Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-05
nrrnn ana nnIIrnnh Mon.

Bee: William J. Bryan in his recent trip
through the state labored under the inn
preston that he must counterfeit In some
way the present movement OF the railroad
employees, which has for It's object the
abatement OF agitation against the rail-
roads. which we feel II continued must re
suit in reduced wages and which. In fact
has 30 resulted, as every railroad man in
the state knows, whether he may be on
the mileage basis or working by the hour.
This is not attributable. perhaps, to any
thing that has yet occurred in Nebraska
other than that the state has been ar
fected by the national depression.
The monopoly of intelligence assumed by
Mr.. Bryan in talking to railroad employees
at North Platte and elsewhere insults them
rather than instructs. Railroad employees
have at least ordinary intelligence. We
are not threatened by the managers with
a reduction in wages. and the attempts
OF political leaders to bring about strained
relations between the officials and the men
is futile and will fall flat. Al employees
who sees his employer assailed and the
revenue OF the business depleted by con-
tinued attacks Of business interests that
have no other object than to obtain a
larger share Of the floating currency would
be contemplate in any other vocation by
such a display of ~disloyalty as Mr.. Bryan
advocates-then why not a. a railroad mani?
He would be un-American and unworthy
OF his citizenship.
Mr.. Bryan lays great stress on the
watered stock Of railroads. and with a
wave Of a we'll trained hand raises La
Follette's wild guess Of its magnitude-a
couple Of hundred millions. Railroad men
who are familiar with his first campaign
through Nebraska in 1896, covering the
same territory as the itinerary Of this
week. remember a story circulated by Matt
Daugherty: Mr.. Bryan's train, experiencing
delays In western Nebraska on account of
the wind that emanated from the boy
Orator. was endeavoring to make up time,
when a message was received from the
citizens at Sutherland, Neb., at which sta
ton they were not scheduled to stop. ask
Ing II this could not be arranged long
enough to at least permit the school chill
dren. who would be assembled on the plat
form, to shake hands with the presidential
candidate. TIT opposition press stated that
this was refused unless the children would
raise $40. OF course, 1t was all a canard,
but illustrates the extent to which the
Bryan private stocks have been "watered.r
since when 1t is generally understood that
Immediately upon the nomination OF Mr..
- ~ ~ RaVetaChN NA0 ~ AClICul6NlOnl
Of the Commoner will reach 1000, OOo-that's
going some. OF course, II the unexpected
happens and some favorite son pricks the
Bryan boom there will be a deluge COM
pared to which the recent floods in Ne
braska will be drouths.
Railroad managers are persittently ac-
cused by Mr.. Bryan of coercing the en-
ployes to circulate petitions, protesting
against rate reduction. With nearly 10000
OF the railroad men OF the state now mem
bers OF the Protective association, and the
others Joining as fast as the details can
be arranged. II would look as IL there was
a mistaken diagnosis OF this feature OF the
coming campaign by the party leaders who
are opposed to keep in touch with the
political atmosphere. AS to coercion and
intimidation, the World Herald recently re-
FUSED 70 publish a denial OF a fake press
report from Lincoln, which m TO
put the Employees association in the light
OF organising a new political party, al
though the article was backed by the
Railroad Employees association, the largest
single association in the state today.
We wonder IL the -mismanagement of the
program in western Nebraska, in which
most OF the Bryan party were left at a
lonely way station on the Burlington, Mr..
Bryan walking back from the water tank
to the station and finally stranded high
and dry on the cacti tables of Kimbau
county, with a disabled automobile. while
the lesser members OF the party sprinted
along ahead, utterly oblivious of the mis-
fortunes Of their leader, all Of which re-
suited in the cancellation of one of the
most important dates. with a lot OF humiu-
alton and chagrin mixed in. has changed
his ideas OF the political management OF
railroads.
The railroad employees have had consider
able experience IN adjusting differences,
and we have all come to the conclusion
that 1t can be best done by Intelligent.
conservative methods, not affecting in any
way the general prosperity. II a strike is
threatened. our ears yet ring with the
protests of business men, who, threatened
with financial embarrassment. we are i'm
plored to deliberate, be cautious, exhaust
all other methods before going 10 such an
extreme. Now, this is all we are asking
that conservatism and reason prevail in
order that In benefitting a few, the greater
number will not suffer. We have submitted
figures TO the Railroad commission showing
conclusively that we have been g~rievously
hurt, and while we feel that our presenta-
ton has given us recognition, we do not
intend to "sleep at the switch"
M. J. ROCHE,
Secretary Nebraska Railway Employees
Protective Association.