey is a traitor to the party.

In Denver, after Boss Murphy read the account of Bryan’s speech in the evening paper, he reportedly said that Bryan believes that he can unite the party with such an approach, then the commoner is mistaken.

Guffey has secured support from the presidential campaigns of Judge George Gray and Gov. John Johnson to prevent the nomination of Bryan on the first ballot.

Bryan’s forces said, however, that even if Guffey manages to persuade New York to vote against the commoner, Bryan will be nominated on the first ballot even without New York and Tammany Hall.

Arriving Democratic hosts plunge into harmony of color and comfort

Rocky Mountain News writer Damon Runyon says the delegates arriving by train, through the Welcome Arch, are being greeted by “Miss Denver” in a gown of red, white and blue and tinged with purple mountains, while 16th and 17th streets are decorated with canopies of the national colors.

Page 2: Oklahoman offers resolution on Cleveland

A new resolution to honor the late president Cleveland has been drawn up by Oklahoma congressman William H. Murray and has been submitted to Omaha mayor James Dahlman, the spokesman of Bryan, for approval. The new resolution recognizes the great service to his country, which Cleveland gave, without going into his policies.

Page 3: Headquarters for the delegates selected

The Brown Palace, the Albany Hotel and the Savoy Hotel are housing the majority of the state delegation headquarters.

“You wouldn’t catch me voting,” says Mrs. Coler

The wife of Tammany Hall delegate Bird Coler arrived in Denver with her husband, but could not understand that women in Colorado are able to vote. “Women don’t need to vote,” she said. “The country has got along amazingly well so far without their vote, and I am sure it always will.”

Page 4: If Bryan is nominated I’m with him to the finish

There is a rift in Tammany Hall between Boss Murphy and Alton B. Parker as Murphy is moving away from supporting William Jennings Bryan as the nominee and Parker is offering his unyielding support to the commoner should he win the nomination.

Suffragists will ask labor for its help

Suffragists who are campaigning for a plank to be adopted at the Democratic National Convention calling for the vote for woman will meet tomorrow morning with the American Federation of Labor. Mary C. C. Bradford of the Colorado Equal Suffrage Association will lead the women in talking with AFL President Samuel Gompers.

Fight for Senate toga may snag Kern boom

The Indiana delegation in Denver has raised concerns over John Kern possibly being Bryan’s running mate. The problem is that a U.S. Senate seat is opening in Indiana that should go to a Democrat, and Kern would be the choice for it. But he cannot run for it if he is on the ticket with Bryan.

All delegates to make the notification

Mayor Brown of Lincoln, Neb., a member of the Nebraska resolutions committee, has proposed a revolutionary way of notifying William Jennings Bryan of his impending Democratic nomination. He believes that all of the delegates to the National Convention should, on their way back to their homes, surprise Bryan en masse with the good news.

Congress gag rule protest framed for platform

The New York and Iowa delegations to the Democratic National Convention are drawing up a plank for the Democratic platform, which would open up Congress to the public. It would not tolerate secret closed sessions and would give a voice to the minority party.

Page 5: Would put Gray up, Bryan second on ticket

The campaign managers for Judge George Gray of Delaware have mailed a letter to all delegates urging them to vote for Gray as president and William Jennings Bryan as the judge’s running mate. They say that after four years, Gray would step down and then Bryan could take over as president.

Editorial Page: Denver welcomes the Democrats of the Nation

You thought it would be a long, arduous journey to get out west, but it wasn’t long at all and you have been greeted by 200,000 residents of this city. And you expected to see many Indians when you arrived, but the only ones that are around are the senator from Oklahoma and the Tammany “braves.”

Section 3, Page 3: Amusements Denver offers guests for week

Denver’s new $500,000 amusement park, Lakeside, is already pleasing the delegates and visitors who have arrived for the Convention. Mrs. Mary Elitch-Long will also be opening up her gardens to all delegates, wives and newspapermen during the convention.

Section 3, Page 7: Convention means getting capital to Denver

The Denver Real Estate Exchange is of the opinion that the Democratic National Convention in the city will be the best opportunity for people from around the country to see the state and invest in property and Colorado business.

Front Page July 6, 1908:

Bryan landslide when convention nominates

The states that Democratic presidential candidates Judge George Gray and Gov. John Johnson said were locks to vote against presumptive nominee William Jennings Bryan actually look to be solid for the commoner. Polls of supposed opposition stronghold states Massachusetts, Connecticut, Louisiana, New Jersey and New Hampshire found that all of the states would nominate Bryan, with very few delegates opposed to him.

Bryan is keeping his pledge to stay out of the decision-making process at the convention, as it does not appear he will have a hand in writing the platform. Most of the party leaders have visited with the commoner on their way to Denver and should know what he wishes to run on.

An argument over whether to add an anti-Mormon plank has arisen. In 1904, Alton Parker ran on an anti-Mormon plank to end the practice of polygamy in Utah. This year’s debate will be over whether there is still a need to crack down on polygamy in the Mormon Church or whether it has already stopped.

50,000 strong rush into Denver

At Union Station yesterday, 50,000 people gathered to greet 30,000 delegates, friends and family who arrived for the Democratic National Convention through the Welcome Arch. By last night, every hotel was overflowing with visitors and nearly every room in every hotel was occupied.

Anti-injunction demand follows Bryan ideas

American Federation of Labor President Samuel Gompers has arrived in Denver to promote adoption of an anti-injunction plank on the Democratic platform. Likewise, Mack Glenn, secretary of the Illinois Manufacturers Association, has arrived to prevent the adoption of the plank, which would restrict the powers of courts to rule against labor strikes.

Page 3: Col. Guffey to be ousted as national committeeman

Standard Oil representative from Pennsylvania, Col. James M. Guffey, looks to be ousted from his position as national committeeman for the state, after a debate at the Savoy Hotel last night led to a split among the Pennsylvania delegation as to whether Guffey should remain in the post.

Indian delegates genuine

The Oklahoma Delegation has arrived in Denver, and has greeted the residents with genuine Indian yells from the many full-blooded natives who are proud to be delegates to the national convention.

Page 4: Burton repudiates Republicans; is out for Bryan

Former Republican Sen. Joseph R. Burton of Kansas has arrived in Denver and is speaking out against his former party. He said Roosevelt bought about the nomination of William H. Taft by using his position as president and that only the Democrats can end Republican corruption in Washington.

“Line up for Bryan” battle song of Democracy

George W. Gale of Cincinnati has written a song entitled “Line up for Bryan” for the Democratic National Convention, which will be played by bands throughout Denver.

Page 5: Plans to replace all flags early this morning

Heavy rain and wind in Denver last night has damaged some of the downtown Convention decorations, but the city has announced that all decorations lost to the wind and rain will be repaired today.

Longworth party due today for convention

Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of President Roosevelt and wife of Rep. Nicholas Longworth of Ohio, will arrive here today to attend the Democratic National Convention. She is traveling in a party headed by Medill McCormick, owner of the Chicago Tribune.

Page 11: Bryan praised as Christian citizen

Rev. Cristian Reisner of the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church in Denver spoke yesterday of William Jennings Bryan’s qualifications for the presidency. He said that a candidate must be a clear-cut Christian to be qualified for the post, and Bryan neither drinks nor smokes and is a family man.

Editorial Page: The Democracy of Colonel Jim Guffey

Guffey must not understand the nature of the Democratic Party, because he is a representative for Standard Oil and the Rockefellers. There is no place in the party for representatives of the privileged class.

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