New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-04
TIE CAMPiIGN N NEBRASKA.

Nebraska seems 10 have been fixed upon by
the frce-conagc leaders as the most hopeful
field on which TO make this fall 'laSt-ditch
struggle for the falling cause OF silver Inc
reasons for the choice are obvious. For sew
cral years past no State has offered falrer con
GltlonS than Nebraska for that motley fusion
If diScordant political interests on which alone
tbe frcc.coiuagc agiiatOrs &c nd count FOR sue
cess As in Kansas, the Populi>i party had
practically absorbed tho voting strength Oh
the former Democratic opposition. leaving Nv"
broken remnants 10 MAINTAIN nominal ldch-
tity-onc as n boiling sound-money faction. III"
other as an oifshoot Of the National silver he
mocracy. But So intimate in Nebraska had
been the relations between the POpuliSi and III"
silver Democratic organizations that IN pllr-
poses and lcadershp-in everything III iac'' pul
name-the two had virtually been merged into
a single political party. The nomination "i
BRYAN for the PrcsidcnCy-himsclf rs distinct
lively a Populist as n D"mocrat-had naturaI!
perfected the working alliance between III"
Democratic and Populist forces and had. be-
sides. drawn into the general union an appre-
cable fraction Of disaffcctcd silver Republ
cans
Aided by thorough organization and good
leadership, as well as by the widespread dis
content which several successive years OF az
ricultural depression had brought. III" trlpar-
ti,e free coinage fusion showed in Nebraska
strength which it failed utterly Of realizing in
any other Western or Northwestern state In
Kansas as n result of union the plurality for
the Nebraska candidate rose only few thou
sand votes above that given for General
Weaver aS a straightout Populist candidate III
1892 But in Mr.. Bryan's home State the com
bination which lac had helped 10 carry into ef-
fcctive operation easily converted an adverse
plurality Of 1000 in 1890 into n favorable one
of IL. 600 In 1896. In fact. Of the admittedly de
batablc States in last years canvass. Nebraska
alone may be said to have fulfilled 10y its vote
the expectations of the free silver managers.
That in the present desperate condition OF
bis political and personal fortunes the silver
candidate for the Presidency should be driven
10 concentrate his energies on holding his home
state to the cause OF free conage is therefore.
not to be wondered at With last years fusion
in Kansas slowly disSolving and leaders in the
Sunnowcr State like Mrs. Lease AMI cx-Scna-
tor PETER deserving the thrce-corncrcd alliance
Nebraska is left the sole connecting link be-
tween the two unrelated groups OF states whose
union in n single interest gave 10 the Pres-
Dental campaign of 1896 It's PECULIAR and SIMS
ter significance. Without some counicnancc
from the great agricultural States which lie be-
tween the old South and the mining commune
ties OF the far West no political agitation in
which these two sections are enlisted though
for entirely diverse rcasOnS-can reasonably
hope to maintain irs vitality. Without con
,lnued and enlarged support in The upper Mis-
souri, and Mississippi valleys the silver move
mcnt is clearly doomed. and the extraordinary
L.II hf
wealth in line show that Mr.. Bryan and his
associates realize that their future as political
leaders is staked on the result Of the elections
10 be held this fall in the belt of newer prairie
States stretching northward from Kansas
through Nebraska to Wyoming and the two
Dakotas.
The programme Of fusion arranged by the
free-conage managers seems to have been ac
cepted without much question by the three
State conventons-Populist. Democratic and
silver Republcan-held simultaneously NJ Lin
coin on Wednesday and Thursday But the
strain on the triple alliance was made appnr-
ent BY the fact that General Weaver, of Iowa,
the Popullst candidate for President in 1902,
and Charles A. Towne. Of Minnesota. the off,
cal head of the silver Republican National
party. as well as Mr.. Bryan himself and Sena-
tor Allen. bad to be called u on continually TO
enforce harmony among the squahbling dele
gates. a silver Democrat was finally nomi-
mated for Supreme Court Judge and PopilSt
ana Il silver Republican were put In the field
as candidates for State University Regents.
Ii remains to be seen whether the bargain
struck at Lincoln by the fusion managers will
be ratified at the polls. Nebraska, like Kansas.
has felt the recent wave Of returning prosperity,