These events followed the Democratic Convention earlier that month , during which James M. Cox was nominated for president and Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for vice president . Upon hearing of Bryan 's nomination by the Prohibition Party , Cox 's aides scrambled to encourage Bryan to decline , fearing potential Cox supporters may favor Bryan instead . Further , it was not yet certain whether Bryan would publicly declare his support for Cox . Democratic strategists acknowledged that if Bryan threatened to accept the Prohibition nomination , it would pressure Cox to declare support of the prohibition platform . Ultimately , however , Bryan declined the nomination , perhaps because after he had lost three times on a major party ticket , he feared losing a fourth time on a minor party ticket
Democratic Convention
1920 Democratic National Convention
Marie C. Brehm