Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-07-07
His Refusal to Discuss Statement
Causes Surprise,
CHAIRMAN BELL AT FARvIEw
Temporary Chairman Has Short Con-
ference With Candidate.
MARooNED BY HIGH WATER
HcLeaves Lincoln ON Hnndcar for
RokcIey, where Engine VIII
Take Him to FaIrbury 90
Special Train.
CFrom a staff corresponaentA

NfTOn q SldlI Correspondence
! LINCOLN. July 6-(Special rclesrem,)-
Mr. Bryan will not discuss tire statement
issued by Guffey Of Pennsylvania in answer
to the attack made on him. When asked
! what he rad to say about the statement
this afternoon he replied: Il decline to
! discuss the matter. Have you anything
! else to ash me?" The statement Of Guffcy
| places Mr.. Bryan on the defensive, in the
| opinion Of the marooned democrats here,
! and considerable surprise was expressed
! that the candidate would not discuss the
! statement
Theodore Bell. temporary chairman Of tho
convention, left town at o'clock on
| handcar bound for Rokeby, nine miles out,
| where he Is to he taken aboard an engine
and carried to Fairbury, there to be sent
to Denver on a special train. Mr.. Bell
! came to Lincoln to submit his speech as
temporary chairman to Mr.. Bryan and got
here early this morning, in time to be
waterbound. In statement he said he had
merely come to discuss a plank in the plat
form and that the democrats will sweep
the coast His conference with the candi-
date lasted but fifteen minutes.
Many Plans for Escape.
Mr. Bell was wild to get out of Lincoln
and every railroad man in town was Inn
!
could be gratified. Mr. Bryan Joined in
the effort to get him away in order not
to delay the convention. Not a railroad
was running a train save the Missouri
| Pacific, but that had washout at Weep
ing Water, which made connections that
way of no avail. The Union Pacific, the
| Burlington, the Rock Island and the North
western were all put out of business. Mr.
| Bell turned himself over to the mercies
of the newspaper men. who figured that
| he could 90 by horseback to Havelock and
then have a special Burlington engine take
him to Omaha to get the Union Pacific
This had to be abandoned when It was
found bridges were out between Havelock
and Greenwood. Then someone thought OF
the handcar and the Rock Island. and
Bell Jumped at the chance, for he was
about to miss the opportunity of lifetime
in being the temporary presiding offieer OF
a national convention. At o'clock Mr..
Bell boarded the handcar and started out.
He intended to catch Rock Island engine
az Rokehy for Fairbury. Mr. Bell was In
consultation with Mr. Bryan all morning,
coming back to nncoln about noon. expect
ing to catch the Northwestern. You can't
get a traiE out of Lincoln today, Mr.. Bel"
|, he was told by a newspaper man.
surely there is some way can get out
of here / must get out some way" he
answered Cant / get conveyance to
some town where the trains are running"
Call UP all the railroads and ask them to
, figure out some way for me to get to
= Denver"
While he was greatly eercised, the tenn
porary chairman hid his feelings remark
ably well, compared with the members of
the Bryan Travelling News club which were
in the same boat and could not get out.
, 1hI club had wired the Hebron band to
60 with It and the band spent the day
, playing at the Lindell hotel
Row on Train ExaEEerated.
In a statement this afternoon Mr.. Bell
declared that last nights newspaper re-
norts Of the affair between himself and Ma
than Cole had been grossly exaggerated.
"Enroute to Ogden" said Mr.. Bell, 'the
delegation caucused to select a national
Committeeman and ] will admit that the de"
hate grew heated, but not to the extent
reported Nathan Cole wa selected. and al
b though I had been opposed TO him after
his selection we kissed and made up and
Q both agreed to fight our best for the cleo
e ton of Mr. Bryan. We will work shoulder
to shoulder"
: with reference to the charges and counter
" charges made by Colonel Guffey or Penn
sylvsnia, and Mr.. Bryan, Mr.. Bell declared
: that while he felt the same sentiments
toward the represent ntatives of the Keystone
I state as does Mr.. Bryan, he thought II
we'll that the fight had come eff. 1T VIII
clear the sky, and a good fight never hurt
. anybody" he said.
II He explained his visit to Fairview on the
d grounds Of having been selected by the
II delegation of his state to proceed to Ian
s. coin with the greetings Of the delegation
j. 10 Mr. Bryan. He had ample time for the
trip, he thought at that time, but begar
d to get worried after leaving Omaha. He
l. left that city last night and the trair
E labored for ten hours making the fifty-fiv'
n mile trip.
e He informed Mr.. Bryan OF the selection
Y OF Mr. Cole to represent California on th'
national committee and discussed with thu
f. leader the platform and his speech al
- TEMPORARY chairman. As a result Of thu
m talk the publicity Of campaign contriba
D tion plank win be referred to in his speech
r. in stronger terms than II appears at pres
n ent,
sullivan WIN Resign,
The reference OF Colonel 0uffey OF Penn
r sylvania in his answering charge agains
William j. Bryan that the latter has com
d promised with "boss"-Roger c. Sullivan
OF Hlnois-whose votes he needed. lend
interest TO a statement made here yesteT
day by NJ +. Dunlap, delegate from iii
le nois.
le Mr.. Dunlap declared that not only wOul'
.r Sullivan not be chairman OF the nationa
d committee but that he would resign as th
n Illinois member Of that committee.
ID ''Wiu he resign Of his own free will o
N because he faces defeat7'' the nlinoisai
B. was asked.
+ He will resign without fight" slowl!
ar answered Mr. Dunlap,
s. Has Mr.. Bryan used his influence 10 se
cure Mr.. sullivan's withdrawal
Or II think that Mr.. Bryan will be pleased.
se Particular importance is attached 10 IN
u statement OF Mr.. Dunlap for the rsaso
rs that he and Judge o. NJ, Thompson o
~ Jacksonville, H.. 10 whom Mr. BTyR
OF wrote the public lsttsr requesting Nj
a.lIlA.ln.. .-AAhAnnA A.. a.