Thomas’ father, David Munson Osborne, served a term as mayor of Auburn in the 1870s. The elder Osborne was a Republican, but during college his son Thomas saw himself as a Democrat; in Auburn he got involved in the Democratic party. However, when it was suggested that he run for mayor, his response was that he would consider it if he could be nominated on a citizen’s ticket, with no party affiliation. In 1896 he became a delegate from New York State to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. That experience serving as a state delegate opened his eyes in many ways. He was not happy with the choice of Williams Jennings Bryan as the Democrat’s choice for the presidential candidate. Nor was he pleased with the various planks in the Democrat’s
