The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-15

Nebraska a Poser.
 From the New York Evening Post tHep').
 Lincoln. Neb.-This is no place for 8 nrophet. Nebraska is in a condition or nolitieal ferment this year, that mas caused all the soothsayers to palk "hen it came to assigning it definitely 10 ellher the republican or democratic column ohs may come down through Wisconsin, Mill nesota. Iowa and South Dakota making fairly satisfactory guesses as to the out come in each state as between Bryan and Taft. But Nebraska is poser. IL has been in both the democratic ana re- nuhliean electoral tables in the last lz vears therefore the record of past per formances has to be thrown out of con- sideration.
 The people you meet on the streets anu in the cars, and about the hotels give YOU no help. One man is for Bryan ana his companion is for Taft. lot mora are in the state of mind of man in oyeralls who got on the train at Aivo last night He seemed a cheerful, frienoiy sort of human being, so l sought to put him to test.
 
 "Ay bane Swede," was the response be- fore I had concluded the question.
 Well. there are lot of "5wedes" in tnis state this year in politics. Maybe they themselves don't know who they will vote for four weeks from now. At any rate' they are not telling. The political can- yassers and the poll-takers are Just as nuch in the dark about the great pody of the vote as the casual inquirer seeking to get the drift of sentiment among the neonle he meets traveling about. It IS anybody's state on the surface Of events hut one can figure out where Taft has the advantage in the probabilities.
 The republican assets in Nebraska are prosperity and Gov. George l.. Shelooh' The democratic assets are more intanglple' being the states native pride in Bryan, a general approval among the voters or the hank depost guarantee proposal, and Bryans record and reputation as an az gressive Christian, active in good worhs and church affairs,
 The last factor is not to be minimized throughout this entire middle western country, and especially here sin Bryans 5 home state, where the routine Of hls daliy life is known The drift of the swedish Lutherans towards Bryan in Nebraska on this account is reported to be very strongly marked. One heard Of the same tendency in Minnesota. It is estimated that there are between 15,0O0 and W,OO0 Swedes in Nebraska. In matters Of mo- ment they are apparently moved by com mon impulses. They think alike and usually vote alike. Republican politicians who have been going about in the coun- try districts, where the Swedes are in the majority, have told of finding a lack of | enthusiasm for Taft, even among those who were known to be republicans. These questing politicians have asked:
 "ole, why do you like Bryan?' Sometimes they have had to press Tor l the reply, but when it came, 1t was nearly always the same: He bane gude man. That's the sum total of the information | the inouisitors have been able to extract. | State pride is not as strong in the west | as town pride, but unquestionably many | voters out here will vote for Bryan be- 1 cause he is a Nebraska man, and because ] they would like to see man from their | home state in the White House. Whether l there will be enough of these votes cast 1 for MT. Bryan to effect any apprecable 1 change in the state Is to be doubted.