The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-12-14

ship clubs In Nebraska will be held
at South Omaha on December 81,
brings northern Nebraska prominent
ly into national politics, so far as the
presidential nomination in the demo
cratic party Is concerned. Mr. Bryan
has apparently selected three northern
Nebraska men to launch his candidacy
and 1t is not two much to assume from
this announcement that government
ownership will become the paramount
issue, so far as Mr.. Bryan Is con
cerned, in 1908. From the present in
dications, II would appear that Mr..
Bryan will carry his ownership slogan
with him into the democratic national
convention and It Is to be expected
that he will cling to the idea, regard.
less of the south with its Jim Crow
cars, regardless of the conservative
element in democracy, and carry 1t
with him into the race.
The fact that Senator Allen, Mr..
Harrington and Judge Edgar Howard
have united in the plan looks as
though Mr.. Bryan has hoped to unite
in a national fusion the populist and
democratic parties for his race.
Mr.. Bryan has been comparatively
silent-silent for him--since election
with the exception of expressing his
opinion upon the presidents message,
and it is believed that this meeting
which Is to be pulled off at South
Omaha on the thirty-frst of this
month, behind which are prominent
northern Nebraska political leaders,
will carry more significance than the
mere announcement might indicate.
The republican party could hope for
nothing better than the adoption of
this war cry of Mr. Bryan in 1908. In
the first place it would furnish para
mount issue. Paramount issues have
become highly essential to the presi-
dental campaigns in which Mr.. Bryan
takes part, and it is anticipated that
he will work the battlecry to the limit.
But the south, the solid democratic
south, with it's Jim Crow car to give
it personal interest in the contest, will
fight the head of the ticket on such
movement. Mr. Bryan at one time,
after his Madison Square speech, de-
clared down in Georgia that he was
M In IF
ership of railroads than President
Roosevelt, and that he did not believe
the people would ever force the issue.
Yet here in his own state, and prob
ably not without his knowledge, the
issue is to be forced.
The government ownership fallacy
has been receiving jolts of late that
promise to make it hard banner to
carry. A private publisher, highly re-
sponsible because he is man of many
millions, has recently guaranteed to
take over the postoffice department
and run it more economically than it
Is now being operated Yet the post
office stands as a high type of federal
ownership utility.
Omaha has had sorry experience
with government ownership on a large
scale. The water plant built there was
appraised at six million dollars after
the city had determined to confscate
the institution and operate it. The
actual value is said to be about three
million. And now the ownership fad
dsts in that town have determined to
build a new plant and operate it under
municipal ownership, so that the city
may have two water plants instead of
one, and with prospect of getting, in
the end, none instead of two.
1t is a question whether the present
water board in that city can legally
annul the former decision to buy the
old water plant, so that the plot has
merely thickened, and the taxpayers
are growing tired of the game.
For the sake of republican success
| in 1908, it is to be hoped that the con-
vention of Ownership clubs" to be
held in South Omaha on December
81, will have a national significance