The sun., 1908-06-06
SAYS BRYAN NEEDN'T REPAY
DAHLMAN TELLS OF THE NEW
YORK MONEY IN NEBRASKA.

Got SIS 900 Frem she Eastern state and
Doesn't Know whether Thomas r.
Ryan Gave Any Of II or NOt-Shee-
han Agrees That Bryan Is Innocent.
OMAHA. June 5.--Reiterating that he got
the $4,000 from New York in the campaign
Of 1904 and that he spent the entire amount
In vain effort to elect George Washington
Berge Governor OF Nebraska. Mayor Dahl
man, national committeeman from this
State, says that he does not know or care
where the money came from. and that as far
as he knows 1t might have been Thomas +.
Ryan SIN money.
Il have not seen Bryan or talked with
him." said Dahlman. but 1 would advise
him not to send back that $4,000. 1t Is
none Of his affair AS l said before, Shee-
han offered help in Nebraska. That was
before the State convention, and l told him
that could not tell what the show was for
carrying the State for Parker until after
IL was held. When the convention was held
saw that there was no use working Tor
Parker in Nebraska and wrote Sheehan to
that effect.
an October | saw there was hope Of
eleoting Berge. so called in T. s. Allen,
chairman Of the State committee. and
told him had earlier In the campaign been
offered New York money and asked him
II he had the time to 60 to New York and
500 Chairman Taggart and Urey Woodson
OF Kentucky. secretary OF the commttee
and see IL he could get some help. Well,
Allen went to New York and saw them.
but he did not bring the money back with
him. The $4,000 was sent later in three
different payments. The checks were
not signed by W. F. Sheehan or T. +. Ryan.
but the treasurer OF the committee.
-Of course Mr.. Ryan and Mr. Sheehan
both may have contributed to the national
campaign fund but the money l got and
the money l spent in the State campaign
all came from the national committee and
not from either Of these two men.
II reaffirm that Mr.. Bryan knew nothing
Of the transaction and also that he cam
paigned for Parker from the very start
Of the fund by Thomas H. Tibbles. the Popu-
list nominee for Yice-President in 1904.
At that time Mr. Tibbles was editor OF the
Independent at Lincoln and Bryan's Com
moner was printed by the Independent
plant. Bryan's editorial desk was in the
Il know right where 5000 Of that New
York fund went. 1t went into special
edition Of 80 coo copies Of the Independenf
which was published for the purpose OF
electing George W. Berge Governor. This
James c. Dahlman and Col. John g. Maher
Il also know something about that charge
that the $40 600 was sent to Nebrask ka to get
Bryan to support Parker. The day after
Bryan returned from the st. Louis con
vention he dropped into the Independent
Office. sat down at his desk and began
writing an editorial. The first words were
i shall support Parker We put that
editorial in type and ran IL in the Commcn'r r
the following wee'
William F. shsehan, vi was chairman
Of the executive committee Of the Demo-
cratic national committee in the Presi-
Dental campaign Of 1904. has written
letter to William J. Bryan in which he as
sures Mr.. Bryan that even II the assertion
Is true that Thomas +. Ryan contributed
to the campaign fund spent in Nebraska
who contributed to the general fund
from which the financial help given to Ne
braska was made. The letter adds
Permit me to say that whatevsr money
was sent to the State Of Nebraska was taken
from the general fund Of the committee,
which money was made up of voluntary
| contributions from many persons, Why
| there should be any criticism of this particular
| expenditure | am at n loss TO understand
! The transaction was a perfectly legitimate
| one on both sides. There was not The slightest
! suggestion at the time from anybody that
| Won had any kLOwiedge on the subject OF
| that knowledge Of the transaction was to be
] brought home to YOU. | think II IL probably
needless for me TO say that neither directly
| nor indirectly was | responsible for the publi-
| cation in quest ion. and were 1t not for the
| fact that believe all act OF injustice has been
! done YOU I would not even sav what have
! In this letter.